Pokemon Rejuvenation: Rise from the Ashes
by Rider of Black 00
Summary: A young man takes on the Aevium League to escape from the tragic past that haunts him to this very day. Join him as he forms unlikely friendships with Aevium's most noteworthy citizens, as they work together to save their home from the dark forces that follow closely behind them.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone, this is Rider of Black here and boy do I have some news for you all. I was able to obtain the adoption rights for Pokémon Rejuvenation: Xen's Shadow, courtesy of the Godfeather. I was planning on continuing it, but after reading up about all the changes that happened following the start of that fic, I figured it would be best to reboot the thing so that it's up to date with the game itself. As for the fic itself, there's a few things I'm going to change, such as the main protagonist and his backstory/personality. However I'm keeping in the Tandor-native Pokémon from Uranium that he used, in order to honor the original wishes of the previous author.**

 **Additionally, I want to give a shout out to the author Zedlyfier, who wrote a story titled Rejuvenation: Through the Eyes of an Interceptor. I highly recommend you read it as it is and amazing story and was what inspired me to write a Rejuvenation fic of my own; or at least adopt an already written story.**

 **Be warned that this fic will be rated M, for a variety of reasons that I'm sure fans of Rejuvenation would understand.**

 **So without further ado, here's Pokémon Rejuvenation: Rise from the Ashes**

 _?_

 _A young girl with short blonde hair had just finished tucking herself into bed, when she was soon visited by her mother, the latter had a small, tired smile on her face, evidence that she was exhausted from the days events. The girl's eyes perked up upon seeing her mother._

" _Mommy, mommy! Can you tell me the story about the Zorua and the Pangoro, please?" she eagerly requested, eying up a children's story book that rested on the table in the center of the spacious room._

" _Again?" the mother inquired, with the girl nodding in response. "Haha, alright then." She chuckled, taking the book and proceeded to sit down beside the bed._

" _There once was a lonely Zorua living deep in the darkest forests." The mother started reading out loud, as the girl began to imagine the events in her head. "He was a mischievous one. Transforming into other Pokémon and beings that lived in the forest. He would often use this ability to trick others into handing over food, or using their homes to sleep in. because of that, he didn't have many friends. I'm sure you can piece together why."_

" _Mmhmm." The young girl nodded._

" _But one day this changed when Zorua met a powerful Pokémon called Pangoro. The two of them were fighting over a rare and highly coveted golden apple. The fight lasted for many hours, until it ended in a stalemate. They knew they were evenly matched, one could not take out the other. They stared at each other intensely, knowing that they were destined to be friends. The two became quick companions, like two peas in a pod, if you will. They travelled the world together, overcoming hardships while going on thrilling adventures. Life was good for them, until Zorua went too far one day. Zorua planned a devious prank on Pangoro. "I shall transform into his recently deceased mother. That would surely give him a fright!" Zorua chuckled ominously. "It'll be my best prank yet!"" The mother continued, pausing briefly to clear her throat. "So while Pangoro left to find food, Zorua put his malicious plan into action. When Pangoro returned home, he was greeted with the sight of his dead mother. Paralysed with a mixture of extreme emotions, he stepped back towards the door, dropping his collection of food onto the ground. In that collection of food was…"_

" _A golden apple!" the young girl chirped sweetly._

" _Yes my little angel, a golden apple." The mother smiled in response. "When Zorua saw this, he transformed back into his normal state, eyed up the golden apple and asked "Hey! That golden apple looks incredibly delicious, is that for me?" He then looked up to face Pangoro, only to see a face filled with fury, sadness, but most importantly, disappointment. It was then that he realised that he had deeply hurt Pangoro with his cruel prank and tried to apologise, only for Pangoro to ignore his apologies and ran into the forest. Zorua ran after him, worried about his friend, but Pangoro was nowhere to be found. Zorua realised that in his selfishness, he repelled the only friend he ever had, thus becoming lonely once more." She concluded the story and closed the book. "Sleep tight Maria, my precious little girl." The mother gently kissed the girl on her forehead before placing the book on the table and exiting the room._

 _The next day_

 _Maria had just awoken from her blissful sleep, eager to start another great day. She got out of bed and put on her favourite outfit, which consisted of a black, long-sleeved shirt, a matching black skirt with white stockings and black loafers, and a white ribbon which went around her shirt collar. Once she had finished getting dressed, she exited the room and went down stairs to greet her parents. Like with her room, the house was incredibly luxurious, indicating that the occupants were well off in terms of money. There were several bookshelves in the living room, with a large painting of Maria and her parent overlooking the area._

" _Mommy, I'm up! I'm up!" she called out eagerly, as her mother poked her head out from the kitchen, which happened to be adjacent to the living room._

" _Good morning Maria, did you sleep well?" she inquired, a warm smile on her face. "I'm preparing breakfast right now, do you mind getting your father? He's working in his study."_

" _Ok mommy!" Maria replied, as she made her way to the opposite side of the room towards a closed door. Normally, Maria was forbidden from entering her father's study, but she was sure he wouldn't mind this time. She carefully opened the door and entered the room, as she spotted her father hunched over the large table in the room, reading over what appeared to be important documents. He soon turned to the side and spotted Maria, placing the documents back inside the open folder before closing it._

" _Ah, Marian—Maria. How are you doing?" her father inquired. Maria found the brief pause kind of strange, but decided to ignore it._

" _Mom said that breakfast is ready, so it's time for you to get your butt out of this room and have some good food!" Maria called out adamantly, causing her father to chuckle._

" _I do love your mother's cooking. Alright then, I'll be out in a few moments." He replied, with Maria nodding as she exited the room and made her way back to her mother._

" _Dad said that he'll be right out!" she reported._

" _Did he now? Well there's no point in rushing him. You should go upstairs and freshen up, your breakfast will be ready by then." Her mother replied._

" _Okay, and then we get to play outside afterwards, right?" Maria asked, her eyes sparkling with innocence._

" _Of course, sweetie!" her mother smiled. "Now go on, Maria. I'll be waiting for you down here."_

 _The young girl made her way back into her room to freshen herself up, retrieving a pair of white ribbons from a small wooden box on her vanity. She gingerly brushed her hair to neaten it up until it was nice and tidy, before proceeding to tie the ribbons onto her hair. Once she was done, she was about to head back down stair, before she was halted by some sort of clear blue fog that suddenly appeared in her room. The fog was very cold, sending shivers down Maria's spine, with the young girl wondering if a sudden draft had wafted in from one of the upstairs windows. As suddenly as it appeared, it disappeared a few seconds later, almost as if it hadn't of existed in the first place._

" _W-What was that…?" she asked herself, a confused expression on her cute face. It was then that the sound of a plate crashing onto the floor emanated throughout the house, causing the young girl to jump. "Mom?!" she called out to her, but there was no response._

 _With fear coursing through her veins, she tip-toed out of her room and began to walk down the stairs, only to come face to face with one of the most frightening figures she had ever seen in her short life. The figure was a tall person whose face was covered by some sort of masked helmet that looked like the head of a rather vicious dragon. Based on their figure which could be seen via their grey and black jumpsuit, Maria determined the intruder to be a woman. Additionally, she wore crimson red boots and had a matching red cape billowing down her back._

" _Who…are you?" Maria asked the intruder, edging closer and closer to her. The woman stared at Maria and crossed her arms, before proceeding to shift her gaze away from the girl, as if staring down some invisible force._

" _How many times…how many times are you going to make this little girl suffer?" The woman asked out loud. This cause the young girl to pause momentarily; while the woman's voice was intimidating, she didn't detect any direct malice towards her. Furthermore, what does she mean when she inquired about her supposed suffering? Who exactly was she asking to? "How many times are you going to put her through this chaos?!"_

" _I-I don't know what you are talking about…" Maria spoke softly, alerting the woman as she locked eyes with the small child._

" _I wasn't talking to you." The woman replied bluntly._

" _O-Oh…well, do you know where mommy and daddy are?" Maria inquired, taken aback by the sudden answer._

" _They're downstairs." The woman answered, pointing towards a hallway that lead downstairs. Maria knew that she was forbidden from going down there as well, but it didn't seem like she had much of a choice. Leaving the mysterious woman to her own devices, Maria went towards the stairs, however the woman suddenly turned to her, deciding to offer some parting words._

" _Maria, no matter what happens, don't you dare lose hope." The woman told her. "Don't lose who you are and don't forget what's about to happen. You understand?"_

" _Y-Yes, I understand!" Maria quickly replied, as she hopped down into the basement. The basement was a lot larger than she anticipated, with various halls and corridors branching off to the sides. The walls were incredibly grimy, and there were dozens of cobwebs all over the walls. Whatever the case, it was obvious that nobody went here very often. Despite the sense of danger she was feeling, a thrill of excitement coursed through Maria's body, after all this was like an adventure to her. Perhaps this was part of the game her mother promised to play with her after breakfast. Maria explored the basement for a bit, making sure to avoid any cobwebs she sees, until she spotted a faint light in the distance._

" _Mom? Dad?" She asked out loud but didn't get a response. Maria picked up her pace and went towards the light, stumbling into the room and gasped at what she saw. Lying in the center of the dimly lit room was an altar surrounded by several candles, her mother lying on top of the altar. A closer look revealed that her head was bleeding profusely, and she wasn't moving an inch. And looking over the altar with a face as cold as ice was her father._

" _Mommy?" Maria called out, hoping that it was nothing but a cruel prank, like the one in her favorite book. However, her mother didn't budge a single inch, her body remaining as lifeless as a statue. Panic began to course through her body, as she ran up to her father and started shouting. "What are you doing to mommy?! Mommy, wake up! Why aren't you doing anything daddy? Move out of the way!"_

" _Marianette, your father wishes to see you right now." A feminine voice called out from nowhere, surprising the little girl._

" _W-What…what are you talking about?" She replied to the strange voice_

" _Marianette, your father wishes to see you right now." The voice repeated, as if it chose to ignore her question._

" _W-What's happening?!" Maria asked, as a bright light soon illuminated throughout the area, momentarily blinding the poor girl._

" _Marianette. Marianette! Marianette!"_

 **0000**

 _The light died down, allowing Maria to open her eyes, only for the young girl to realise that she was in a completely different room. The room looked like the dungeon from some medieval castle, with a large oval shaped mirror handing on the wall. There were two plush dolls flanking the mirror; a Zorua doll on the left, and a Pangoro doll on the right. Maria turned around and saw a maid standing before her, in a dark black dress with a white bow tied around her waist._

" _For the fifth time, Marianette, your father's waiting for you in the East Wing." The maid informed the small child, a frown on her face as her voice dripped with irritation. "You've made him wait longer than necessary, so get to it."_

 _W-Wait! What am I doing down here again?" Marianette asked, as the maid huffed in annoyance._

" _Marianette, I won't say it again. Hurry along now!" The maid demanded._

" _M-My name's Maria, not Marianette." Marianette said quietly, as the maid exited the room in a hurry. Sighing to herself, Marianette proceeded to leave the room and head to her destination. Upon exiting the room, she noticed that the basement was a whole lot different than before. The medieval décor was all over the place, and the walls were much cleaner than before. What she found to be strange were the sheer number of maids in the area, all of them wearing the exact same outfit that the other one wore. They even looked identical to each other, adding another layer to the already chilling atmosphere. Not wanting to anger the maid any more than necessary, she quickly made her way to her destination and entered the room._

 _The room was surrounded by crystal clear water that was cordoned off by a simple guard railing. But it was the familiar altar in the center of the room that sent chills down Marianette's spine. There was at least a dozen maids staring at the altar, praying in worship as the maid from before was lying down on the altar. Staring down at the altar, wearing black robes that had grey stripes running down it was her father, the same cold as ice expression on his face._

" _Where's my mom?!" Marianette demanded an answer, as everyone present turned to face the young girl._

" _Mommy is sleeping with our lord now, Marianette." Her father replied, in a cold, emotionless tone of voice._

" _Stop calling me that, it's Maria, not Marianette!" She snapped back, surprising her father._

" _Why are you being so disrespectful? Your name is no longer Maria." Her father replied. "Now then, to continue from where I left off—"_

" _No need for the explanation, Lord Indriad. Demonstration may be the key to this girl's mind." The maid on the altar chimed in, having accepted whatever fate was in store for her._

" _Very well." Indriad replied, as he stretched his arms over the altar. "Arceus! Capremdum Garuganisu oru'ma'! A'd serberus L'orufogeo!" He chanted, with the maids following in suit. The chant was repeated again and again as the sacrifice's body floated into the air before it was enveloped in a bright light. A few seconds later, the light died down, revealing that the maid was no more._

" _W-Where is she?" Marianette asked._

" _She is with the lord now, Marianette." Indriad coldly replied, his gaze fixated on the altar. "She won't suffer the calamity that will soon befall this earth. Come Marianette, it's your turn."_

 _N-No! You can't make me do it!" She yelled out, fear coursing through her veins. She decided to take a chance and began running towards the exit in the hope of finding a way out of this horrible situation. However a pair of maids quickly bolted after her and grabbed her roughly by the arms._

" _Maids, bring Marianette to the altar." Indriad ordered, with the maids complying obediently._

" _Let go of me! Let go of me!" Marianette cried out loudly, as she struggled to break free of their iron grip on her. However it seemed that the more she struggled, the tighter their grip on her gets. Eventually they reached the altar and tied her down with some rope to prevent her from fleeing._

" _You said the same thing to my mommy! She's gone because of you!" Marianette snapped at Indriad, glaring at the man, but to no effect._

" _Enough, Marianette! Go with some dignity at least." Indriad barked back at her, with Marianette briefly flinching in anger._

" _I don't want this! Just let me go!" Marianette begged her father, tears of sadness and anger running down her soft cheeks. However her father refused to acknowledge her request, opting to continue to ritual instead._

" _Arceus! Capremdum Garauganisu oru'ma'! A'd serberus L'orufogeo!" Indriad began chanting, with the maids following suit like before. Marianette's body was enveloped in a golden light like before, however the ropes prevented her from floating above the altar._

" _I hate you! I hate you!" Marianette screamed at the top of her lungs, as her throat started to ache from all the yelling she did. Eventually she quieted down and started begging once more. "Someone please, don't let him do this to me! Someone please help me! Anyone! MOMMY!" However her pleas of help fell on deaf ears, as her body was fully enveloped by the light._

" _Please…" Was the last thing she said before her world went dark._

 **S.S Oceana: Trainer Registration room**

The Registration room was one of the most important rooms on the cruise ship, solely for the fact that it was a necessary visit if a trainer wished to participate in the Aevium League. The doors to the room opened once more, a young man in his late teens entering the room and sat down on one of the cushioned seats that laid before a large red computer. The man quickly typed on the keyboard in a flurry of precise strokes, the blank screen quickly flaring to life as an introductory video started playing.

The video showed the top half of a young lady with light brown skin, matching brown eyes, and short black hair that ended in crimson red tips. Her outfit, from what the man could see was a simple white undershirt, with a black jacket over it. The lady in the video had a warm, friendly expression on her face, as if she was eager to greet the new trainers who chose to register for the Aevium League.

"Hello newcomer, my name is Amanda! I am the Manager and Scout of the Aevium League! It's my duty to get newcomers like you up and ready to go. But before that, are you interested in learning a bit of history about the Aevium Region?" the woman spoke, as a box with two options appeared on the screen. The man gazed at the box for a bit until he selected 'Yes'. After all, despite being born in Aevium, the isolation plaguing his hometown prevented him from learning about the rest of the region.

"Righto, lesson time! The Aevium Region isn't like your typical region. For one thing the variety of Pokémon a trainer can encounter is far greater than most regions. Another notable difference is that the Aevium League challenge is notorious for being one of the most difficult challenges a trainer can tackle; for instance, there are 18 Gym Leaders you'll need to defeat instead of the usual 8. Additionally, the Pokémon of Aevium may or may not respond to your calls depending on what level you are, and how many badges you have. To take on and succeed in the Aevium League is what separates the truly great trainers from the rest." Amanda explained. "But before we begin, you'll need to register your information for security reasons."

It was then that a form appeared on the screen, with several blank boxes where you need to put your personal details down. Things such as name, date of birth, gender, nationality, with an optional box where you put down any previous accomplishments you achieved if this wasn't your first challenge. Additionally, there was also a button with the image of a camera on it, that took a picture of your face so that it could get placed on your trainer card. The young man quietly filled in his information, making sure that nobody else was sticking their nose into his business, before concluding with the picture shot. A faint chime emanated from the speakers, indicating that the registration was successful.

"Congratulations, Mr. Julius! You are now officially registered in the Aevium League! Once the S.S Oceana docks, please meet me at Gearen Laboratory. There we will finalise the registration process, including the opportunity to choose your very own starter Pokémon, and then you'll be on your way to do great things!" Amanda beamed with pride in her smile, before the screen went blank once more. Julius chuckled lightly at the pre-recorded video; after all he was coming back for a different reason, so there was no need for him to pick a starter Pokémon. As he got up his seat and made his way to the desk at the back, the receptionist had gotten a notification regarding his finished application and had printed out his trainer card.

"Here you are, Julius. Your brand new trainer card is ready!" The receptionist smiled, handing him the spiffy trainer card. Julius checked it over and noticed that there were some numbers printed in the empty slots where the Gym Badges went upon their acquisition. Did these numbers have to do with what Amanda said about Pokémon obeying you depending on their levels? "This Trainer Card isn't verified yet, you'll need to verify it at the Gearen Immigration Office. Good luck out there!"

"Thanks ma'am." Julius replied curtly, as he placed the card in his pocket, pondering on the logic of having to create a different trainer card every time you went to a different region, pausing briefly by the mirror on the wall to neaten up his appearance. The young man had lightly tanned skin and had silky, dark brown hair that reached his shoulder blades, and light green eyes. His outfit consisted of a simple grey shirt, with a black jacket over it and matching black trousers that were topped off with a pair of white sneakers. As he stepped out of the room, he took in the luxurious interior of the ship once more, since it would probably be a long time before he saw such beauty again.

The walls and floor were brightly colored in a variety of regal colors such as mauve, gold and white. The ship was several stories high, with marble stairs scattered throughout the areas to grant the passengers easy access to the upper levels. Several pot plants around the same height as him were placed in various corners of the room to add a bit of flair to the area. The atmosphere could be described as highly charged; between the new trainers eagerly awaiting the chance to take their first step in Aevium, several upper-class people chatting to each other about their latest success in whatever business endeavour they took part in, and the sound of water bursting from the fountains in the area.

It was then that a very graceful woman started walking down the stairs and spotted Julius waiting outside the room. She had fair skin that was smooth to the touch, and had shoulder length pink hair and matching color eyes. Her outfit was a simple white dress that reached the top of her knees that was adorned with a pink ribbon around the collar, a pair of white loafers and a white, wide-brimmed hat that had a pink stripe running around it. This was Nancy, the kind-hearted mother of Julius.

"Ah, there you are Julius! Did everything go smoothly?" she inquired, walking up to the young man.

"Y-Yes mother, everything went smoothly." Julius replied, a hint of hesitation in his tone. "I just can't believe I'm going back to my home town after so long."

"It has been a while, hasn't it? I just hope that they no longer turn outsiders away. It was the main reason why your father, bless his soul, made the decision for us to move to Moki Town in Tandor." Nancy replied, before sighing to herself sadly. "I just wish he was here with us."

"I do too." Julius commented sadly. "I still can't believe he died in that explosion at Nuclear Plant Epsilon, and at the hands of that madman to boot! I wish I was strong enough to avenge him…"

Nancy noticed that Julius' fists were clenched tightly, a maelstrom of sadness and anger welling up inside her son. She brought the young man close to her and embraced him tightly, hoping to ease his tension. "There, there. There's no need to ponder on the past any longer, rather it's best to look to the future and take the next step boldly. Besides, I'm sure he'll get his comeuppance sooner or later."

"T-Thanks mom…" Julius replied, embracing his mother as well.

"That reminds me, I have to show you something." Nancy said, as she escorted the young man up the stairs and down the hall, until they reached a pair of elegantly crafted doors made from mahogany wood. "These doors lead to the banquet hall, where everyone will be having a feast as the ship arrives at the Gearen Docks. We still have a bit of time before we get to that point, so why don't you go visit Captain Augutus? He's a good friend of mine."

"Ok mom." Julius accepted the request.

"And while you're at it, why don't you try and make some new friends?" Nancy suggested, as Julius' blood ran cold. He just couldn't find it in himself to make new friends, ever since that tragic day in Ayrith, another region he visited and participated in its League following his victory in Tandor. The painful memories he experienced there were far greater and more horrifying than the memories of Tandor, even the day where he first heard the news of his father's death. It left him with so many terrifying nightmares, nightmares that seemed to grow worse as time passed on.

"B-But mom, you know why I can't make friends." Julius protested. "You remember what happened in Ayrith?" It was then that Nancy sighed to herself, a slight hint of frustration behind it.

"Julius, for the last time, you were not responsible for what happened to your friends there. What happened was tragic indeed, but you mustn't blame yourself for what happened that day." Nancy told him firmly, before a warm smile returned to her flawless face. "I'm sure the thing they want the most would be for you to keep living life to the fullest. Anyway, I've got some business I need to attend to; I'll meet you down here once I'm done."

With that, Nancy began walking further down the hall, though what business she had was unknown to the young man. Julius dug his hands into his pockets before he began exploring the ship, mulling over his mother's words. He just couldn't get past that traumatic incident; after all his friends were subjected to horrible experiments under the hands of the twisted Professor Friedrich Larkspur, a cruel scientist who was working on a device to supress a Pokémon's will and forcefully subjugate them to the wielders command. His magnum opus was to be a device that enabled the wielder to capture a Pokémon that already belonged to a trainer, a twisted scheme that would've succeeded had it not been for the intervention of Julius and Garlikid, a heroic Pokémon whom he formed a temporary alliance with. It was during this side-mission that Julius learnt the truth about Larkspur; how he was the mastermind behind the creation of Specimen 092, also known as Urayne. It was meant to be a Pokémon that created an unlimited source of clean energy, that somehow gained sentience despite steps being placed to ensure it didn't happen. Once word got leaked to the International Police about the illegal experiment, Larkspur was forced to initiate the self-destruction of Nuclear Plant Epsilon, leading to the deaths of dozens of innocent plant workers, including Julius' father. Furthermore, the explosion helped initiate what would become known as the infamous CURIE Incident, a near nuclear disaster which was kept under wraps to prevent an international panic.

Following his failures in Tandor, Larkspur had fled to Ayrith and began plotting once more with the various criminals there, only to find out that Julius was travelling the region alongside some new friends he had made. This provided Larkspur with a perfect opportunity to perfect his subjugation device, and get revenge on the upstart that embarrassed him back in Tandor. Once the unsuspecting victims were within striking range, Larkspur had his thugs ambush and knock them out swiftly. There, they were taken to his underground base, where he and his friends were trapped inside several tubes that restricted their movements. One by one, they were forced to undergo cruel experiments, dying in agony as the young man was helpless to save them from their fate. After the last one had perished, Larkspur walked up to the young man, who by that point was broken and was crying profusely, begging to be put out of his misery.

But before Larkspur was about to finish the job as he so wanted to, he heard what sounded like intruders storming the base. Panicking, he quickly retrieved all the data he had obtained from his experiments and fled the base. A few minutes later, the police force had arrived and freed the entrapped young man, as he collapsed onto the floor, exhausted by all the crying he did. When he woke up, he found out that he was in a hospital bed, his mother beside him, clinging him tightly as tears ran down her cheeks, stating that it was a miracle he pulled through. A few days later, he was discharged and made a beeline to the cemetery near Cellia City, where his friends were buried. He paid his respects by placing flowers in their grave pots before he broke down in tears once more and apologised profusely for his failure to save them.

He then completed the Ayrith League shortly afterwards, in an effort to leave that place as quickly as possible. Disappointingly, he learnt that Larkspur had avoided authorities once more and has most likely left the region. His mind then shifted to the friends he lost that fateful day; the ones who he had experienced so much with during their journey. There was Hardy, the brash but enthusiastic young man who planned on becoming the Champion of Ayrith. Though he fell in with the Black Foxes, a notorious bunch of anarchistic thugs who stole everything that wasn't nailed down, in order to raise money for his little brother, their friendship persevered through in the end and he was soon freed from their clutches. Then there was Ava, a vibrant, yet responsible young lady who happened to be the Grass Type Leader of Ayrith. As she was older than him, she always doted on as if she was his sister, protecting him from anyone that wished to cause him harm. Then there was Connor, the talented yet narcissistic Fire Type Leader of Ayrith. Originally, they butted heads with one another as Connor felt that he was the superior trainer, but over time Julius managed to win his respect and friendship.

And then there was Scarlett; sweet, innocent Scarlett who was too kind and pure for that cruel region. Julius and Scarlett bonded with each other quickly over their shared interests, but it was at Blackview where their friendship soon turned to romance. This had caused some tension between Julius and Connor, as the latter fancied her as well. But upon seeing just how happy she was with Julius, he yielded, valuing her happiness over his. Both Julius and Scarlett began planning out their future while they were travelling, which would cultivate in them getting married, perhaps raising a kid or two. However, those plans and dreams would never come to fruition as Larkspur threw a wrench in their relationship. It was her passing that hurt Julius the most; the young man remembering the faint smile she gave him before closing her eyes for the last time. It was upon his departure from Ayrith that Julius made a vow; to never make a single friend again, as not only would it keep them safe from Larkspur, but he felt that he doesn't deserve friends at all, since he felt that he would be too weak to keep them safe from harm. The young man had finished his long train of thought when he made his way up a large set of stairs and entered the bar.

The bar was one of the more spacious rooms in an already spacious cruise ship. There were dozens of tables for the patrons to sit down and relax while drinking with each other. Julius decided to take a seat next to what looked like a slim, teenage male with reading glasses over his eyes, and noticed that the guy was paying attention to the lady in the center of the room, who was playing on the grand piano as her Jigglypuff was busy resting on top of the piano. The lady was very pretty, with her long, light brown hair, and shiny green eyes. Her outfit consisted of a white tuxedo, with matching white loafers. A minute later, she had finished the song she was playing, with everyone present applauding her, well except for the guy next to Julius.

"Thank you all for being such a wonderful audience today. I sincerely hope that you've been enjoying the cruise so far." The piano lady thanked the crowd, as she flicked through her sheet book for a bit before proceeding to play a different song from before. Julius sat back down and started listening to the song, when he noticed a thin trail of drool pooling down from the guy's mouth. He surveyed the scene for a bit and came to the conclusion that the guy was lusting after the piano lady, an act of perversion that annoyed Julius.

"Hey, hey!" Julius spoke into the guy's ear, snapping him out of his trance. "Mind keeping your eyes to yourself?"

"And who do you think you are, ordering me around?!" The guy hissed in a nasally tone, annoyed that some goody-two shoes was spoiling his fun.

"I don't think that lovely young lady over there would appreciate you eyeing her up some desperate scavenger." Julius replied, standing his ground.

"So what? What she doesn't know, can't hurt her." The guy retorted, as the patrons nearby grew interested in the brewing conflict.

"I think you need to leave here, I can smell the alcohol on your breath." Julius stated. "Unless you want me to alert the crew about your unacceptable behaviour."

"I ain't scared of any two-bit sailor loitering on this ship; I paid good money to be here, so I can do whatever I want." The guy sneered, standing up as well. Julius sighed to himself as he located a nearby crew member and began to head towards him. Concerned that he would get banned from the cruise, the creep let out a roar as he lunged at Julius and started punching the young man. Julius wasn't able to block all the incoming punches, as his face started to bruise up pretty badly. However a quick surge of adrenaline coursed through his body, enabling Julius to grab the man's arm and countered with a punch to the gut, momentarily winding the guy which enabled Julius to get up off the floor. The young man decided that the fight wasn't worth continuing and decided to walk away, when the guy suddenly grabbed a nearby chair and smashed it over the young man's back, causing Julius to cry out in pain as he fell back down again.

"Alright, break it off you two!" one of the crew members ordered, as another two quickly restrained the guy and dragged him out of the room, as he started screaming obscenities out loud. Several passengers checked up on Julius to see if he was alright, with the piano lady crouching beside him and helped him get up.

"T-Thanks ma'am…" Julius replied weakly, wincing in pain from the surprise attack.

"That's alright hun." The piano lady smiled. "Mind telling me what all the hub-bub was about?"

"Basically, that guy was perving on you and I told him to cut it out, which lead to a bit of an argument. He got annoyed over seeing me walk towards the crew member to report his behaviour, so he opted to attack me." Julius explained, with the piano lady sighing to herself.

"It's like I emit some pheromone that attracts all the perverts at times…" She commented quietly. "I could've handled him myself, though I greatly appreciate your kindness. The name's Louise, but most people call me the Piano Lady; what's yours hun?"

"Julius, ma'am." He introduced himself politely.

"Well Julius, I'd say that your mom would be proud that her boy has grown up into a handsome, kind-hearted man." Louise smiled, resting her hands on her hips.

"A-Ahh! T-Thanks, Miss Louise." Julius stuttered, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Tell you what hun, why don't I shout you a drink on the house?" Louise offered, causing Julius to flinch internally. He always disliked the idea of people buying things for him, or handing him free stuff.

"I-I'm fine, thank you very much. I've got to meet the captain, see you later, Louise." Julius knocked back the offer.

"O-Ok then." Louise replied, a little surprised. "Take care hun; I'll be playing during the banquet in case you're attending that as well."

The young man exited the room and proceeded to make his way down the upper halls, before arriving at a set of stairs that led upstairs to the captain's quarters. Julius walked up them and made his way to the large oaken door that had a gold plate on it that said 'Captain Augustus'. He knocked on the door briskly and waited for a few seconds before he heard a reply from the other side.

"Come in…" the crisp voice of an elderly man beckoned at the young man, as Julius entered the room and laid eyes on the man before him. The man had a magnificent moustache on his face and wore a white Sea-Captains outfit, which was decorated with several shiny medals that were awarded to him for his long time service. "Take a seat, Julius. I'm sure you want to know a bit more about what you're up against."

"Yes sir." Julius curtly replied, as he sat down on one of the comfy couches in the quarters. "So I take it you know my mother."

"Hahaha, of course I do! She's been a close friend of mine ever since your family first arrived in Tandor. My sincerest condolences about your father, by the way." Augustus offered his condolences.

"T-Thanks sir…" Julius replied somewhat sadly.

"So is the young champion ready to take on the Aevium League?" the captain commented, which took Julius by surprise. "Don't be so shocked, my boy. Lots of people know about your actions in the Tandor region, even your role in helping take down that CURIE fellow."

"H-How?! People weren't supposed to know about that last part!" Julius exclaimed, baffled at what he just heard.

"I myself have no idea how word got out, perhaps a reporter leaked it to the press or something." Augustus hypothesised. "Anyway, I heard the news regarding the Aevium League's decision to add some Pokémon that are native to Tandor. It'll be a major boon to the region as the increased Pokémon diversity would no doubt offer both the challengers and the gym leaders new and efficient strategies. However, they'll need an exceptionally talented trainer to make sure that the new Pokémon don't do anything to jeopardise the environment, and I don't think they've could've found a better trainer than you, my boy."

"Yeah, I was taken aback when I got the request for the first time, but I figured that it could be a great opportunity to see just how much has changed." Julius concluded, with Augustus nodding in response. "There's one thing that's been bothering me though; wouldn't it be a bit too easy if I'm using my strongest Pokémon?"

"Not to worry, I believe Amanda has already notified the Gym Leaders to inform them of this executive decision; rest assured, they'll be using their strongest Pokémon during your Gym Battles." Augustus informed the young man. "Though that isn't the only challenge you'll face in the region."

"Hmmm, is there something else I should expect?" Julius inquired.

"You know how there's 18 Gym Leaders here, instead of the usual 8 Leaders. Well the same things applies to the Pokémon League; there you'll have to face the Elite 8, as opposed to the Elite 4 in other regions." Augustus explained, as the color drained from Julius' face, his jaw dropping in surprise.

"E-Elite 8?!" Julius exclaimed, his jaw dropping in shock; back in Tandor, there was an elimination style tournament where 64 trainers battled each other for the title of Tandor Champion. It was a gruelling test of endurance, but this Elite 8 thing blew that out of the water. This combined with the previously mentioned 18 Gym Leaders meant that the young man was in for one hell of a ride.

"I know it may seem shocking, but it's what separates the Aevium League from all the others." Augustus politely chuckled at Julius' expression. "Now where was I? Oh yes, Pokémon in Aevium act differently from what you're used to. They'll only obey your commands in battle if you impress them with your skill. This can be measured by the amount of badges that you obtain, but I'm sure you wouldn't experience such issues given your circumstances." It was then that the watch on Augustus' watch started beeping, as he glanced down at it.

"What seems to be the matter?" Julius inquired.

"The alarm went off, indicating that it's time to start the banquet." Augustus notified the young man. "Why don't you come with me? I'm sure your mother's waiting for you!"

The young man accepted the offer as they duo exited the quarters and made the trek to the banquet hall two decks below them. Once they arrived there, they were greeted by a sizable crowd, eager to fill their empty bellies with the gourmet meals they were promised when booking the cruise. Nancy waved over to the duo as they quickly walked up to her.

"Enjoy your lesson, sweetheart?" Nancy inquired.

"I-I guess so…" Julius replied, scratching the back of his head as Augustus made his way to the double doors and entered the room.

"Well I guess there's no use waiting around any longer, lets head on in!" Nancy told him, as they duo stepped inside the hall, with the rest of the crowd following closely behind. As one would expect from a banquet hall, the room was lavishly decorated in a rich shade of brown. There were a few buffets where passengers could pick and choose from the staggeringly wide variety. There were dozens of tables in the room, the most notable being the table opposite his table, where a mysterious young lady with wavy long black hair sat beside her Gothitelle on their own. Located at the back of the room was a large stage, where Captain Augustus was by the microphone, while Louise was playing on the piano to add to the room's luxurious atmosphere.

"Greeting everyone! It is my pleasure to host this lovely banquet on this magnificent day! This marks the end of our week long journey together. I sincerely hope that this trip will stay in your memories forever. And perhaps one day, we shall see each other again! And with that all said and done, I'd like the banquet to commence!" Augustus made his short, but moving speech as everyone present applauded the man. However before anyone could begin eating, the doors burst open as a trio of strange figures in pitch-black uniforms, two men and a woman stormed into the room.

"Sorry, but I'm afraid we're gonna have to postpone this little party." One of the men barked out loud as all eyes turned to face them.

"W-What is the meaning of this?!" Augustus demanded an answer, stepping back a few feet in fear as the grunts surveyed the room, eventually locking eyes with Julius and Nancy. The young man was taken aback by the thug's sudden appearance, were these people hired by Larkspur to take him out? The thugs noticed the young man's nervous look and smirked to themselves.

"We're gonna need you all to stay put and listen very carefully." The woman called out. "We have placed explosives all over this ship, and are not afraid to use them should anyone decide to act stupid. So let's make things nice and easy for us all, okay?"

"Y-Your hijacking the ship?!" Augustus exclaimed.

"No, no, that's too barbaric for us. We're here to pick someone up." The first guy said, as Julius noticed his mother whispering to the mysterious lady with the Gothitelle, with the lady whispering back to her. Though what exactly they were whispering about was unknown to the young man. However it all came to a head when the lady whispered an order into her Gothitelle's ear, as Julius was soon enveloped by a light before he was teleported out of the room.

"You're all going to regret this…" the first guy growled, noticing the young man's sudden disappearance as he took a remote out of his pocket and pressing the bright red button on it, an earth-shaking explosion soon rocking the cruise liner.

 **?**

"Unngggghhh…" Julius groaned, as he wearily got up off the ground and held his hand to his head, his ears ringing like crazy. "Where am I…? What just happened…?" he asked himself while looking around the room. He soon recognised it as the cabin he was staying in, though it seemed to have been damaged by that explosion from before. He found his bag under the bed and checked it out, and sighed a breath of relief since all his Pokémon were safe and sound, the bag being one of the few things in the room that wasn't affected by the explosion. Hoisting it over his shoulders, he cautiously exited the room, and stepped into a scene of utter chaos.

The air was blanketed in a thick fog of smoke and dust, with several fires ravaging the already damaged ship. The floors and walls were peppered with large holes, with more smoke billowing up from them. As far as they eye could see, there were several corpses of what were once passengers and crew members, most of them were blown into bits by the explosion, sending bits of flesh and bone everywhere. The young man collapsed to his knees and started retching; he would never get used to this sheer amount of carnage, despite experiencing similar situations throughout his life. It was through his sheer willpower, and the desire to reunite with his mother that he was able to get up off the floor and began running down the halls. Eventually, he wound up in what was left of the bar when he heard what sounded like a surprised yelp. Julius ran to the source and found Louise paralysed with fear, as a dead body was dragged down a hole by some sort of tentacle like thing that came from a hole in the floor.

"W-What is that thing?!" Julius exclaimed, fear coursing through his body. He had never seen a Pokémon like that, if it even was a Pokémon to begin with.

"I-I don't know, but it's not the first time I've seen those things following that explosion." Louise replied, before she turned to the source of the voice and was visibly surprised. "Julius? What happened to you back there? You disappeared from that room somehow."

"I'm not sure myself, but I think that lady with the Gothitelle teleported me out of there. Though whether it was because of my mother or not isn't known to me." Julius offered an answer. "Anyway, we need to get off this ship as soon as possible."

"We do, but I wanna make one last sweep to see if there's any survivors left before we leave." Louise replied. "That is, if these things haven't gotten to them first…"

"You said that this wasn't the first time you've seen them. Care to go into detail?" Julius requested.

"Right. I was searching for any survivors following that explosion, when I stumbled upon that guy you tussled with earlier today. I offered to give him a hand when the ship started shaking all of a sudden and one of those tentacles ensnared him by the leg. Poor guy couldn't even scream before he was dragged down…" Louise recalled the memory.

"I-I see…" was all Julius could say. "Anyway, I have to go find my mother. Here's hoping we make it out of this." The two farewelled each other as the young man bolted out of the room and down the stairs to the floor below. Upon arriving there, he noticed several passengers holding up a sheet of metal to a breach in the hull in an attempt to keep the water out, however they were submerged up to their knees in water, making their efforts a case of delaying the inevitable. Julius then noticed that the doors to the banquet room were blown open; perhaps his mother was still inside. He quickly bolted into the room, his heart filled with hope, only for it to slowly disappear when he saw that the room was empty, save for the dead bodies of at least a dozen passengers, as well as Captain Augustus, who was physically well, but emotionally distant.

"Sir!" Julius ran up to the elderly man. "Are you alright?!"

"Julius. I'm glad you're doing okay…" Augustus replied, before sighing sadly, his voice filled with a sense of utter defeat. "This wasn't supposed to happen. We were all meant to land in Aevium safely, but I guess that won't be the case now. So many young trainers, eager to start their first adventure and live it to the fullest will never realise their dream. Who would do such a horrible thing?"

"I have an idea on who the culprit could be, but an operation of this magnitude is too big for him to pull off alone." Julius stated. "I-Is my mother…?" the young man continued, his mind dreading the worst outcome possible.

"She's fine, young one." Augustus answered, as Julius sighed in relief. "I think she went down into the cargo hold. I'm going to stay here for a bit and wallow in my own misery if that's alright with you."

"Alright then, thanks for that." Julius replied, as he quickly left the room and bolted down the stairs to the cargo hold. As he expected, the cargo hold was filling up with water rapidly. The young man scanned the area for a bit until he spotted a hole in the metal shutters that lead to the storage room. He ran down the stairs and entered the room, where he spotted his mother looking around the room, her trusted Sylveon beside her. Julius suddenly leapt into his mother's arms, as the two embraced each other tightly.

"MOM!" Julius cried out, sobbing into her shoulder as she comforted him. "I-I-I'm so glad you're alive!"

"I thought you'd be somewhere safe…" Nancy replied, hugging her on tightly. "Regardless, I'm glad you're alright as well. This ship is far too damaged, we have to get out of here right away!"

"I know mom; I can confirm that both Augustus and Louise are safe and sound. At the very least, the four of us can—" Julius began, before the sound of water crashing into the room interrupted the young man.

"And what makes you think that you're safe from our onslaught?" a voice called out, as a shady looking middle-aged lady with short purple hair and black shades over her eyes teleported into the room. Her uniform consisted of a grey short-sleeved dress, and a pair of knee high red boots. "We came here for one purpose, and one purpose only. And we're not leaving until we fulfilled that purpose."

"If it's my son you after, then you lot can all go home and tell that Larkspur where he can shove his fragile ego!" Nancy snapped at the newcomer, anger evident in her voice with the purple-haired lady chuckling in response. "I bet he was the one who hired you thugs to attack this ship!"

"Perhaps we were the ones behind this attack, but that's not something I'm willing to divulge. What I will tell you is that we have no connection to this…Larkspur that you so casually mentioned." The lady drawled in a bored tone. "What really matters is your apprehension."

"M-My apprehension?!" Nancy exclaimed in shock. "B-But I thought—"

"We were after your son? Maybe that's what the grunts made you think, but that couldn't be farther from the truth." The lady interrupted her coldly.

"If you really wanted me that badly, then why go so far as to destroy the S.S Oceana?! You've killed dozens, if not hundreds of innocent people who had no idea about any of this, including children eager to start their first journey!" Nancy yelled at the woman, her body shivering in angry as she stood in front of Julius to protect him.

"Spare me the waterworks; we didn't want any witnesses reporting us to the authorities, so we dealt with them in the most effective manner possible." The lady replied coldly, as if the dead didn't matter whatsoever. Julius was admittedly frightened of just how calculated yet ruthless she was; if that's how she treated innocent bystanders, then what cruel fate would her enemies suffer?

"And suppose someone were to get out and notify the authorities; that would ruin your day, wouldn't it?" Nancy inquired.

"Assuming anyone got out—which they won't, I doubt it'll end badly for us considering how most people think we're quite passive." The lady replied, before she raised her hands in the air. "It's time for the people to wake up from this dream of safety that's blanketing Aevium!" The room became deathly silent for a while, before Nancy started chuckling to herself.

"Heh, it's going to go down like this, huh? Sylveon, return!" Nancy recalled her trusted companion, before handing over her Pokéballs to Julius.

"W-why are you doing this?" Julius inquired.

"My Pokémon can help you get out of here and escape." She told him as he placed them inside his bag.

"But I don't want to leave you behind mom; who knows what she'll do to you!" Julius protested adamantly, only for his mother to gently kiss him on his forehead and bring him close to her.

"So long as you're safe and sound my child, I'll be ok. Your safety is all that matters to me." Nancy smiled softly at him, her eyes tearing up. Julius' throat started to tighten as he too broke down into tears.

"Awww…how touching…" the lady spoke in a sickeningly sweet tone, her voice laced with sarcasm. "But I'm afraid that's not going to happen."

All of a sudden, a trio of strange, identical looking Pokémon that bore a resemblance to the legendary Pokémon Deoxys appeared out of nowhere and swarmed in towards the two. Nancy quickly pushed Julius out of the way as the trio of Pokémon advanced closer to her, their tentacles waving violently in the air.

"Don't think you're safe. I'll deal with you once I'm done with your mother." The lady threatened Julius, as a crashing noise echoed throughout the ship. "What was that?"

The Deoxys clones looked around the room, as the crashing grew louder and louder, until the ceiling broke and a grand piano fell onto the Deoxys, causing them to shriek an inhumane shriek as they were swiftly crushed to death. This turn of events shocked everyone in the room, with Julius looking up to see who was responsible, only to find what appeared to be Louise looking down the hole.

"There…that ought to help you out, Julius." Louise panted, exhausted from pushing the piano as she moved back a few feet from the hole. "The sound of a piano crashing on the floor? That song was dedicated to you, hun. You'll have to escape here by yourself, because it appears my time here is up…" she spoke quietly to herself, as several Deoxys converged to her location and ensnared her in their grip.

"I-I'll never forget your sacrifice, Louise!" Julius called out to her, as he shot his mother an apologetic glance before running out of the room, tears pouring down his cheeks as he ran through the ruined halls. He desperately wanted to go back and help his mother, but he knew there was nothing that could be done to save her; besides she wanted him to continue living, and he had no choice but to do so. After scrambling through the halls of the ship, he finally got outside the ship, only for his spirit to fall once more as he locked eyes with a tall stocky man, with dark brown skin, short black hair and a piercing gaze in his eyes. He wore a grey shirt and black trousers, a tattered grey trench coat over his outfit, giving him an aura of authority.

"And just where do you think you're going, young man?" The man barked loudly, startling the young man, as the woman from before suddenly emerged from the entrance, leaving the young man surrounded.

"Did you really think you were done with me?" She mocked him, as the young man sighed in defeat and surrendered to them. "That's a good child; now come with us."

Julius was about to obey her order when a loud cry echoed through the area, surprising everyone present. All of a sudden, a rather large Talonflame flew through the air at rapid speeds and picked up the young man with its talons before flying away from the area.

"W-What was that?!" The man exclaimed in a bewildered manner, the lady running over to the railing of the ship and watched the Talonflame fly away.

"Hmph…it's no big deal. We can always find them later." The lady replied. "That or he'll come to us in a vain attempt to rescue his mother."

 **Well how was that for an introductory chapter? I hope I managed to capture what the readers liked about the original story, while adding in enough new content to make the story stand out. I do apologise if Julius' backstory was a little too dark for your liking, but I figured it would fit the overall theme of the game**

 **A couple things I should mention before signing out for now; the original author planned for MC x Melia to be a thing, but with a Q &A revealing that Venam x Melia is the canon ship, that throws a wrench into things. In order to satisfy both fans of the game and the initial fanfiction, I've decided to try and go for MC x Melia x Venam as the main ship, but it'll be tricky to pull off, and I doubt it'll satisfy everyone. Still, that's the path I think would work the most, so it wouldn't hurt to try it out. **

**As for the whole deal with the Tandor Pokémon, I was on the fence about that for a while, until I decided to go for it. After all it was what made the original story stand out from the crowd, and I figured it'll be best if I kept it in so that the wishes of the original author were respected. Don't worry, I won't make things easy for Julius that much I can promise.**

 **And lastly, the branching choices. The decisions and actions Julius chooses will be based on the ones that I feel offer a richer story. So I apologize in advance if the decisions he makes weren't the 'correct' ones, or the ones that you personally chose to take. Anyway sorry for taking so long, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Welcome back to my Pokémon Rejuvenation fic, everyone. I have a nice chapter prepared for you all as Julius begins his epic adventure.**

 **Once I finish this story, I plan on writing one about Julius' adventure in Tandor. And if Desolation does get finished as well, I'll do a story about that game as well.**

 **Edit: I removed the backstory regarding how Julius got his starter as looking back on it, it made him look a bit too Stu-ish for my liking. I also changed the battle with Amanda to reflect on her new ace Pokémon.**

 **Oceana Pier**

The rain was pouring down profusely over the area, the once clear sky covered by dark grey clouds. The pier had clearly seen better days; the ground was incredibly grubby and the water by the docks was stained a dark grey, likely by the oil residue that came from the ships that docked her from time to time. A minute later, the Talonflame flew closely above the western most dock, and dropped Julius off before landing on the ground beside him and began preening its feathers.

"T-Thanks for saving me back there…" Julius thanked the Pokémon, as he reached over to gently pet the large bird, causing it to coo blissfully. Shortly later, a medium sized yacht sailed over to the dock as the Talonflame turned to it and let out a few quick chirps.

"Did you find something, Talonflame?" A woman's voice called out, as the boat halted beside the dock, and a middle-aged lady stepped off the yacht and went up to her Pokémon, with Julius stepping back a couple feet. The woman had long, reddish-brown hair and wore a long red dress that appeared to be made from rather expensive materials.

"Is that your Pokémon…?" Julius inquired, as the woman turned to face the young man. "If so, then thanks for saving me."

"Not a problem young ma—" she began, before an odd look appeared on her face, almost as if she recognized him. "…Julius?"

"Y-Yeah, that's me. How do you—" was all the young man could say, before he was taken by surprise as the lady hugged him tightly. "W-What's going on?!"

"Oh it's been too long since I last saw you." The lady sighed in relief, before breaking off the hug. "You remember me, right?"

"N-No, unfortunately…" Julius admitted, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I-I see." The lady replied. "When you were young, your mother used to visit me at Telia Resort, since the two of us were close friends with each other. I still remember how you used to call me Auntie Tesla…those were the days." The now named Tesla recalled the pleasant memories, as something finally clicked in Julius' head.

"Oh! I remember now." He exclaimed. "It has been a since we met, Tesla. How have things been going?" Julius inquired, with a small smile appearing on Tesla's face.

"Well I can't say that it's been smooth sailing, what with my husband leaving me for some reason; something to do with his brother I believe…" Tesla answered. "But that's for another time; what happened on the S.S Oceana?"

"Well this group of thugs detonated a bomb on the ship, and began kidnapping people with their Deoxys, or at least I think it was a Deoxys; it didn't look like one in the pictures I've seen. Then this purple-haired lady, who I suspect was the one who orchestrated this plan, captured my mother. I tried to rescue her, but mom told me to get out of there as quickly as possible. One thing lead to another, and I was brought here by your Talonflame." Julius recalled the events, the young man shivering from a mixture of the cold and the sadness welling up inside him.

"There, there. I'm sure Nancy will find a way to escape. She wasn't one to give up after all." Tesla rested her hand on his shoulder to console the young man. "Did this lady tell you who she was working for?"

"No, but I did recall seeing three…underlings I believe, wearing pitch-black uniforms when they stormed into the banquet hall." Julius replied, as a worried expression appeared on Tesla's face.

"So, they've finally made their move…" she muttered to herself.

"H-Huh?! Who's making their move?!" Julius inquired.

"Team Xen." Tesla answered quickly.

"Team Xen? Who exactly are they?" The young man pressed further.

"They're a mysterious criminal organisation that's been popping up in the news lately. We simply ignored them for the most part given that their plans usually ended in failure, so to have them be the ones behind this incident is rather alarming." Tesla explained. "Perhaps those failed missions were a ruse for us to underestimate them, enabling them to catch us all by surprise."

"Y-You want me to report this to the administration in Gearen Laboratory?" Julius offered. "I've got business there I have to attend to."

"That'll be appreciated; I'll go to the wreck site to see if there are any more survivors." Tesla replied, as she hopped up onto her Talonflame before it began flying a few feet off the ground. "All right, Julius. We'll see each other soon!"

The Talonflame let out a large squawk as it began to fly through the air at a rather quick speed, as the duo flew off into the horizon. Julius dug his hands into his pockets and began the trek to Gearen Laboratory. The area was larger than he anticipated, with several warehouses throughout the area. What the young man found odd were the metal structures scattered throughout the area that resembled post-boxes. From the look of things, they appeared to be sucking up the dirty air and emitted fresh, clean air. Were these a measure installed by the city to counter pollution? It was a nice idea, but now wasn't the time to be dwelling on such things.

Upon entering the Gearen Immigration Center, Julius made his way to the front desk and waited patiently. Since he was born here, he shouldn't have any issues going through the gate, provided that he still has his passport. Zipping open his bag, he began rummaging through it for a bit, sighing in relief as he found his passport tucked away in a small pocket; a lucky break given what he had just been through.

"H-Hey miss." Julius asked the receptionist, placing his passport and trainer card on the table. "Mind if you can verify my card please?"

"Sure thing! Let me verify that you're a citizen of Aevium like so…" the receptionist replied sweetly, as she took the items and inserted the card in a slot on the computer behind her desk, before proceeding to read through the passport. It was then that her usually cheery demeanor disappeared, as an awkward silence filled the room. "…I see that you're from Goldenleaf Town."

"S-Sorry about that…" Julius apologized sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I don't agree with the towns' xenophobic attitude, if it makes things any better."

"That's good to hear. There was another young man from Goldenleaf Town who came here a while ago and expressed the same beliefs you just said. I can't remember where he went though…" The receptionist replied, her mood perking back up a bit as the computer behind her started beeping. "Ah, it seems that the verification process has been completed!"

The receptionist then proceeded to eject the card from the machine before handing it and the passport back to Julius, his mind briefly wandering to the receptionist's earlier comment; he knew a guy back in Goldenleaf Town who hated the order of isolation as well, could it be him she was talking about?

"Thanks ma'am." The young man thanked her, putting both items back into his bag.

"We hope you enjoy your Aevium League Challenge!" The receptionist smiled, pressing a button under her desk to open the gate. Julius nodded to her before stepping past the gate and took his first step into Gearen City after so many years.

The young man was shocked and amazed at just how much the city has changed over the years. The buildings were arranged a lot neater and in perfectly planned out blocks. The streets were sufficiently wide, and had several light posts by the side, as well as those air purifiers that he saw earlier today. Additionally, there was see-through glass in the center of the streets where one could see water flowing beneath it. As far as they eye could see, there were plenty of young trainers experiencing their first ever battle, while the citizens of the city were going about their daily business. Straight ahead from where he entered was a large, purple building with green tinted windows, with a sign that read 'Gearen Laboratory' beside the front entrance.

' _Hmm, I guess that's where I have to go.'_ Julius thought to himself walking up to the building before entering through the doors. As he anticipated, the interior was rather large, with several bookshelves and potted plants decorating the area. Standing by the entrance, as if waiting for him, was Amanda.

"Hey, do you happen to be Julius?" Amanda inquired, as Julius confirmed his identity. "It's nice to meet you in person, but why'd you take so long?"

"Sorry about that, I barely managed to escape an attack on the S.S Oceana that was orchestrated by this Team Xen, if what Tesla said was correct. She's busy surveying the area for any more survivors." Julius reported, as a shocked expression appeared on her face.

"Team Xen?! B-but that can't be true; they haven't pulled off an attack of this magnitude at all!" Amanda exclaimed, refusing to believe what she just heard.

"I don't want to believe it as well, but it happened right before my eyes." Julius replied.

"Well let's hope Tesla find any more survivors." Amanda hoped for the best. "Anyway, I'll take you to Professor Jenner so we can sort out the finer details of our little arrangement."

The duo began walking through the laboratory as Julius got a better look of his surroundings. There were several tables and chairs for people to wait comfortably by, as the show they were watching was soon interrupted by a breaking news story that went into detail about the S.S Oceana explosion. When the duo arrived at the desk to the left, Amanda explained the situation to the person behind the desk, as they happily opened the gate to enable them access, only for someone to call out for Amanda as a man exited from the door behind the center desk and walked up to her. The man had dark brown skin and had short black hair with red tips, much like Amanda's hair. His outfit consisted of a red shirt with a black jacket over it, matching black pants and a pair of grey loafers.

"And where exactly have you been?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest. "I've been contacting you for weeks now!"

"I-I've been busy with stuff…like helping our special guest get ready!" Amanda replied quickly, mentally praising herself for finding an easy solution out of this mess. "Y-You remember the little arrangement we planned with Julius, right?"

"Ah, so this must be the man of the hour, as they say. The name's Jan, it's a pleasure to meet you." The now named Jan introduced himself.

"Same here." Julius replied, the young man still a little rattled by what he had been through.

"Anyway, I'll need you, Amanda, to deliver the project to Zumi over at Magnolia Library." Jan requested. "I trust that this shouldn't take too long."

"As much as I want to, I'm tied up with Julius at the moment, so you're gonna have to do it yourself." Amanda replied curtly, with Jan sighing to himself in response.

"Alright then, guess I'll go do it. See you two later!" Jan conceded, as he began making his way to the library.

"Well we better get back to business then, I'll meet you upstairs, okay?" Amanda said, as she went towards the door behind the left desk and entered it. Julius proceeded to follow her and went to the door, only to receive the surprise of the lifetime as he collided with a girl around his age as she exited the door.

"Ouch!" she cried out as they two fell back on the floor.

"I-I'm so sorry ma'am!" Julius apologized quickly, as he got up and offered to help her off the ground, which she accepted.

"T-That's ok, thanks for helping me up." The girl replied sweetly, as she brushed the dirt off of her outfit. "I better get going now, sorry about all that." She apologised before proceeding to head towards the exit. This momentary distraction temporarily halted the young man; just what business did she have with this Professor Jenner? He had to admit one thing though; she was very beautiful. However now wasn't the time to dwell on that, so he went through the door and up the escalator to the next floor, before entering the only door that he could.

"There you are, now it's time for you to meet Professor Jenner." Amanda commented, as the duo walked through the spacious room and saw what looked like a tall, blonde man talking to a woman with red hair on some sort of video chat.

"…And make sure she's there…" was all he could hear from the woman in the feed.

"I will, don't worry about it." The man replied, as Amanda cleared her throat loudly to indicate her presence. This had startled the man, who quickly turned off the video chat, something which Julius found odd.

"Ah, hello!" The man turned around and greeted the duo. "I take it that the young man beside you is Julius?" he asked Amanda.

"Yep." She confirmed. "Julius, this is Professor Jennerson; but you can simply call him Jenner."

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir." Julius greeted his elder, shaking hands with him.

"The pleasure is all mine." Professor Jenner replied. "Now then, as the head scientist of this facility, I figured we should cut the chase and go over a few things."

"Agreed, however I have a question on my mind." Julius requested, with Professor Jenner giving him the all clear. "What lead you to the idea about introducing Tandor-native Pokemon to this region?"

"That I can explain easily; we wish to make our region the greatest one out there, and what better way to improve it by increasing the range of Pokémon available? We've made several calls to various champions from faraway regions like Urobos, Torren and Rikoto, but so far you're the only one who accepted our request. I'm sure you know about this already, but you are to go through the region to make sure that your Pokémon can perfectly adapt to the new environment without causing major damage to the local ecosystem." Jenner explained. "We've already taken the liberty of populating several of the route with berries that are native to Tandor, namely the Acai, Baku, Cupu and Guara berries. Of course, the native Pokémon nibbled on a few of them but they seem to love them a lot."

"Heheheh, well they are pretty tasty." Julius chuckled lightly. "It's why they're treated as currency in a few isolated towns."

"I see." Professor Jenner replied, before turning to Amanda. "Amanda, why don't you show Julius the special room we've got?"

"Got it!" she flashed him a smile. "Come on Julius, you'll love what I have to show you!" She walked over to a door that lead to an elevator, with Julius following closely behind. The duo then proceeded to enter the elevator and stood quietly as it went down at a rather casual pace. When the doors opened, the duo stepped out as Julius was taken aback at what he saw. Underneath the lab was a large area that was made to replicate the natural habitat for various species of Pokémon. The area was separated into three different biomes; a plains area filled with thick grass and tall trees for Grass type Pokémon, a large pond/swamp habitat with various aquatic plants for Water type Pokémon, and a rocky area with pools of artificial lava for the Fire type Pokémon.

"This is rather impressive if I say so myself." Julius commented, as Amanda walked up to him and tapped his shoulder.

"It is, but that's not the only thing impressive about this place." Amanda called out, as she pointed to some sort of rainbow-colored dispenser next to the elevator entrance. "Check out this baby! It randomly selects a Pokéball containing one of the starters you can choose from here, handy for those indecisive trainers. But…there's a rumor that you can score yourself a rare and very powerful Pokémon. I'd tell you what they are, but that'll ruin the surprise."

"How fascinating." Julius replied. "This system's a lot different from the one in Tandor. See, trainers would take a test, and they were given a starter of their choice depending on the answers they put down. Offensive-minded trainers would receive the Fire-type, Raptorch, Defensive-minded trainers would receive the Grass-type, Orchynx, and the ones who fell in the middle received the water-type, Eletux."

"Oh really?" Amanda replied back, an intrigued look on her face. "So which starter did you end up with?"

"About that…it's a fairly long story, and I don't necessarily have the time to tell you. Sorry about that." The young man apologized sheepishly

"That's alright. In that case, why don't you have a quick 1-on-1 battle against my starter?" Amanda offered, attracting Julius' attention. "At the very least, it should get your mind off of what happened on the S.S Oceana."

"Yeah…hahaha" Julius laughed uneasily; he wasn't about to forget that awful experience he went through on the ship. Still, he can tell that she's trying to help in the best way that she knows, so who was he to refuse a challenge. "Alright then, but don't complain when I wipe the floor with you."

"Oh, you wanna talk like that then?!" Amanda smirked, as the two trainers stood opposite each other on the small battlefield in the middle of the area. "In that case, my Incineroar will teach you how Aevium trainers battle!" She called out, the large bipedal cat letting out an intimidating roar.

"So that's your choice, huh? Guess it's time to show you one of my most powerful companions. Come, Yatagaryu!" Julius called out, as he sent out his long-time companion, the large Pokémon letting out a draconic squawk to psyche itself up. The Yatagaryu was colored black, red and yellow, and an elongated, serpentine body covered in scales and feathers, as well as a pair of white wings on its body. It has three birdlike legs, two at the back, and one at the front; each of its feet has four toes tipped with red talons, as well as a fluffy tail that resembled a storm cloud. It had two lightning bolt like horns on its head, and a magnificent mustache on its face. Upon it's entrance, dark storm clouds appeared in the room as the starter Pokémon dove under cover to keep safe from the incoming storm.

"Woah…talk about powerful!" Amanda gushed at the sight of the legendary Stormbringer Pokémon. "I am honored that I get to be the first opponent in the Aevium League challenge for the Champion of Tandor. Now, the cameras are on, the lights are on us, the pressure is building! This is going to be one heck of a battle!"

"Indeed. Now show me what you have to offer!" Julius declared.

"Oh so that's how you wanna play? In that case, I'll kick things off with Darkest Lariat!" Amanda boldly declared. Incineroar began beating its chest loudly, sprinting towards the serpentine dragon as it soon began spinning in circles towards its foe, its arms outstretched as it assaulted the Stormbringer Pokémon with the brutal assault, leaping backwards and gave a quick bow to a non-existent audience.

The draconic Pokémon quickly recovered from the attack, charging up electricity in its horns and launching it into the storm clouds above. Both parties waited with bated breath to see what would happen next, only for a massive bolt of lightning to strike the Heel Pokémon dead on, the cat Pokémon growling lowly in pain as electricity coursed through its body. A small smirk appeared on Julius' face, confident that he had this match in the bag, only for it to drop off his face as Incineroar managed to break free from it, a small smirk on its feline face.

"B-But how?! Very few Pokémon can withstand a boosted Thunder from my Yatagaryu!" Julius exclaimed, surprised at this turn of events.

"What did I tell you earlier? Aevium Trainers are in a league of their own!" Amanda proudly declared. "Use Cross Chop!"

Incineroar quickly scrambled up a nearby tree, leaping down from it as its forearms were crossed together, striking Yatagaryu head on as it squawked loudly in pain, shaking its head quickly to recover from the attack. Taking to the skies, it flew up in the air and began charging draconic energy in its mouth, the Heel Pokémon realizing what its foe was doing and sought to intercept the attack with a powerful Flamethrower. The two attacks collided in mid-air, both trainers wondering as to who would overpower the other, however Yatagaryu's superior mental strength persevered, the Dragon Pulse enveloping the stream of fire and struck the bipedal cat, who roared in pain as it was flung backwards towards the wall and collided with it. As it slid down and landed on the ground, it was evident that it was no longer able to battle.

"Great job, Yatagaryu!" Julius praised his companion, as the Stormbringer Pokémon posed proudly while Amanda recalled her Pokémon.

"Well gee willikers, Mary Ann; that was an explosive battle!" Amanda called out in admiration. "I see why the professor was so interested in enlisting your services. And speaking of the professor…" she added, as the elevator arrived at the bottom floor and Professor Jenner stepped out of it.

"I had a hunch you'd have a battle with Julius, and it seems I was right." He called out, an amused smile on his face.

"O-Oh no! I've been found out. The horror!" Amanda cried out in an overly dramatic matter, which the young man found amusing.

"No need to worry about it." Professor Jenner chuckled lightly. "I can't say I blame you for wanting to battle Julius."

"Yeah, well he effortlessly surpassed my expectations." Amanda replied, her smile brightening up the room. "And on that note, I better get back to work. Catch you later!"

"Catch you later!" Julius farewelled the young lady as she made her way to the elevator and entered it, before he turned to Professor Jenner. "Is there something else you need from me?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. And since it's just the two of us, I can ask you without worrying about anyone eavesdropping on us. It's about my daughter, Melia—" Professor Jenner began, only to freeze in a combination of shock and fear as the elevator arrived back down on the floor, the doors opening once more.

"Professor, I'm back!" the voice of a young man called out to the middle aged man.

"Why now…?" Professor Jenner sighed in frustration, as the young man walked up to the professor, an eager smile on his face. The young man had short black hair that was combed over, and matching black eyes. His outfit consisted of a white shirt with a grey jacket over it, black pants and matching black loafers. He also had black fingerless gloves on his hands, and a black scarf wrapped snugly around his neck.

"I'm done with my assignment in Amethyst Cave. Let me tell you how…it went…" the young man began, as he soon noticed Julius and was shocked at what he saw. "Julius? Is that really you?"

"R-Ren…?" Was all Julius could say, before the two went up to each other and gave each other a bro-hug. "My goodness, it really is you!"

"It's been way too long, mate!" Ren replied, as they soon broke off the hug. "How have all these years been treating you?"

"To be honest, it's been shitty for the most part. My father was killed in the explosion at Nuclear Plant Epsilon in Tandor a while back, and just recently, my mother was kidnapped by Team Xen for some unknown reason." Julius informed him. "But enough about me, how have things been going since we parted ways?"

"Not that great as well; oh I've been enjoying my time as Professor Jenner's assistant, but the situation back home has gotten worse." Ren explained. "You remember the Pokémart where we used to get ice-cream?"

"Yeah." Julius replied.

"Well a couple of outsiders were seen entering the building, so the townspeople got together and burnt it down, killing everyone inside including a few of our people." Ren recalled the gruesome memory, shuddering to himself.

"I hate to break you your happy reunion, but what were you going to say about the results of the assignment?" Professor Jenner interrupted, as Ren suddenly remembered what he was going to say.

"Yeah, about that…the Pokémon in there were a little too strong for me." Ren chuckled sheepishly, as Professor Jenner sighed in frustration.

"Don't worry about it, I'll get somebody else to deal with it." Professor Jenner replied, wanting to continue his private chat with Julius as soon as possible. "In the meantime, may I suggest you continue your assignment at Magnolia Library?"

"Sure thing! I'll get to it right away, see ya Julius!" Ren replied enthusiastically, waving farewell at his old friend as he bolted to the elevator and hopped into it, as Professor Jenner turned to Julius once again.

"Well now that we're alone again, allow me to continue what I was going to say. I sent my daughter, Melia on an expedition to Route 1 recently. However I have this nagging feeling that something's about to go wrong. She's got amazing potential, but it doesn't hurt to be on the safe side. I'd like you to check up on her to see if she's alright; the train to Route 1 is in the north-western corner of East Gearen."

"East Gearen?" Julius inquired. "I thought this city was the entirety of Gearen."

"Not quite; there are two halves to Gearen City, East and West. However, there's bad blood between the two halves over an incident that occurred around 10 years ago." Professor Jenner explained. "Anyway, in exchange for helping me with this favour, I'll give you the latest CyberNav."

Julius was pleasantly surprised when Professor Jenner handed him a brand new PokéNav, as he lost his during his escape from the S.S Oceana. The CyberNav was bright and shiny, and was a yellowish gold with a black stripe running horizontally over the main body.

"Thanks Professor, I'll make sure that no harm befalls Melia." Julius pledged to his elder.

"Thank you very much, you're doing me a great favor." Professor Jenner thanked him back in response. "Anyway, I need to get back to work."

"Alright then, see you later." Julius said his goodbyes, as he made his way to the elevator and proceeded to step in. Once it had arrived at the top floor, the young man proceeded to make his way through the building, and back outside into the chaotic city. However on the way out, he accidentally bumped into Jan, as the two men fell backwards in surprise.

"I'm so sorry Jan! Let me help you up." Julius apologized profusely, helping the fallen man get back up.

"It's alright." Jan replied as he brushed the dirt off of his outfit. "I was hoping to speak to you anyway; why don't you follow me for a moment?"

"S-Sure." Julius replied, as he began following Jan to the room he originally came out of when they met for the first time. The room was a small storage area that contained three machines; two candle-like structures, one with a green light, the other with a red light. The third machine was a small monitor with a screen the size of a laptop.

"This is where we keep all the good stuff." Jan grinned, as he began to show the items off. "This thing with the green light is a PC Star, it enables a trainer to access their PC whenever their out in the field. The thing with the red light is a Healing Star, it fully heals your party whenever you activate it, however it's one-use only. luckily, the gold Healing Star is multi-use, so feel free to use it whenever you can. Finally, there's the Gym Guide Panel. When activated, a very special person will give you advice on how to beat the Gym Leader, though I doubt you'll need to use it that often."

"Huh, those are rather neat if I say so myself." Julius praised their ingenuity, impressed by Jan's technological prowess.

"Anyway, I've got a mountain of paperwork to deal with, I'll catch you later." Jan waved at the young man, the two going their separate ways. Julius decided that it was time to get back on track and exited the building to make his way to the train station. When Julius had stepped outside, he noticed that the rain had died down a bit which made things a bit more convenient for him.

"Ok, so the train station is in the North-western corner of the area. I'll need to take a right turn down this street, take another right turn 1 kilometer later, then head straight down the road." Julius read the map and planned his route out as he soon began walking down the road. He saw several beginning trainers battling each other, as he made sure to stay out of their way to avoid battling them. It wasn't that he feared battling them, but that he outclassed them by a significant amount. He had passed a large factory of sorts when he noticed that the lights inside flickered on and off suddenly, followed by the manic laughter of what sounded like a deranged madman. The young man pondered on whether he should check it out or not, but decided that it was best to stay on task and continued his trek to the train station. Eventually he arrived at the train station, and noticed a few police officers guarding the entrance.

"Sorry mister, but there's been a power outage at the station. You'll have to come back some other time." The officer informed the young man.

"That's ok. By the way, did Melia come here earlier to take a train to Route 1?" Julius inquired, as the officer mulled on the question for a bit.

"Are you talking about Professor Jenner's daughter?" the officer asked, with Julius nodding in response. "I've been hear all day, and I can safely say that she hasn't come this way."

"Alright, thanks for that officer." Julius thanked to officer, who saluted in response as the two went their separate ways. While Julius was relieved that she wasn't stranded at Route 1 on her own, another troublesome thought popped into his mind; where could she be if she's not at Route 1? She has to be in Gearen City at the very least, but where would he even begin searching? The best course of action was to trace his steps back to the Laboratory, and begin searching the other side of this city.

 _ **One hour later**_

"Oh man…this city is enormous." Julius panted, resting on a bench near a rather opulent house. Despite his exhaustive searching, he still couldn't find Melia. He managed to locate several landmarks during his search, such as the Magnolia Library, the Chrysolia Hotel, and what appeared to be the Gym for this city, and marked them in the map application on his CyberNav. Julius was about to take a quick nap on the bench, when he was interrupted by the sound of loud music blaring from the house nearby. It took a while for Julius to figure out that it was a song from the Unovan rock star Roxie, but was unsure on which song in particular it was.

"Veronica, turn down that music this instant!" A woman shouted orders from inside the house, as an argument started to brew between her and her daughter. Julius decided to eavesdrop on the situation, not that it was hard given how loud they were.

"But mom, the beat's about to drop!" the girl who he assumed was Veronica protested.

"I've had it up to here with you and your noise pollution! The neighbors are furious; heck, just this week we've had police come to this house around three times!" The mother snapped harshly.

"FUCK THE POLICE! I CAN PLAY MY MUSIC AS LOUD AS I WANT TO!" Veronica shouted back, as her mother reached her breaking point.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!" Her mother screamed back, switching off the boom box in her daughters room.

"Hey, turn the music back on!" Veronica demanded, as she charged at her mother. The two of them got into a scuffle until the mother pushed her daughter so hard she fell out the window and crash landed onto the lawn. Julius quickly leapt up off the bench and ran up to her to see if she was alright. He noticed that there were a few scrapes and bruises on her arms and legs, however her breathing sounded a bit ragged.

"No…it's looks like I've…been fatally wounded…" Veronica gasped. "That awful old wretch…she's gone too far this time…"

"Hang on, I'll call emergency services and get you some medical attention!" Julius replied quickly, as he brought out his CyberNav and began dialing the number, only for Veronica to weakly raise her hand in the air to stop him.

"I-It's too late for me…I have but one last…*coughs*…request…" Veronica coughed harshly. "A Pecha Berry…I want to taste a Pecha Berry one last time before I move on from this cruel world…"

"I-I think I have one in my bag." Julius stuttered, as he began digging through his bag for a few seconds and managed to find a Pecha Berry. "Here…would this do?" he offered her the berry, as she took it from his hand.

"Th-Thanks bro…E-Even though we've just met…I feel as if we've been friends for a lifetime…" Veronica thanked the young man, as she coughed once again. "But this is the end…my only friend, the end. I can see the light on the horizon…I-If only I was able to have one last Oran Berry as well…farewell…" she continued weakly, until her eyes closed and she passed on from this world.

Julius sighed sadly to himself; not even a single day back in this region and already he'd seen somebody die before his eyes again. As he was about to turn and leave he soon noticed that Veronica was faintly breathing, a small smirk on her face. It was then that a range of emotions, ranging from relief, to anger, to bemusement rushed through his brain; she had been playing dead this entire time. He was not willing to let her have this victory and sat down on the grass beside her, waiting for her to drop the act. Around five minutes had passed, when Veronica grew tired of Julius watching her.

"Uh, you can go now. I'd like to die in peace thank you very much." She requested.

"But I thought you wanted an Oran Berry." Julius smirked, as he retrieved one from his bag. "And look at what I have here; a nice, juicy Oran Berry. I'm feeling hungry at the moment, and I can't wait to dig into this delicious berry. Oh man, I can't wait to taste the juices!"

Veronica began struggling to retain her composure; she really wanted that berry and this punk in front of her was going to rub it in her face. Julius noticed this and formed a plan in his head.

"Ohhhh, you really want this berry that badly?" Julius teased. "Do you want it so badly that you'll rise from the grave to get it? I know you want it…"

It was at this point that a surge of energy coursed through Veronica, as she jumped off the ground and snatched the berry from Julius, whom offered no resistance whatsoever. She began chowing down on it as Julius got up off the ground.

"See? You don't have to play dead to get free food next time." Julius commented, as Veronica swallowed the rest of the berry and wiped the juices off her lips.

"Ahhh! That really hit the spot!" she grinned, petting her belly lightly. "Sup bro? The name's Venam. Remember it."

"Venam? But I thought—" Julius began.

"My name was Veronica? That's what my mother calls me, but my name's really Venam." Venam finished off his question, before locking eyes with the young man. "Call me Veronica and no amount of Oran Berries would be able to save you. Got it?!"

"O-Okay then. My name's Julius, it's nice to meet you." Julius introduced himself, in a combination of fear and amusement as he got a better look at her. Venam was a cute girl with bright purple eyes, and matching purple hair that reached her back. Her outfit consisted of a sleeveless black shirt, and a white skirt. She also wore black loafers, as well as black and purple striped socks that reached the bottom of her knees.

"Seems I got kicked out. Again." Venam huffed in annoyance. "Well it does happen on a weekly basis, so it's not worth getting worked up over it."

"So where do you hang out whenever you get kicked out?" Julius inquired.

"Usually in the abandoned sewers; it's a better place than you'd think, there's plenty of cool kids who hang out there, and they even sell Chinese Food down there. Trust me, it tastes amazing." Venam explained, as she started to salivate over the Chinese Food.

"Alright then, I guess I can check it out while I search the city for Meila." Julius agreed to the idea, unaware of the wide-eyed look Venam gave him.

"Melia?! What business do you have with her?" The young woman eyed him suspiciously.

"Nothing bad, I assure you. Her father wanted me to check up on her." Julius answered, raising his hands to defend himself, as Venam confirmed the sincerity in his eyes.

"Ok, I trust you. The abandoned sewers are south of here, right near the easternmost docks. I'll see you there!" Venam called out as she started running to the docks, before topping briefly and ran back to the young man. "Oh and if you don't show up, I'll make you buy me more food. And I have pretty expensive tastes." She threatened the young man, before she started running to the docks once more. Julius proceeded to slowly follow her in the direction she was heading towards.

 **0000**

The young man had finally arrived at the destination after going through several back alleys and narrow streets, when he saw what looked like Venam lying face down on the ground in front of a large green factory. Additionally, Ren was standing before her with an unamused expression on his face.

"That wicked old wretch has done it again…I've been fatally wounded…" Venam "gasped". Julius wasn't going to fall for it a second time, and he was confident Ren wasn't going to fall for it as well. "All I *cough* ask for before I die is—"

"Cut the crap, Venam! I'm not falling for this trick again." Ren called out.

"Oran Berry…I need and Oran Berry…" Venam requested. "Hurry…one…last…taste…"

"Just get up, _Veronica…"_ Ren retorted, adding emphasis to her birth name. Venam's body shook with rage, before leaping up off the ground and punched Ren in the nose, at speeds so quickly that Julius almost missed it. "OW!" he winced in pain, clutching his bleeding nose.

"Y-You ok Ren?" Julius inquired, rushing over to him to see if he was alright. At the very least, he knew what would happen if he addressed Venam by the wrong name.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine…" Ren replied, taking a tissue out of his pocket and cradled his bleeding nose.

"You're horrible Ren! How could you ignore a girl's dying wish?!" Venam protested, glaring at the young man.

"You're a girl? I thought you were a Primeape." Ren casually joked while shrugging his shoulders.

"Now that was uncalled for Ren, you don't insult a girl's appearance like that." Julius shot him a disapproving gaze.

"Thank you Julius." Venam smiled, before turning to Ren with a smug grin on her face. "At least Julius knows how to treat a lady."

"I see." Ren replied, turning to Julius. "So I guess she got you, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess you can say that." Julius confirmed Ren's suspicions.

"Ah, you two know each other? Saves me the trouble of introducing you two to each other." Venam commented.

"Yeah, he and I go way back, before I first arrived here." Ren grinned, wrapping his arm around Julius with the latter returning the favor.

"Anyway, let's get this show on the road then!" Venam grinned wildly, as she slams the door open so quickly it makes a dent in the wall beside it. "Shall we?"

"Well this works out for all of us, so let's go then. Besides, I think Melia's tinkering with the generator in the sewers to get the trains back online." Ren said as he and Venam entered the building, with Julius following behind them. He entered what looked like a lobby of sorts, and noticed Ren standing by a set of stairs leading down into the sewers.

"Hey, since it's your fist time here, why don't I tag along with ya?" Ren offered his assistance.

"Well alright then…" Julius accepted the offer, mentally kicking himself for doing so. It wasn't that he had any issues with Ren, but it was the idea of someone pitying him that got his bile rising. Had Ren learnt about what had happened in Ayrith, there was no doubt that he would've left the young man to rot, not that he would've minded; as long as it kept him safe from Larkspur, that's all that mattered. The duo then proceeded to head down to the depths below, neither one of them knowing what they would find down there.

Upon entering the sewers, Julius immediately noticed that the smell was utterly rancid; a noxious cocktail of rotten eggs, month old garbage and human excrement. He rested himself on a nearby wall and started retching and spluttering as Ren quickly dug into his bag and whipped out a pair of masks, handing one over to the weakened man.

"Here, this should help with the smell." Ren commented, putting the mask over his face as Julius followed suit.

"Thanks man." The young man thanked his old friend, as he breathed in deeply. While he could still smell the rancid odor, the mask helped toned it down a lot. "Now let's get go—" Julius began as he was interrupted by the sound of one of his Pokémon popping out of its Pokéball and landed on the ground before the duo.

The Pokémon had a cat like face, with sharp fangs and bat like ears. Its slender body was a dark purple, with a pair of wings that were like a bat, but with cat paws for hands. The feet were long and slender, ideal for sneaking around the place. Finally, it had a tail that swayed from side to side, in a slow methodical manner. It started chuckling in a mischievous manner as it started sniffing the air, only to gasp out loud and fall backwards onto the ground, its eyes watering from the foul stench.

"Vilucard, what are you doing out of your Pokéball?" Julius sighed to himself, crouching beside it to check up on it, unaware of the shocked expression on Ren's face.

"W-What is that?!" He exclaimed, visibly intrigued by what he's seeing right now.

"This little guy is Vilucard, a mischievous little fella that I met in the Tandor region." Julius explained, as Ren started to put the pieces together in his head.

"The Tandor Region? Julius, are you by any chance that champion that Professor Jenner told me about?" Ren inquired, as Julius got up with his Pokémon, as Vilucard leapt up onto his shoulders.

"Well the cat's out of the bag." Julius admitted. "Your childhood friend is the Champion of Tandor."

"Wow, that's amazing." Ren gushed, impressed by what he just heard. "Anyway, we better get back on track. Follow me, I know my way around here."

"Ok then." Julius replied, as he followed the raven-haired teen through the sewers. Despite the odor in the air, the water was surprisingly clean. There were several teenagers using the sewers as an effective way to train their Pokémon with each other, and generally hanging around with each other. In a rather large room resided a miniature restaurant that served Chinese Food, just like what Venam said when they met for the first time. Vilucard noticed a box of Chinese Food that was unattended and attempted to pilfer it, only for Julius to notice in time and pull it away from the food.

"You can't go around and steal other people's food!" Julius scolded the Villainous Pokémon as it sighed in an over exaggerated manner, causing Ren to chuckle lightly at the sight. Eventually, they soon spotted Venam standing by a mechanical door of sorts, an impatient look on the young woman's face.

"Man, you two took your sweet ass time—" she began to chastise them before a surprised look appeared on her face. "Ok, what is that riding on Julius' shoulders?!"

"That's my Vilucard. I picked him up during my time in Tandor." Julius replied, as Vilucard pointed its paw at Venam and winked at her, making a clicking noise with its mouth.

"Oh, so you're the guy from Tandor I was told about during that meeting with all the Gym Leaders." Venam deduced. "Well at least I know your cool, so that's one major obstacle dealt with."

"Anyway, I take it that Melia's in there tinkering with the generators." Ren deduced.

"Yep, this is where we're supposed to be. I'll meet you two inside!" Venam called out, as she quickly ran into the room. However just as the two men were about to head on over, the door closed suddenly.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me!" Ren cried out loud, kicking a rock into the water in frustration. "The power just happened to flicker at the most inconvenient time."

"Does this happen all the time down here?" Julius inquired.

"Yeah, but there's a way to fix it. We've just got to reset the generator nearby. I've had to do it before so I know where it is." Ren called out, as he gestured at Julius to follow him. The duo quickly ran through the sewers until they arrived at a dead end with an entrance to the left that lead into a small room. The duo entered the small room, which housed a trio of identical looking, cube-shaped generators. Each one had a small console that had a bright red button on the left side.

"This is the place." Ren commented. "It's been a while since I reset the generators, so I might take a bit of time for me to remember it." He continued, as he began thinking to himself. "Well I do recall that Melia said something about how 3+1+2 is the solution to our problem, but what did she mean by that…?"

As the two trainers were pondering on what the answer could be, Vilucard hopped off of Julius shoulders and went over to the generators, pressing the big red buttons from left to right. Upon pressing the third button it turned to its trainer and posed proudly, only for an alarm to blare loudly in the room, indicating that the answer was wrong.

"I guess that wasn't the right order…" Julius commented, before an idea sparked in his head. "Hey, I think I got it!"

"You do?" Ren inquired, as Julius walked over to the generator on the right and pressed the button, before doing the same for the generator on the left, and finishing off with the generator in the middle. It was after the third button was pressed that the speaker in the room was switched on and confirmed that the generators were reset.

"Oh, I get it. It was so simple in the end; you activate the third generator, than the first one, and finish off with the second one." Ren stated.

"Yep, and it was all thanks to my pal over there that I got the spark of inspiration!" Julius grinned, pointing to Vilucard as it proceeded to bow in gratitude.

"Anyway, let's get back on track. Follow me!" Ren called out, as he exited the room with Julius following behind, as Vilucard leapt up onto the latter's shoulders once again. The duo had made their way back to where they were separated from Venam, and were relieved to see that the door hadn't shut on them once again and proceeded to enter the room. The main generator room was a lot cleaner than Julius had anticipated; the walls were clean to the point where they were sparkling in the light, the water looked considerably clean, and there was very little clutter lying about on the floor. The first thing they noticed was Venam lying on the floor, once again.

"Gah…I need more nutrients…Please, feed me an Oran Berry…" Venam cried out weakly, though not as convincingly this time.

"Does she do this all the time?" Julius whispered to Ren.

"Yeah, it gets annoying very fast." Ren whispered back.

"Venam, get up. Nobody's falling for that trick anymore." The blonde girl in the back of the room called out, as she was busy fixing up the generator. Her voice was unlike anything Julius had heard before; it was enchantingly sweet with a hint of intelligence in it, a sign that she was a genius. Yet there was also that nagging feeling that he had heard that voice before, earlier this day in fact.

"I-I know..." Venam gave up the act and got back up. "But I'm bored out of mind, are you done yet?"

"Unfortunately, that's a negative. For some reason I can't pinpoint the precise location of the error." The blonde girl replied, before turning around to face the group. "What could have caused this anyway?"

It was then that the blonde girl noticed Julius and was staring at him inquisitively, as he was puzzled on why she's looking at him like that. "Have we met before…?" she pondered.

"I-I'm not sure—" Julius began, before something clicked in his mind. "Oh, we have met before. I accidentally bumped into you back at Gearen Laboratory to negotiate my deal with Professor Jenner. I'm so sorry about that little mishap; my name's Julius."

"Hey yeah, I do remember that. My name's Melia, it's nice to meet you Julius." The now named Melia greeted him. Julius knew that she was beautiful from the moment he first laid eyes on her, but having gotten a better look at her, he can safely say that she was one of the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. With her luscious short blonde hair that was decorated with a red ribbon on the left side, her shiny blue eyes that sparkled like sapphires in the light, her pale skin that was soft to the touch, and a slender yet graceful figure, Melia was the definition of physical perfection. Her outfit consists of a black long-sleeved shirt, with a white undershirt, and a black skirt that were all made from the most expensive silk that money could buy. She also wears black loafers with thigh-high socks, as well as a red scarf around her neck. Both Julius and Vilucard were enamoured by Melia, as everyone present were giggling to themselves over the scene.

"Hey! Earth to Julius! You there?" Venam called out, snapping her fingers a few times right in front of his face, which snapped him out of his trance-like state.

"A-Ah sorry about that, I was just mesmerized by Melia's beauty—" Julius began, before clamping his mouth shut, a blush appearing on his cheeks as Vilucard started chuckling like crazy.

"Thank you." Melia smiled at the compliment. "Anyway, I was going to go to Goldenwood Forest today, but the train station was closed due to power failures. I went down here to see if I could fix the issue, but as you see, I haven't had any luck whatsoever."

"I guess that means you have to go tomorrow." Venam commented, before she remembered something. "Oh yeah, we can check up on that experiment we were doing!"

"Experiment?" Julius inquired, a look of intrigue on his face.

"I believe they were doing something with those bags of trash they left here a couple weeks ago." Ren assumed.

"Yep, right on the money!" Melia chimed in. "I was trying to see if the rumors about Trubbish and Garbodor were true. The rumor goes that if you leave trash in filth for a few days, it'll mutate into Pokémon!"

"Really? I can't say that I've heard about that before." Julius commented, raising his hand to his chin.

"But there's more to the experiment then that; we're here to put Melia's hidden ability to the test!" Venam added, as Julius' curiosity was piqued even further.

"Venam…can you give it a rest? I-I have no such—" Melia began, visibly uncomfortable with the subject at hand.

"Oh, take some pride in yourself for once! Not everyone can attract Shiny Pokémon like you can!" Venam exclaimed proudly, as Julius kept thinking to himself.

' _So Melia can attract Shiny Pokémon somehow? It is fascinating, but nothing worth making a fuss over.'_ Julius pondered to himself as everyone in the turned to face him. Both Ren and Venam were surprised to see that the young man didn't start begging Melia for Shiny Pokémon, while Melia was secretly relieved that he didn't react that much over her secret getting revealed.

"I-I still think it's just a series of coincidences." Melia replied. "Besides, I doubt the experiment would succeed in that aspect anyway. There's no way a bunch of trash bags can mutate into—" she continued before a gurgling sound emanated throughout the room, startling everyone in the room.

"What was that…?" Julius called out, as Vilucard hopped off his shoulders and got into a fighting stance. It was then that they noticed a larger than average Garbodor chewing on the wires connecting the generators.

"Huh, so that's why there's been so many power issues down here, it's eating all the wiring!" Melia commented, before she noticed that it was a different color than usual." And it seems I've attracted another Shiny Pokémon…"

"Woah, I'd never thought I'd get to see it in action!" Ren exclaimed, awed at the sight of the powerful Garbodor while Venam was smirking to herself, satisfied that she was right. However they were soon surprised again when a pair of Trubbish leapt out of the water and confronted the trainers, distracting them so that they didn't notice the Garbodor slip quietly into the water.

"Where did these two come from exactly?" Venam inquired, eying up one of the Trubbish in particular as it glared at her. It was then that the Garbodor leapt out of the water, splashing it all over the ground as it landed right before the group.

"Don't worry Melia, Julius and I can handle these chumps!" Ren declared, turning to face his companion. "You with me mate?"

"Well this gives me a chance to show you how much I've grown while I was away, so I'm fine with it. You ready Vilucard?" Julius replied, calling out to his companion who posed proudly before standing in front of its trainer, as Ren sent out his Murkrow. The Villainous Pokémon took a few sniffs in the air, before it was overcome by the rancid smell of wet garbage, courtesy of the Garbodor. It staggered backwards a few feet before promptly fainting from the smell, with the trainers at a loss to what just happened.

"R-Return." Julius called out, recalling his fainted Pokémon, surprised by what just happened.

"Now that was some serious growth, I tell you what." Ren joked around, with Venam and Melia giggling in response as Julius scowled at the young man.

"Yeah, yeah; real funny mate. I'll show you what I'm really made of; Astronite, to battle!" Julius declared, sending out another Pokémon as everyone else was amazed at what they saw. The Astronite had a humanoid body made up of hydrogen and helium, and was as dark as space itself. It had a few rocks made up of various rare metals that are commonly found in meteorites. The most noteworthy aspect was that its right arm was divided into several sections, the pieces being held together by psychic power.

"A Vilucard and an Astronite?! C-Could you be…" Melia began, surprised by what she's seeing.

"I'll explain once the battle's over." Julius replied. "Now Astronite, use Psychic on the Trubbish to the left!"

The Traveler Pokémon gazed at the small Pokémon with a focused look on its face before extending its right arm towards the Trubbish and began to build up its mental strength, as the Trash Bag Pokémon was soon enveloped by a blue aura. Astronite continued to focus as it raised its arm in the air, lifting the Trubbish off the ground as it realized what was going on and started a futile attempt to break free from its opponent's mental grasp. With a quick swish of its hand, the Astronite flung the Trubbish into the wall nearby, as it slid down for a bit before falling onto the ground by Venam's feet, knocked out from the attack. The girl smiled at this and whipped out an empty Pokéball, before capturing it in a discreet manner.

"Heheheh, you're all mine now…" she whispered to herself, picking up the ball and quickly pocketing it.

"Heh, not bad. Not bad at all." Ren commented. "Alright then Murkrow, lift the other Trubbish into the air and use Wing Attack!"

The small bird Pokémon chirped in response and flew towards the other Trubbish, as the latter started firing small hunks of sludge at it in response. However Murkrow was able to dodge them effortlessly and picked it up by its head, as it started ascending into the air. The Trubbish started wiggling violently in an attempt to break free, only for Murkrow to fling it upwards into the air, before proceeding to fly towards it at high speeds, striking it repeatedly with its firm wings. The Trubbish soon hurtled towards the ground, knocked out from the flurry of attacks.

"I guess there's only the head honcho left, but it's no match for me." Julius commented confidently, as the Garbodor stepped up to the plate and regurgitated a massive hunk of garbage at the Astronite, who narrowly dodged the attack as the garbage collided with the wall, sending bits of refuse all over the place. "Ouch, if that had landed it would dealt a ton of damage."

"Best course of action is to take it out before it hurls up any more garbage, Murkrow use Wing Attack once more!" Ren called out. The small bird took to the skies once more and dove directly towards Garbodor, as the large Pokémon opened its mouth and fired off a flurry of sludge balls at the small Pokémon, only for a barrage of shiny rocks to intercept the attack, creating a large dust cloud which blanketed the room, giving Murkrow a chance to pull off its attack without any more interruptions, with the Garbodor gurgling harshly in pain as it's body was struck repeatedly by the agile Murkrow. Ren was curious to on where the rocks came from, and noticed Astronite controlling the remnants of the rock shower.

"I figured that you could use some defensive cover, so I had Astronite use Power Gem to intercept the incoming Sludge Bomb." Julius admitted, as Ren gave him the thumbs up in return. "Now it's time for me to finish this with style! Use Power Gem once more!"

The Astronite levitated the shattered rocks in the air and flung them towards the weakened Garbodor, as it cried out in pain from the sharp rocks jabbing its body, before falling over backwards, too exhausted to continue battling.

"And that's a wrap!" Julius smirked, posing proudly with his Astronite following suit. "I couldn't have pulled it off without you, Ren."

"Aw shucks, I'm sure you could've handled it on your own." Ren replied, a sheepish grin on his face. "But it was a lot of fun battling alongside you."

"You two should go and think about what you've done; you can't just chew through the wiring like that." Melia scolded the two Pokémon, as they both slinked out of the room in shame. Melia then turned to Julius, a starry-eyed look on her face.

"That was amazing! The way you and Ren fought together, it's like you've done this before!" she gushed.

"No worries, I'm more than happy to help you out." Julius replied curtly. "Now as I was gonna say, your suspicions are correct; I am the Champion from Tandor that your father requested to take on the Aevium League challenge."

"Heh, seems like my hunch was correct." Melia smiled to herself. "While we're revealing things, neither of us were in any danger from the Garbodor at all."

"W-What?!" Ren exclaimed, surprised at what he just heard. "Why would you say that?"

Melia simply smiled and whipped out a metal suitcase from her bag and placed it beside her feet. "Simple, I had this with me!"

"Wow that looks so cool!" Venam gushed at the sight of the suitcase. "What's inside it?"

"My father gave it to me for my expedition to Goldenwood Forest. It holds a lot of useful supplies like Potions and Full Heals. But if things took a turn for the worse, I'm supposed to enter a secret code into the lock here; I haven't checked it out myself, but I'm confident it would've saved our hides." Melia explained.

"I see…" was all Ren could say in response.

"Anyway, with the source of the power issues dealt with, the train should be up and running tomorrow. Some engineers will be down her to fix up the wiring around the generator." Melia commented.

"I'll stay here to supervise the repairs once the time comes, since I'm the head honcho down here." Venam replied. "Besides, I need to train my newest team member." She took out the Pokéball and twirled it on her finger.

' _Huh, so that's where the other Trubbish went…'_ Julius realized, eyeing up the Pokéball.

"Hey Julius, an idea popped up into my head. Why don't you come with me to Goldenwood Forest tomorrow?" Melia offered, surprising the young man. This caused the young man to think deeply to himself; he had no problems with hanging out with Melia, but why would she extend this offer to someone like him, who she had just met today?

"I…I'll come with you, if that's alright." Julius replied nervously.

"Of course it's fine with me! I did extend the offer to you to begin with." Melia giggled lightly. "In the meantime, why don't we hang out at the Magnolia Library for a while?"

"That's a great idea! I need to go there on behalf of Professor Jenner anyway." Ren chimed in.

"Eh, I can supervise the engineers another time. I'm down with visiting the Library." Venam added, as Ren and Julius recalled their Pokémon before the group of four proceeded to make their way to the library.

 **Well that's another chapter done and dusted. I plan on having Julius explore Gearen City a bit more and develop his relationship with the main cast before getting back to the main story. It'll be a brief, but nice chapter for you all to enjoy.**

 **Anyway, that's all for this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. See ya!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Welcome back everyone, this next chapter will be a little slow, but it should have enough character development to make up for it.**

 **With Version 11 of Rejuvenation around the corner, I've been waiting eagerly for it, having just finished Episode 18 of Reborn. Speaking of, I might do a story about that game as well once I'm done with this one. Anyway, it's time to kick-start this chapter!**

 **Edit: A fairly major makeover as this was one of the weakest chapters in my eyes.**

 **Magnolia Library**

The Magnolia Library was often cited as one of Aevium's most valuable landmarks, due to the vast array of books kept inside the building. Housing thousands of years' worth of collected knowledge, including books previously thought to have been lost in the sands of time, it's a hotspot for anyone who wishes to fine-tune their knowledge about ancient culture. Its grandiose design was courtesy of the library's biggest sponsor, Mr. Blakeory the 1st, CEO of the Blakeory Foundation, which played a large role in the resurrection of Aevium following the disaster that occurred 30 years ago. The building was approximately four stories tall, and was divided into eight sectors, each one housing books regarding a certain topic.

The group of four had just arrived at the massive library and were going over on who's paying for admission, as Julius was awestruck at the lavish decorations all over the place.

"Wow…this place is massive!" he exclaimed, eying up the place like he was a kid in a candy store.

"It's one of my cities most prized possessions, so don't make a mess or else I'll have to discipline you, and you wouldn't want that to happen." Venam warned the young man, locking eyes with him. "That said, who's gonna foot up the bill?"

"Bill?" The young man inquired.

"There's a 300 Pokédollar admission fee per visit. It helps keep the place running." Ren answered. "As for who's footing the bill, I did last time, so I guess it's your turn Venam."

"W-What?!" Venam protested. "But I got kicked out of my house again! And I forgot to bring my wallet with me."

"It's ok Venam, I'll pay this time." Melia chimed in, easing her best friend's concerns. "Since there's four of us, that totals to—"

"D-Don't worry about me, I'll cover my own admission!" Julius blurted, desperately searching his bag for his wallet.

"But I'm more than happy to—" Melia started to speak, as Julius managed to find his wallet and ran over to the desk and paid for his visit before quickly running up the stairs to the next floor. "—pay for you…"

The trio were baffled by the young man's actions and tried to reach a conclusion, but they weren't able to. "Well at least we know he won't weasel his way out of paying for dinner." Venam cracked a joke.

"I don't recall him acting this way whenever someone offers to pay for him back when we were kids; wonder what made him this way?" Ren pondered to himself, as Melia walked on over to the front desk and paid for the three of them.

"Come on you two!" Melia called out to them, as they quickly followed her up the stairs to the second floor. They scanned the area for a few minutes until they spotted Julius sitting by himself at a table near the Arts & Literature sector.

"Sorry about my earlier outburst, I've always disliked other people paying in my place." Julius apologized to the trio, as they sat with him at the table.

"Eh, don't sweat it bro. It's fairly harmless in the grand scheme of things." Venam brushed it off. "Why'd ya hate it though? I wouldn't ever turn down someone's generosity."

"It's a long story…" Julius replied, as he began to recall the tale. "During my time in Tandor, I met this guy named Wilhelm. He was the older brother of one of the kids who got their Starter Pokémon from Professor Bamb'o during the start of my journey. We caught up in Bealbeach City and he told me that this mysterious fellow offered to give him 5,000 Pokédollars to help him out of his gambling debt. I simply brushed it off as someone being overly generous, however when we caught up a few months later in Venesi City, it was a whole different story; he was covered in scrapes and bruises, and was frightened out of his mind. He told me about how his benefactor was actually a notorious loan-shark that wanted his money back, and sent some thugs to rough him up. I informed him of a local tournament in the city that had a 10,000 Pokédollar prize for the winner, and suggested that he participates in the tournament. He adamantly agreed and went our separate ways…and that was the last time I say him alive. Two weeks later while I was relaxing in Angelure Town, I saw a news story about Wilhelm's lifeless body lying in an alleyway, beaten and strangled to death. Ever since then, I rarely if ever accept anyone's kind offer, lest I suffer a similar fate to him."

"Oh my…that's messed up." Ren commented, covering his mouth with his hand. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks, mate." Julius replied, a small smile on his face. "But I can't say it was all doom and gloom in Tandor; heck it was pretty amazing despite all I went through."

"I've been reading up about Tandor's culture in preparation for your arrival, but I'd like to hear it from your mouth, if that's alright with you." Melia requested, her gorgeous eyes sparkling in the light.

"Yeah, I wonder what the Pokémon are like there. Are they as awesome as that Astronite fella you had?!" Ren exclaimed, his eyes sparking as well.

"Was the league challenge as difficult as they brag about, or was it all a load of hot air?" Venam added, her curiosity piqued to the max.

"Alright then, but you better sit tight, because it's a lot longer than my other story." Julius began, taking in a few quick breaths before he began. "It all started when Nuclear Plant Epsilon self-destructed all those years ago; I wanted to go out and learn the truth about the incident, even if it meant taking on the Tandor League Challenge. However, when I arrived there, I found the place to be a complete mess, the culprit being a Minyan who shot a mischievous smirk at me. Figuring out what to do, I brought out a couple snacks from my bag, offering it to the small Pokémon as it waddled towards me, snatching them from my hands before I promptly picked it up. Afterwards, I saw Professor Bamb'o lying under some paperwork, and helped him up off the floor. He thanked me for the assistance before suggesting that I claim it as my Starter Pokémon, something which both me and Minyan were content with."

"Heh, someone who got a different Pokémon instead of the usual starters. Did you happen to gain inspiration from the biography of Ash Ketchum?" Ren joked, with everyone chuckling in response, before they were told to quiet down by the librarian.

"Hahaha! I guess you can say that." Julius chuckled. "Anyway, a few months into my journey and I was finally given the opportunity to visit the remnants of Nuclear Plant Epsilon, since it was safe to do so. I scavenged the ruined building in the search for clues surrounding the experiment, but all I found were some burnt papers and a tattered notebook. I wasn't able to read the entire thing, but from what I was able to read, there was an experiment of sorts going on down there. I was about to leave, when I was ambushed by a swarm of Nuclear Pokémon."

"N-Nuclear Pokémon, what the hell are you talking about?!" Venam inquired, a look of surprise on her face.

"I've read about them in a book I got recently; weren't they Pokémon who had become extremely aggressive due to the radioactive fallout, following the destruction of Nuclear Plant Epsilon?" Melia chimed in, turning to Julius for confirmation.

"Spot on, Melia. Nuclear Pokémon are very aggressive, to the point where they actively hunted down humans and non-corrupted Pokémon. I read several stories about trainers getting mauled to death by Nuclear Pokémon." Julius replied, as the other three trainers had horrified looks on their faces.

"I-I-Is there a cure for this corruption?" Ren asked, a few beads of sweat pouring down his forehead.

"As a matter of fact there is. There's this rare Pokémon known as Hazma, a cute little fella if I say so myself, who is immune to nuclear radiation and feeds off of radioactive gases. By feeding off of the radiation that lingers in a Nuclear Pokémon's body, it cleanses them and enables the Pokémon's body to heal over time. Of course, some slight mutations still linger following the cleaning, but they're non-life threatening in the grand scheme of things." Julius answered.

"That's good to hear." Venam replied, sighing a breath of relief. "So what happened next after escaping that swarm?"

"Following my exploration of Nuclear Plant Epsilon, I headed back to the mainland, when I heard an earthshaking explosion and turned around to see smoke billowing out of the ruins. I then quickly made my way to Vinoville Town, which was at a safe distance from the explosion, and coincidentally where the next Gym was. After defeating the leader there, I was ordered by Ranger Chief Kellyn to evacuate the city as there was an explosion at Nuclear Plant Zeta, the largest plant in the region. Following the evacuation, I assisted the rangers in defending Legen Town from a swarm of Nuclear Pokémon. The casualties were pretty high, but we persevered in the end. After that, my journey went pretty smoothly, until I arrived at Silverport Town…" Julius continued, before becoming quiet all of a sudden and clammed up. Melia noticed that his hands were shaking slightly, a sign that whatever happened there wasn't a pleasant experience.

"Julius…did something happen there that upset you dearly?" she inquired, as the young man gave her the faintest of nods. "You can skip that part if it makes you feel better."

"Thanks for the offer, but its best if I get it off my chest." Julius replied, as he breathed in deeply. "Upon arriving there, I was soon confronted by a scientist of sorts, who wanted me to meet their boss in the local research facility, a man known as Professor Friedrich Larkspur. Now Larkspur was a real piece of work; he was in the process of creating devices that can steal Pokémon from other trainers, as well as devices that subjugates and enslaves a Pokémon to the wielders whims. Earlier in my journey, I was entrusted with a device earlier in my journey that can translate Pokémon speech, something which Larkspur desperately wanted. He tried bribing me with money but I told him to get stuffed, only to end up getting ambushed by thugs when I was about to leave town. When I regained consciousness, I found myself trapped behind bars, with the bastard grinning at me like a madman. He told me that several criminal organisations want their hands on the PST, and that he was gonna profit big time off of the sale."

"This Larkspur dude sounds like a total creep." Venam commented, sickened by what she just heard.

"Oh he's more than a creep, but I'll get to that later. Anyway, I ended up spending a few days behind bars, getting poked and prodded by the guards before one of the guards slipped me a note regarding the large crack on the back wall, as well as the password for Larkspur's personal terminal. Sure enough, I broke it down and helped free Garlikid, who was imprisoned in a different cell. Now Garlikid was a kind-hearted Pokemon that protects the weak from the forces of evil; the two of us had a rocky first encounter, but we put that aside to escape from that horrible place. I found Larkspur's terminal and managed to download all the files, and spent some time reading them, when I came to a realization that still haunts me to this day. Apparently, there was an experiment going on in Nuclear Plant Epsilon that was being overseen by Larkspur, something about creating a Pokemon capable of creating limitless energy. However it ended up going awry since it started to develop a free will of its own, something that Larkspur wanted to avoid at all costs. Word about the project leaked to the authorities, causing Larkspur to go into panic mode and activate the remote detonation of Nuclear Plant Epsilon…my dad was in that plant when it exploded. He…didn't make it out." Julius paused to wipe a few small tears away as the others shot him sympathetic glances.

"My condolences mate." Ren replied, resting his hand on Julius' shoulder.

"Same here; I still miss my dad to this very day." Venam chimed in.

"If you ever want to get anything off your chest, I'm more than happy to listen to you." Melia offered.

"Thanks everyone…" Julius smiled softly at them, the trio giving off similar vibes to his friend from Ayrith…something which he wanted to avoid at all cost. He didn't want to get attached to them this quickly, in the hopes of avoiding a similar situation to the one he experienced back there and started thinking to himself. However he decided to continue the story so as to not make them suspicious of his long pause. "Anyway, with the help of Garlikid, I was able to rescue my Pokemon and confront that bastard Larkspur. I trounced him effortlessly in a battle, but the coward threw a few smoke bombs and managed to escape. The good thing was that I never saw him again during the rest of my journey in Tandor."

"Hang on, you mentioned something about a Pokemon being created as part of an experiment. Mind elaborating on that?" Ren requested.

"As a matter of fact, I was just about to get to that." The young man replied, his mood picking up from before. "A few weeks after that incident, there was an attack over at Nuclear Plant Omicron, and I was tasked with helping the rangers ward off the Nuclear Pokemon. Now as Melia kindly pointed out before, Nuclear Pokémon are very aggressive, however this time they were acting as if they were being instructed by some higher being. We found out the truth when an explosion rocked the facility and we were confronted by a pair of figures; a human wearing a highly advanced hazmat suit and a Pokémon that I've never seen before. The human introduced themselves as CURIE, and admitted to being the ones behind the attacks on nuclear power plants within the last few months, stating that they wish to bring about a nuclear apocalypse by powering up Urayne. Urayne is that man-made Pokemon I mentioned earlier, and I can safely say that it was one of the most dangerous creatures I've ever encountered."

"I've never heard anything about this before!" Melia exclaimed, a shocked expression on her face. "A being that sought to bring about the apocalypse, why wasn't anybody informed about this?!"

"That's because the rangers were ordered by the Government of Tandor to keep it under wraps for so long. Even now, it isn't safe to fully reveal the story yet." Julius replied, double checking to make sure nobody else was eavesdropping. "Now about Urayne, it's quite the behemoth of a Pokémon. Not only can it tank hits despite being weak to virtually every type out there, but it can deal out a world of hurt. I had to battle it while I was part of a raid on Nuclear Plant Zeta to put a stop to CURIE once and for all; the damn thing tore through my team before I was barely able to scrape a victory with my Yatagaryu."

"So why did CURIE want to bring about the apocalypse? You'd have to be a nutjob to even consider doing that!" Venam commented.

"I wasn't sure myself, to be honest; CURIE and Urayne got away before I could apprehend them. After that, I managed to arrive at the Championship Site, where the Tandor Championship took place. It was a battle elimination tournament, where 64 trainers would battle each other to claim the title of Champion of Tandor. I had made it to the grand finals and was about to battle my opponent, when the tournament was interrupted by CURIE and Uranye, with everyone deciding that I was their best chance of defeating the intruder, and put me up to the task. There I had to sit through a standard doomsday speech from CURIE about how "humans are selfish creatures that use others for their needs, before discarding them like broken tools" and "I want everyone to suffer as I had suffered." I was immediately backed into a corner by Urayne, who had reached its ultimate form; none of my Pokemon, not even Yatagaryu could stand up to it. At that stage, I was down to my last Pokémon, a Hazma I befriended during the raid on Nuclear Plant Zeta…that little trooper of mine had saved not just my life, but the entire region. See, Hazma has an ability that renders it immune to Nuclear moves; I just had it chip away at Urayne's health bit by bit, until the massive creature was defeated."

"Guess what they say about big things coming in small packages was accurate." Melia giggled lightly. "My apologies for interrupting you."

"No need to apologize." Julius brushed it off. "Now then, once CURIE was defeated, dozens of rangers including Kellyn arrested them and took off their helmet, only for Kellyn to recoil in horror upon seeing their face. Turns out that CURIE was actually a woman known as Lucille, a brilliant scientist who happened to be my dad's boss. Urayne, having been reduced to its weakest form, started to explain its side of the story. Apparently it was created in Nuclear Plant Epsilon to serve as a source of unlimited energy, the exact experiment Larkspur was overseeing. The hazmat suit that Lucille wore was dubbed the CURIE Interface, and was designed for humans to understand what Urayne was saying. Urayne and Lucille bonded with each other rather quickly, despite the fact that Urayne was never meant to be capable of independent thought. However, Larkspur initiated the self-destruction sequence in the plant in order to destroy all evidence of the experiment; both Lucille and Urayne hide in its storage tank to protect themselves from harm. As for why Lucille wanted to destroy the world? Apparently the CURIE Interface had seriously damaged her brain as a side-effect of prolonged use. I have no idea what fate befell her or Urayne, as me and my mother left the region a couple weeks later so she can be closer to her new place of employment." Julius concluded his story. "Any questions?"

"Out of all the places you visited, what would be your favorite out of them all?" Ren inquired.

"Venesi City, without a doubt. As the art capital of Tandor, there were a lot of museums and theaters to check out. Naturally, renting an apartment there is quite pricey, but well worth it in my opinion." Julius answered. "Another place I'd recommend is Bealbeach City; it's one of the largest cities in the region, and is home to dozens of tourist attractions. The Gym Leader there's very nice; she teaches the local kids how to swim for free." The young man chuckled casually.

"I see. Are there any kickass Poison-Type Pokemon in Tandor? They're my favorite!" Venam commented enthusiastically, as Julius rummaged through his bag and brought out his Pokédex before he started fiddling with it.

"I've filtered the list so that it shows all the Poison-type Pokemon available in Tandor. Why don't you check it out for yourself?" Julius offered, handing his Pokédex to Venam as she started going through the list, with Melia and Ren peeping over her shoulders.

"Huh, isn't this that bat-like Pokemon that was sitting atop Julius' shoulders, Vilucard, I believe it was called." Venam commented, pointing to the critters picture in the Pokédex. "And it seems to evolve from that Minyan Pokémon Julius mentioned earlier."

"I didn't expect it to be a Poison-type, considering how it fainted due to the Garbodor's smell earlier." Ren chimed in, as he started lightly chuckling to himself. "Man, did that give me the giggles."

"How fascinating." Melia added, before tiding up her hair. "Do you mind if I borrow your Pokédex for the night? This'll help fine-tune the information we already gathered about the native species of Tandor."

"Knock yourself out!" Julius replied. "I'm more than happy to help you out."

"Thank you!" Melia thanked the young man as she stood up. "I'm gonna head back to my place; you three are welcome to come around later in the day."

"I'll take you up on that offer, Melia!" Venam grinned, pumping her fist in the air. "Get ready for me to rock out big time!"

"Ok then…I'll see you all later then." Melia replied, as she took the Pokédex and made her way outside the library, as Venam gestured for Ren to give her a private moment before she turned to face Julius.

"Yo, I've got a question for you, and you better answer it seriously, got it?!" Venam told him, a serious look in her eyes.

"S-Sure thing…" Julius replied nervously, intimidated by the young lady.

"Alright then; what are your honest thoughts on Shiny Pokemon?" Venam got straight to the point.

"Well I do think they look amazing, but it's not something I'd lose sleep over, nor is it worth ruining friendships over." Julius answered, as Venam breathed a sigh of relief. "Why'd you ask anyway?"

"As much as I like to hype up Melia's ability, it's gotten her into some trouble before." Venam replied. "Before you came here, me and her met this guy named Rick; he seemed like a pretty decent fellow at first, at least until he learnt about Melia's special ability. Once he found out, he started badgering her to attract Shiny Pokemon, even going so far as to threaten her if she didn't comply with his demands. It got to the point where she got a restraining order on the guy, since she was that scared of him. Thankfully he left the region following the suit, but ever since then she's been actively denying the existence of her gift."

"At least she made it out alright." Julius commented. "I honestly don't get why people get so worked up about them."

"Shiny Pokemon are so rare that they're worth a fortune on the black market; there are tales of people selling their own children in exchange for a Shiny Pokemon." Venam continued. "If people found out that Melia attracts Shiny Pokemon, they'll do anything in their power to kidnap her and make her attract them for their selfish desires. From the look in your eyes, I can tell that you have zero interest in them; therefore I have no issues with you hanging out with Melia. Should you betray my trust in you, I'll make sure you won't live to tell the tale, got it?"

"Got it loud and clear." Julius replied firmly, with Venam smiling in response.

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be over at Melia's house. You're free to come join us later." Venam extended the offer, as she exited the library as well, with Ren taking the opportunity to sit back down with Julius.

"Hey Ren, how have your family been since I last saw them?" Julius inquired.

"I'm not sure myself; the last time I saw 'em was when I left town, and that was ages ago." Ren replied casually.

"Ah, so you wanted to go on a journey like me?" Julius deduced.

"Sorta; the main reason I left town was to get stronger." Ren continued.

"Stronger, why would you want to get stronger?" Julius inquired, as Ren sighed deeply to muster up the courage.

"I-I want to get stronger so I can change my town's way of thinking; I want to bring about the change Goldenleaf Town needs so that we can coexist with the outsiders." Ren confessed.

"That's a most noble goal indeed." Julius admired his friend's spirit. "You need me to lend you a hand or anything?"

"Nah mate, I appreciate the offer, but I gotta do this myself." Ren raised his hand in the air, knocking back the offer.

"I understand; here's hoping you succeed in your endeavor." Julius replied, filling the young man with a sense of pride.

"Thanks. Hey, you wanna come join me and Venam at Melia's place? I'll show you the way." Ren offered.

"Sure thing, couldn't hurt to spend some more time with them." Julius replied, as the two trainers got up off the chairs and proceeded to exit the library.

 **0000**

The duo had arrived back at Gearen Laboratory, much to Julius' confusion. Ren noticed the baffled look on the young man and informed him that Melia lived in one of the rooms out at the back of the facility, since she was Professor Jenner's daughter. They proceeded to enter the laboratory and went towards the leftmost desk, which lead up to Professor Jenner's office. Upon entering the small room with the escalator that lead upstairs, Ren knocked on the door to Melia's room, and was greeted by the sight of the young lady as she opened the door.

"Ah, you two decided to show up after all. Come on in." Melia gestured them to come in, with the duo doing just that. Melia's living quarters were quite luxurious, though not on the scale of the S.S Oceana. There was a large room that served as the lounge room and dining room, a decent sized kitchen in the back left corner, and a corridor that lead to the bathroom and the bedrooms.

"This is a nice little place you've got here." Julius whistled, admiring the lavish décor. "Does your father live here with you?"

"Nah, he has his own room by his office; I have this place all to myself!" Melia beamed proudly, outstretching her arms in a grandiose display.

"Yo, so what are we going to do now?" Venam inquired relaxing on the large couch.

"We could play a board game to pass the time; got any of those lying around?" Ren suggested.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Melia replied, putting the TV guide down and checked the small cupboard near the couch as she pulled out a familiar board game. "Anyone up for a game of Monopoly?"

"Oh man, that game gives me nothing but bad memories…" Julius winced, as Ren started chuckling lightly.

"Still upset over the times I dominated you?" he grinned, resting his arm over the young man's shoulder.

"Seems like you two are familiar with the game; saves us a couple of minutes to explain the rules." Melia commented, as she finished setting up the board on the table. "Alright then, which token will you choose for this game?"

"Well since you're the banker, I feel that you should get first choice." Julius pointed out, as he looked at the tokens and had already made his choice. "Huh, seems like you managed to collect every token they ever released."

"Yeah, it's a little quirk of mine." Melia giggling lightly, taking her token of choice. "Anyway, since you offered me the first pick, I guess I'll settle for the top hat."

"Suit yourself, I'm gonna go for the dog then." Venam chimed in, sitting down at the table.

"Good, that leaves the sack of money for me, cause the game's gonna end with yours truly as the winner!" Ren bragged, taking his token and sitting down.

"I'll go with the battleship; I have a good feeling about this token." Julius chimed in as he sat down and took his token. "Any ideas on who's going in what order?"

"Well I was thinking that we go in alphabetical order; it's a lot easier to remember whose turn it is." Melia suggested. "So I guess you're up first, Julius."

"Sweet!" Julius perked up, snatching the dice for himself and started shaking them in his hand, before rolling them onto the board. "Ok, that's 1, 2, 3—Oh come on!" he angrily complained as the other players started chuckling heartily.

"Wow, Turn 1 Income Tax; unlucky…" Venam commented as Julius placed his tax on the center of the board. "Can't wait to snag that $200 for myself."

"Oh I wouldn't bet on that!" Melia smirked, taking the dice for herself and rolled them. "An 8? In that case, I'll buy the property for myself then." She commented, moving her token onto Euston Road and purchased it for herself.

"Better hold on tight, 'cause I'm gonna snatch the other properties for myself." Ren grinned, rolling the dice and moving his token to the proper space. "A Chance card, let me see what it has to say…neat, I get $50 from the bank."

"Very well." Melia replied, taking the Chance card and placed it upside down on the bottom of the card pile, and handed Ren his owed dues.

"Time for me to kick it up a notch!" Venam psyched herself up, snatching the dice and rolled them on the table, and moved her piece onto King's Cross Station. "Hell yeah, I'll take that for myself!"

"I see you're a fan of the stations, Venam…" Melia commented, a little surprised by her friends enthusiasm as she exchanged the property for $200.

"Everyone knows that the stations are the best properties in the game." Venam replied, eagerly taking the property and placed it next to her money. "Your move, Julius."

"Let's hope that I get a better role this time around." Julius commented, rolling the die and scored a 5. "Sorry Melia, but I'll be taking Pentonville Road for myself."

"Oh confound it!" Melia scowled playfully, exchanging the property for Julius' money. "Rest assured, I'll get that property sooner or later!"

Melia then took the dice for herself and rolled a 9, moving her token onto the Community Chest and took a card for herself. "Neat, I won $10 for coming second place in a beauty contest."

"Eh, I think you should've won first place in my opinion." Julius commented, before realizing what he just said and immediately clammed up.

"Oh, can't say I've heard that line before." Melia giggled, with Venam and Ren following suit as Julius started blushing like crazy.

"Alright then, my turn them." Ren took the dice and rolled a 5. "Yo, I'll take the Electric Company. I always go for the utilities."

"Hey, I was gonna go for that!" Venam protested, as Ren received his property.

"What'cha gonna do about it?" Ren taunted her, waving the property right before her.

"I'll show you!" Venam retorted, snatching the dice for herself and rolled a pair of 5's. "Score! My second railroad."

"Since you managed to roll doubles, you get to roll once again." Melia replied, handing over Marylebone Station.

"Alright then, if that's the house rules, it's fine by me." Venam took the dice and rolled them again, a grin appearing on her face as she landed on the Free Parking space and picked up the $200. "Hey Julius, you remember this, don't you?"

"I do…" he commented dryly as he took the dice for himself and started shaking them before rolling them on the table. "Oh look, a 2. I guess I'll take Pall Mall for myself then."

"Very well." Melia exchanged the property with him. "It's your turn again."

"Ok then." Julius replied, taking the dice and rolled a 6, moving his token onto the Community Chest space alongside Melia's token. "Nice, it's Grand Opera Night. I get $50 from everyone."

"T-This isn't over!" Ren told him, as he, Venam and Melia handed over the appropriate fee.

"Well would you look at that; the beauty queen and the opera master are side by side. Could this be the start of a budding romance?" Venam joked around, with Melia chuckling in response as Julius turned away with his face blushing like crazy again.

"Well Mr. Opera Master will have to wait a little longer, because it's my turn now." Melia chimed, taking the dice and managed to roll a 4. "I'm gonna purchase Strand if that's alright with you."

"Sure…" Ren commented, a little annoyed that his game plan of buying out all the red and yellow properties was sabotaged. However he had a few tricks up his sleeve and started to shake the dice in his hand before rolling them. "10; that'll put me on a Chance square, hopefully I get something good."

He picked up the card and looked at it, only to sigh in disappointment. "Great; I have to pay you all $50 because I got elected Chairman of the Board."

"How considerate of you Ren; I'll make sure to put your donation to good use." Venam chimed in as she took the dice from Ren and rolled them on the table. "A 10? That'll put me—oh come on!"

"HAHAHAHAHA! That's one way to put my donation to good use." Ren retorted, as Venam grumbled while moving her token onto the jail corner.

 ***50 minutes later***

Julius was in a bit of a sticky situation; following the acquisition of the last property, and the conclusion of all the property trades between players, it was clear that he had the short end of the stick, with only the light-blue and brown properties under his control. Venam was successfully able to acquire all the railroad spaces, as well as the pink and orange properties, Ren hade both utilities, the red and yellow spaces, and a Get out of Jail card, leaving Melia with the green and dark-blue properties, and the other Get out of Jail card. Right now, he was on the Electric Company space and had paid Ren his fair dues, the young man reduced to a pitiful amount of money. Julius took the dice in his hand and started shaking them, hoping to score some extra cash on a Chance/Community Chest space in order to get him out of this situation. He rolled the dice and grinned to himself when it landed onto a 10 and moved his token onto Chance, only for hi grin to drop off when he picked up the card and read it.

"Go to the nearest railroad, and pay the owner twice the rent they're entitled to. If unowned, you may buy it from the bank…" Julius sighed.

"You heard the card; pay up Mr. Opera Master!" Venam outstretched her hand towards him.

"But I can't; I don't have the money. Even after mortgaging all my properties, I won't have enough to pay you." Julius replied.

"Well in that case, you'll have to file for bankruptcy. Pay Venam what you can, then remove yourself from the game." Melia informed him, as Julius mortgaged his properties and handed the money to Venam before removing his token from the board.

"Don't really care for the low-tier properties that much, but I own half the board now so that's cool." Venam commented to herself as she paid off the mortgage on Julius' former properties. "Anyway, it's your turn Melia."

"With pleasure." Melia replied, taking the die for herself and managed to roll a 4. "Ok, so I'm on Bond Street at the moment, therefore I'll need to move to the Super Tax space. A little frustrating, but I can pay the fee easily."

"Yeah, with all the money you drained from me…" Julius commented, recalling the time where he had to pay Melia big time due to a series of unlucky rolls.

"That's how this game goes." Ren replied, taking the dice for himself and rolled an 8, his face paling upon realizing what it meant for him. "Bond Street; and it's got three houses on it."

"Yep, that's a $1000 you own me." Melia smiled, taking the money from Ren.

"At least I got doubles, therefore I can go again." He retorted, taking the dice and started shaking them, hoping to pull a 6 since it would mean he gets double the reward for landing directly on GO. With all his might he rolled the dice on the table, only for his jaw to drop in shock upon seeing the result of his roll. "5…of all the numbers I could've gotten, it just had to be a 5."

"With three houses on Mayfair, that means you owe me $1400." Melia informed him.

"B-But I don't have that money on me, even after mortgaging all my properties! I can't believe I have to declare bankruptcy!" Ren complained, burying his face in his hands.

"Hey there, it's alright. At least you did better than me." Julius comforted his friend.

"Well it's just me and you Venam. Wanna try your luck against me?" Melia handed her friend the dice, a smug smile on her flawless face. Venam's token was on Fenchurch Street station; a few unlucky rolls could have her fall into the same trap that Ren stumbled into. She was about to pick up the dice, when all of a sudden her phone started vibrating.

"Huh, looks like the alarm I set for the game is up. And with how many properties Melia has, it's no doubt that she's the winner of this game." Venam commented.

"Aha! Is that a declaration of surrender I hear?" Melia replied.

"Yeah, I guess I can say that." Venam admitted, as Melia got up cheered in victory.

"YEAH! Another victory for Melia!" She declared triumphantly as the others started packing up the game. As they were doing so, Melia went into the kitchen to get some bowls of popcorn ready for the group to snack on.

"Alright folks, popcorn's ready!" She smiled, the group of four surrounding the bowls as they began to enjoy the buttered popcorn. "So, Julius, got any more interesting tales to share with us?"

"I do, but I want to hear about your lives as well; it'll be awfully selfish of me to hog the conversation." The young man stated, turning his gaze towards Venam. "From the way you inquired about Poison-type Pokémon in Tandor, I take it they're your favorite type?"

"Yep. I love 'em so much that I based my gym team around them!" She answered, stretching her arms momentarily. "Which means the cat's out of the bag; I'm the Poison-type leader of Aevium, and the first leader you'll be fighting in your League challenge."

"Fascinating…I take it that the large building near the Chrysolia Hotel is your gym?" Julius pressed further.

"Yeah. Funny story about that; it's the third design for my gym. See, my initial design was based on Venipede since that was one of the first Pokémon I ever got. However, I soon shifted favoritism towards my Seviper, hence why I soon got my gym changed to resemble it. But around three to four months ago, Jan and Amanda arrived at my gym door, wondering if I would be interested in redesigning it. I was initially opposed to the idea, but once I saw what they had planned for me, I was head over heels for it. The puzzle's different as well, but I won't spoil it for you." Venam recalled the tale, resting her right hand on the floor as it brushed up against Melia's by accident, the duo quickly recoiling their hands in embarrassment.

"Let's just hope you don't go through a fourth design; then again at least your gym sees use. Narcissa hasn't accepted a challenger in ages, and it's driving me crazy. Mind you, I doubt anyone else in town would willingly let outsiders come into town to challenge her, so I guess they're getting what they want." Ren commented, his tone becoming bitter at the end before opting to ask Melia a question. "Hey Melia, how'd that application thing go?"

"I was hoping you'd ask about that; I managed to get the position!" Melia smiled, with Venam and Ren cheering loudly in response.

"Yahoo! Way to go girl!" The purple-haired woman cried out in joy, giving her friend a hi-five.

"Hah, maybe someday I'd get to challenge you to an official Gym Battle. Just don't forget to hand me a badge when I win." Ren smirked confidently.

"Oh, I won't be a pushover, let me tell you that much." Melia giggled lightly, covering her mouth with her hand. "I already have a few badge designs in my notebook, so it's not like I'm starved for ideas."

"It's nice to hear that you succeeded in getting the job you want, but what's this about an application?" Julius inquired.

"Allow me to give you a quick rundown, since things work a bit differently in Aevium." The blonde girl began, clearing her throat. "Instead of challenging the respective leader of whatever type you wish to inherit, you send the league a video interview, explaining why you feel that you're best suited for the job. However, mine was…interesting to say the least."

"Yeah, I still remember that dance number we did alongside Ren. Suffice to say, he was nowhere near as good as us." Venam teased the raven-haired man.

"H-Hey, at least I didn't hide in Melia's closet like some cheesy horror movie monster!" Ren retorted, a faint blush on his face. "Besides, I wasn't the one who staged that fake interview near the train station."

"it was a brilliant plan in hindsight; far better than that running crap you suggested earlier!" Venam retorted back, before she and Ren started laughing like crazy, with Melia joining in on the fun. "Oh man, you have to see it to believe it, Julius."

"Well if that's alright with Melia, then it wouldn't hurt to watch." The young man replied; his mind satisfied that the trio before him were able to have a good time without him ruining the mood.

"I'm fine with it. Now let me where I put the spare ta—." Melia began, her glance soon turning towards the clock, her eyes widening in surprise "Oh my, I didn't realize it had gotten this late already. Sorry Julius, I guess I'll have to show you another time."

"That's alright, we tend to lose track of time whenever we're having fun." Julius said.

"I better head back to my room as well; I'll let you three have some time alone." Ren pointed out, as he made his way to the exit. "Night Melia, night Julius, night Venam. Thanks for having me over for the day."

"No problem Ren, have a good night!" Melia replied, as Ren left the living quarters.

"So Julius, do you have a place to sleep?" Venam inquired.

"Well Amanda did hand me a key as she was taking me to Professor Jenner's office, so I guess I do have a room." Julius informed her, as he got up and made his way to the exit. "Good night you two, I had a really great time hanging out with you for the day. Thanks for inviting me over."

"It was my pleasure Julius." Melia smiled. "Better get some rest for tomorrow morning; we've got an excursion to go on."

"Alright then, I'll be looking forward to it." Julius replied, as he left the room and closed the door, leaving Venam and Melia to themselves.

 **Sorry if this chapter was a little shorter than the other two, but I figured it'll be a nice opportunity for the cast to get to know each other better. Just want to give another shout-out to Zedlyfier for coming up with the idea about dedicating a few chapters to have the characters get to know one another. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See ya later everyone!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello everyone, now that I've gotten the little detour out of the way, it's time to get back to the plot, and this is where things start to get interesting. Between the next instalment of Rejuvenation coming closer to fruition, and Solar-Light/Lunar Dark getting its final update soon, I am psyched to play more fangames.**

 **So with that out of the way, let's kick start this chapter already!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokemon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 _Gearen Laboratory: Julius' room_

Julius sighed to himself upon entering the room that he's currently renting; not because he hates it or anything, but because he hates what's coming up next. Sleep; one of the most important necessities for a human being, and the bane of Julius'existence. Ever since that fateful day in Ayrith he has been experiencing dreadful nightmares every time he tries to go to sleep. But these weren't ordinary nightmare; they were the sort that left you paralysed in fear the moment you wake up. Julius and Nancy spent a fair amount of money on potential cures for his nightmares, even going so far as to acquire a Lunar Wing from Cresselia, however nothing seems to have worked, leaving Julius to wonder what exactly is going on.

The young man got changed into his pyjamas and hopped into bed, as he recalled what had happened on this extraordinarily busy day. Though he was still miserable over the fact that his mother got captured by some terrorist organisation for unknown purposes, it was a small blessing that he got to meet Aunt Tesla once more. His brief lapse of relief soon went to the back of his mind as his pessimistic side rose up once more; most notably, in regards to the time he spent with Melia and her friends. While a part of him found some comfort in hanging out with them, he mentally kicked himself for allowing them to hold any sort of value to him. After all, Larkspur could be stalking him, and the last thing he wanted was for more innocent people to get tortured simply because they knew him. And yet, despite his fears being evident, he couldn't find it in himself to push them away, especially Ren since they were childhood friends. Julius figured that it was best to get what little sleep he can, since he had a big day tomorrow, and proceeded to drift off into the next nightmare.

 _Julius' dream_

 _The young man got up off the floor and looked around him; an empty void that was blanketed by a thick fog. Julius looked around and started to panic; no matter how many times he witnesses it, it still frightens him greatly. But that was only the beginning; all around him were flashbacks of the torture he and his friends endured at the hands of Professor Larkspur; how despite all his might, Julius was unable to do a single thing to stop the insanity._

" _S-Stop it!" he pleaded, falling to his knees and covering his ears to block out the distorted, agonising screams of pain. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't block it out. The cacophony of madness continued for what seemed like an eternity when all of a sudden, the screams died down. Julius uncovered his ears and gradually got up off the cold floor as the flashbacks died down. A part of him hoped that this was the end for tonight, that whatever being that was torturing him every night with these horrible dreams had taken pity on him. His worst fears were confirmed when from the fog, a group of four figures made entirely of shadows emerged from the oppressive blanket and glared at him ominously. Their facial features, if they had any were unrecognisable, but based on their silhouettes, they were taking on the appearance of Julius' former friends._

" _Why…" one of the figures called out in a distorted, agonised cry. "Why did you abandon us?"_

" _I didn't abandon you! I tried to help you, honestly!" Julius attempted to reason with the intimidating figure, but his desperate cries fell on deaf ears._

" _Silence, traitor! You abandoned us, abandoned your friends. Did we mean nothing to you?"_

" _Did you hate us from the very beginning? Were you planning and hoping that we'd meet our grisly demise at your hands?"_

" _I…I thought you loved me…but I see that it was a lie…" the fourth voiced droned out painfully, breaking Julius' already weak heart._

" _I-I do love you Scar—" Julius began speaking, but was cut off._

" _Lies! I hate you, I hate you! I wish you were dead!" the voice barked harshly, causing the young man to flinch in pain._

" _W-What do you want me to do?!" Julius cried desperately to the figures._

" _You can atone for your sins by leaving those innocent people you're attempting to kill, before ending your miserable life." One of the voices called out._

" _Pay us with your blood, vile fiend!"_

" _Leave this plane of existence already!"_

" _Die, just die already!"_

 _The voices continued chanting, as Julius collapsed into a ball on the ground and started shivering to himself, tears pouring down his cheeks as the figures stepped closer and closer towards the distraught young man._

" _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'M SORRY!" Julius cried out loud, as the world was suddenly blanketed by a harsh light._

 **The next morning**

"Gahhh!" Julius cried out loud, waking up from his terrible nightmare. He checked the time on the alarm clock beside him, and realised that it was around half-past eight. Wiping the dried up tears from his cheeks, he got up and went to take a quick shower. After all, he wanted to look respectable for his little trip with Melia. The shower was decently large, more than enough room for a couple if they're into that sort of thing. As he turned the water on and stepped into the shower and began to clean himself, he began wondering just how today would play out. After all, there must be some reason that Melia wanted him to come along with her to Goldenwood Forest. Maybe it was to take a closer look at his Pokémon, maybe it was some spur of the moment confession, though he felt that it was a bit too soon for that option. Or maybe this was just some sick prank designed to make him look like a complete and utter fool, with Ren and Venam in on the joke. Julius brushed off that last thought quickly; after all Melia doesn't seem like the type of person who would do something like that. Either way, he was done with the shower and turned it off. After proceeding to get dressed and packing his bag for the day, he exited his room and proceeded to make his way to the Goldenwood train station.

The train station interior was quite the marvel to behold; with a shiny brown floor, bright red walls and a couple of miniature chandeliers hanging down from the ceiling. The line was surprisingly small, however Julius brushed it off since it was fairly earlier in the day. It was then that he spotted Tesla reading the train schedule for the day, as she soon turned around and noticed the young man.

"Oh Julius!" Telsa called out as she went towards him. "How are you? Are you feeling okay?"

"Not really…I still haven't heard anything about what happened to my mom." Julius sighed sadly, as Tesla brought him closer to her.

"There, there. Auntie Tesla will watch out for you during this most taxing time. You mother is still out there, and we both need to get stronger if we are to save her." The older woman comforted the young man as an idea popped into her mind. "Tell you what, why don't I get you a ticket to Goldenwood Forest? It'll help take your mind off of things for a while."

"I-I appreciate the gesture, but I can purchase my own ticket." Julius replied, only for Tesla to knock back his statement.

"No need to worry about paying me back or anything, it's been a long time since I treated you and I'm feeling a bit nostalgic today." Tesla insisted, with Julius yielding to her offer. The older woman proceeded to buy a one-day train ticket to Goldenwood Forest and handed it over to the young man. "Here you go, sweetie!"

"Th-thanks, Aunt Tesla…" Julius thanked her, taking the ticket as the older woman smiled at him. Though he greatly disliked the idea of other people paying for him, he'd let it go this time since it was Tesla's attempt to cheer him up.

"I must say that Goldenwood Forest is one of my favorite places in Aevium. The golden trees and the eternal smell of autumn brings back nostalgic memories…" Tesla sighed blissfully to herself. "I'm sure you'd enjoy it as much as I do."

"If it's as good as you say it is, then I'm sure I'll enjoy the scenery." Julius commented.

"Now that's the Julius that I want to see! You go enjoy yourself out there; I've got some things to do. See you later!" Tesla wished him the best, waving at him before leaving the station. Julius briefly glanced at the ticket before making his way to the train and proceeded to take his seat, waiting patiently in his seat for a few minutes before the intercom flared to life.

" _Thank you for taking the Goldenwood Express today, we hope you enjoy your trip to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Aevium."_ The intercom spoke out loud, as the train started to gain momentum as it went down the tracks at impressive speeds. Julius watched through the window in awe, as the usually green trees were gradually getting replaced by the bright gold trees that gave the area its name. Around then minutes later, the train came to a screeching halt as it arrived at the small station located there. The intercom blared out another message, thanking the passengers for taking the Goldenwood Express and wishing them the best, as the young man stepped out of the train and began exploring the area.

For all the hype that Goldenwood Forest gets, it most certainly lives up to it. The large, golden trees stood proud and tall in the area as they occasionally showered the area with their leaves, creating the illusion that it was raining gold. The autumn smell, as Tesla kindly put it, was a scent that was a mixture of various flowers that decorated the area. Julius was enamoured by his surroundings as he was walking down the large dirt path, until he spotted Melia planting a couple of those Stars that Jan showed him the other day.

"M-Melia?" Julius called out to her, as she had finished planting the last one and turned to face him.

"Ah, you arrived Julius. A bit later than I anticipated, if I have to be honest." Melia commented.

"Sorry about that, I was a bit sluggish this morning since I didn't sleep all that well last night." Julius sheepishly admitted.

"I get it, you were so excited for today that you couldn't get much sleep!" Melia giggled cutely, covering her mouth with her hand. "You're such a doll, Julius."

"M-M-Me?!" Julius blurted suddenly, a fierce blush appearing on his face as Melia chuckled louder than before.

"But I jest; anyway if you need to heal your Pokémon, these Stars can help you out in a pinch." She told him, pointing to the machines to show them off. "They're the latest invention by Blakeory Co. Quite handy, don't you think? They're efficient, and environmentally friendly."

"Yeah, I remember Jan showing them to me the other day." Julius replied. "A nifty little thing that I'm surprised the other regions don't have yet."

"They're still in the testing phase; once all the kinks are ironed out, I'm sure they'll be mass produced within an instant." Melia commented. "Anyway, while we're heading to Goldenwood Forest, we need to be on the lookout for a young girl who had gotten lost in the forest."

"Huh, when did this happen?" Julius inquired.

"While I was at the train station, I saw an elderly gentleman clutching his back in pain while a young couple were taking care of him. He kept going on about how his granddaughter got lost in the forest, so I offered to go look for her." Melia explained the situation.

"In that case, we better get a move on and look for her." Julius stated, as the two began wandering the area together in the search for her. Luckily for them, it didn't take long, as they spotted a frightened young girl stuck up a tree.

"C-Can you help me please…" she begged, clinging onto the tree for dear life.

"H-Hang on! We'll get you down there!" Melia called out to her as she began to think of a plan as quickly as possible.

"What do you suggest we do?!" Julius asked her.

"I've got an idea, but I need to run it by you first." Melia replied. "Do you think you can catch her?"

"Sure I can, why'd you ask?" Julius replied, before it dawned onto him. "Ah, I see where you're going."

"Good. I'll need you to stand over there." Melia ordered him, pointing to an area right by the base of the tree, with the young man doing as he was told to. "Do you think you can jump down from there? My friend can catch you if you do." Melia asked the young girl.

"I-I can't! I'm too scared!" the young girl protested.

"You have to trust us; you won't get hurt, I promise!" Melia tried to reason with her, and it seemed to work. The little girl let go of the tree and took a deep breath before she leapt down from the branch, as Julius managed to catch her. The momentum caused the young man to stagger back a few feet, but he was able to stop and gently lower the girl down to the ground.

"Thanks mister! Thanks miss!" the young girl thanked Julius and Melia.

"No worries, now why don't we take you back to the station so you don't get lost again?" Julius offered.

"I can find my way back on my own from here; I climbed up that tree to get a better view of the area, but I got stuck." The little girl knocked the offer back. "Thanks again you two, see ya!"

"See you later young one." Melia smiled at her, as the young girl made her way back to the train station. "That was some catching you pulled off!"

"No need to credit me, I was just doing as you told me to." Julius replied humbly.

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, it's time for us to go to work. Are you ready?" Melia told him.

"Sure. I can handle it." Julius replied, as the duo went off into the forest. It wasn't five minutes into their excursion when the spotted a pair of Vivillon fluttering by one of the golden trees; one of them had a shiny white wing pattern, while the other one had a dark blue wing pattern that resembled the night sky. Melia gazed at the butterfly Pokémon in awe as she opened her suitcase and got out what looked like a jar of Pokéfood that was especially designed for Bug-type Pokémon. The two Vivillon eagerly eyed up the food and flew over to Melia as they started to eat out of her palm.

*giggles* "It tickles!" she giggled, as Julius watched quietly in awe. She must have some special gift that made Pokémon warm up to her quicker than usual. Once the Vivillon had finished eating, they flew up into the air, leaving a shower of sparkling scales in their wake.

"Woah…" Julius gasped in awe at the sight. "So amazing."

"It is an impressive sight." Melia agreed, before turning to him. "Come on now, we've got plenty of other things to do!"

"Ok then." Julius replied as they continued down the path, which was right by Goldenwood Lake. As the largest body of freshwater in the area, it was a gathering place for several species of aquatic Pokémon. The natural diversity of species attracted several fisherman to the area, with one in particular grumbling to himself.

"Tch, another no-biter?" he complained, as he reeling in his hook and discovered that there was nothing on it.

"Is something the matter mister?" Julius inquired, as the young duo spotted the man by the edge of the lake.

"Yeah, I can't seem to catch a lucky break today. I haven't landed a single thing, and I already used several different types of bait." The fisherman explained, as Melia began searching through her briefcase for something to help the man.

"Here, this should help you catch something." Melia said, handing him what looked like gummy worms, but were made from some sort of processed meat. "This is useful for catching Pokémon that thrive in very deep water, perhaps this will be of use to you."

"Thanks lass!" The fisherman replied, taking the bait and attaching it to his hook before casting it into the water once more. The trio waited for what seemed like an eternity, as the hook silently bobbed in the water, until something snagged on the hook. The fisherman's eyes sparkled with glee as he eagerly started to reel the fish in, hoping he had caught something large. With an almighty yank, he pulled the rod into the air and gazed at the hook, which hand nothing on it. He sighed to himself once more, until he was struck on the head by a falling Magikarp that started to flop about on the dry land.

"BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Both Melia and Julius chuckled loudly as the fisherman turned around and lifted the Magikarp off the ground.

"Well at least I got something today…" he said to himself, as he packed up his gear and went back towards the train station.

"Well that was a nice little distract—" Melia began as she soon noticed a large patch of flowers that were surrounded by a small wooden fence. "Oh my, they look quite pretty!"

"Yeah, they kinda do." Julius replied, as the duo got a closer look at the flowers. The patch had several different varieties of flowers, all neatly lined up based on their color. "Should we take a closer look at them?"

"Nah, they're fenced off for a reason. Best thing to do is to leave them alone." Melia suggested as the duo continued their excursion in the forest. They continued exploring the area, until Melia noticed a sign by a crossroad that indicated that Goldenwood Cave was nearby.

"Excellent! We're finally here." Melia smiled upon reading the sign.

"Goldenwood Cave, what business do we have there?" Julius inquired.

"My father mentioned something about a rumor involving this very cave. Something about an ancient text that dates back to the time of the Garufans." Melia explained. "I'm sure if we work together, we can traverse the cave easily."

"Sounds like a plan." Julius agreed to the idea, as the young couple walked up the stone steps and entered the large cave.

"Now this is where things get interesting; you know how Goldenwood Forest is a training ground for newbie trainers', right? This is the specific spot where everyone gathers to train. However these trainers always come with their friends, meaning that you won't be fighting them one at a time. I take it you know where this is going…" Melia began, as Julius managed to connect the dots.

"Ah, you want to team up with me to make things easier for us." Julius deduced.

"Correct." Melia smiled, confirming the young mans' hunches. "We'll be the ones who'll take this cave by storm!"

"Alright then, lead the way." Julius offered, as Melia went on ahead with the young man following behind her. The interior of the cave had a lot more vegetation than the young man initially expected, with golden bushes dotting the landscape. There were a few small pools of water where the denizens of the cave drank from, when they weren't busy battling each other over whatever scraps of food they could find. However Julius was knocked out of his train of thought by an arrogant sounding voice.

"Heh, look at this little weakling, clinging onto Melia because he's too cowardly to fight on his own." The voice called out, as a teenage male with spikey white hair and an all-black outfit approached the couple. Beside him was a youngster with a blue cap, red t-shirt and navy blue shorts.

"Now hold on a minute Jeff, there's no need to cause any trouble." The youngster attempted to reason with his companion, but it didn't seem to be working.

"Oh be quiet, Nickolus! I'm not letting someone as perfect as Melia get stuck dragging this loser around." Jeff retorted, as Melia started giggling to herself. "Wh-What's so funny?!"

"If only you knew how strong my partner was, then you wouldn't be saying those things." Melia giggled.

"Oh yeah, well why don't you prove it then?!" Jeff retorted, as he and Nickolus sent out a Lotad and a Pichu respectively.

"So you want to battle us? Fine by me; I'll chose Buneary!" Melia sent out her Pokémon, as a small rabbit-like Pokémon that was purple and white stepped onto the battlefield. "Which Pokémon will you go for, Julius?"

"Hmmmm…I think I'll settle with Haagross for this match." Julius commented, taking his Pokéball and throwing it onto the field, as a large purple and greenish-yellow Pokémon emerged from its ball and slithered onto the battlefield. The specimen was fairly long and was as tall as Nickolaus, and dripped poison everywhere. It's body was slender, save for the area where it's stomach was, and it had four stubby legs and a pair of small arms on where it's chest would be. The most notable feature were the hornlike appendages that sprouted from the sides of its head that ended in a pair of bolt-shaped horns.

"What…is that?" Nickolaus inquired, confused and frightened by the mysterious creature, as it casually eyed up the young trainer.

"Whatever it is, it's gonna get creamed by yours truly!" Jeff bragged. "Lotad, use Bubble on your enemy!"

The small lily-pad Pokémon opened it's mouth and fired a small torrent of bubbles at the opposing Pokémon, as Nickolaus ordered his Pichu to use Thundershock in combination with the Bubble attack to electrocute the bubbles, powering it up by quite a bit.

"In that case, I'll set up a Light Screen to shield us from the attack." Julius replied, as his Haagross used its power to conjure up a wondrous wall of light to block the incoming attack.

"Buneary, use Double Hit to knock back any stray bubbles that break through the wall!" Melia called out, as her Buneary stood guard near the wall and used it's powerful ears to strike at any bubbles that passed through the wall, as they were sent back towards the Lotad and Pichu, striking them dead on. The Lotad was able to hold its ground, but the poor Pichu was flung back towards the cave wall and was knocked out.

"Woah…" Was all Nickolaus could say, as he recalled his fainted Pokémon and sent out his Jigglypuff. "U-Use Sing on that Haagross!"

The Jigglypuff nodded and began singing to the crowd, with Buneary covering her ears to block out the hypnotic melody. Haagross wasn't so lucky however, and collapsed onto the ground and began nodding off, forming a crescent of some sorts that acted as a shield for Buneary, something that both trainers figured could work to their advantage.

"Ok, the Light Screen is still up. That's fine, we can work with it." Melia spoke to herself, as she figured out what to do. "Buneary, use Double Hit on Lotad, then duck behind Haagross for cover!" she called out, as the small rabbit nimbly ran through the dark cave and used it's ears to pummel Lotad several times, before knocking it towards the wall. Jeff growled to himself as he recalled his fainted Pokémon and sent out his Roggenrola.

"Tch, you must think you're some hotshot because Melia took pity on you. But I'll be glad to teach you your place; Roggenrola, use Rock Blast on that slug-thing!" Jeff called out, as the small rock fired a barrage of smaller rocks from it's ear, striking the large hagfish dead on, as it was awoken from it's slumber. It started glaring at its opponents, angered over being woken up so rudely.

"Uh-oh, you shouldn't have done that. Haagross hates being attacked while sleeping, and will enact revenge on the guilty party. How about you use Sludge Wave to fulfil your desires?" Julius suggested, as his Pokémon was more than eager to do so. It conjured up a sizable pool of toxic sludge from it's body, before directing it towards the opposing Pokémon in a giant wave. The Jigglypuff and the Roggenrola barely had any time to react before they were engulfed by the sludge wave and were flailing about in the sludge, before it subsided a few seconds later. Both Pokémon weren't able to stand up to the attack and were knocked out cold.

"Oh my…I guess I underestimated you." Nickolaus said, as he and Jeff recalled their Pokémon, the latter had an agitated look on his face.

"Y-You couldn't even beat me by yourself! You depended on Melia this whole time, didn't you?!" Jeff hissed, pointing at Melia.

"Nothing wrong with having Melia help me out. Though I can say with certainty that I could've ran circles around you on my own." Julius retorted smugly.

"This is insanity! Why is she hanging out with a loser like you, instead of a handsome guy like me?" Jeff scoffed.

"Because he's not an arrogant braggart like you, who looks down on others just because they're partnered with me." Melia retorted smugly as well. "Then again, I guess it's natural to be jealous that I'm hanging out with a champion-tier trainer like Julius."

"C-Champion?! Dammit, I knew that this was a bad idea!" Nickolaus complained, kicking a nearby pebble into one of the pools of water. "Oh well, I guess it was kinda cool to see a champion in action."

"You, Julius, was it? This isn't over! I will beat you and prove to Melia that I'm the better option!" Jeff warned the young man, pointing at him briefly before leaving the area, with Nickolaus waving at the duo before following his friend.

"What was all that about?" Julius inquired, as he and Melia recalled their Pokémon.

"He's some trainer who's got a crush on me; he's obsessive to the point where he gets angry every time he sees me hanging out with another guy. The amount of times he's gotten into a scrap with Ren must be totalling in the double digits, though Ren defeats him every time he challenges him to a Pokémon battle." Melia explained the situation.

"Heheheh, that's my mate!" Julius exclaimed, praising Ren's skill in battling. "Now then, shall we get a move on?"

"Certainly!" Melia replied, as the duo continued walking through the cave. They had walked a fair distance, crossing over a wooden bridge that had a fairly large river flowing underneath it as they were watching some of the Pokémon frolic by the riverside. Julius' mind had wondered off again, when he was quickly snapped out of his mindscape once again as Melia started calling out to him.

"Look at this!" She called out to him, as Julius looked at where she was pointing at and saw what looked like a wall that had some ancient text on it.

"Is this what Professor Jenner wanted you to research?" the young man inquired.

"I believe so; let me take a picture quickly and then I'll begin reading it." Melia replied, opening her briefcase and brought out a portable camera, checking it to make sure that everything was working properly, before walking closer to the wall and began taking pictures of the text. Julius was concerned that the bright flashes could upset the resident Pokémon, and cause them to attack the trainers in a frenzy, but it seemed that he got worked up over nothing, as no hostile Pokémon charged at them following the camera flashes. After taking half-a-dozen photos, Melia put her camera away back in the suitcase and got out a book that was useful in translating ancient text.

"Ok then, that's the photos done; now to see what makes these inscriptions so special…" Melia began reading the book, taking the occasional glance at the wall of text. However a confused look appeared on her face after a few minutes of attempting to read the text. "Huh, this text is barely legible. I can't get an accurate translation whatsoever."

"Well that's not good." Julius replied, moving closer to the wall. "Maybe I can read—WHOA!" he cried out, tripping over a rock and was falling towards the wall.

"Julius!" Melia cried out as the young man collided with the wall, only for it to shatter into lots of little pieces as the young man landed face first onto the ground. "W-What in the world?!"

"Ohhhhh…" Julius winced, as he got up onto his hands and knees and began rubbing his throbbing head. "Ahhh, that was quite unpleasant."

"Are you ok Julius?" Melia inquired, crouching beside him to check up on him.

"Yeah, I'll be fine in a few minutes. Sorry about the wall though…" Julius apologised, getting back up on his feet.

"No need to apologise; in fact I think you made things more interesting." Melia smiled. "That wall was put up there to keep whatever's behind here hidden from plain sight. In all my time here, I'd never expect to find a secret passageway in Goldenwood Cave!"

"How about you go in first to make up for my blunder? That way, you'll take the credit for whatever we find back there." Julius offered.

"You're such a gentleman; I think I'll take you up on that offer." Melia replied, doing a little curtsy as she entered the hidden entrance, with Julius following behind her. The duo walked through the small passageway for a little while until they found the exit out of the cave, and were blessed with an amazing sight.

They had stumbled upon a grove that was unscathed by humanities influence; as dozens of Vivillon were fluttering about in the air. The grass in the area was a lot taller and thicker than the grass outside the cave, and the trees weren't as neatly lined up as the ones in the forest were.

"Wow, this place is amazing." Julius sighed in awe, as he was hypnotised by the mesmerising view. "You think we should tell Ren and Venam about this place?"

"As much as I want to, I don't want this area to get overpopulated with people thinking this is some sort of secret club, which could be damaging to the environment here. Besides, we haven't fully explored this place yet." Melia replied, as the duo walked down the hillside and made their way to a large clearing in the area. "Perfect; now turn around and close your eyes and count to ten." She told Julius.

"Uh, ok then…" he replied, doing as he was told to. As he counted in his mind, he was wondering why Melia would ask him to do it. Once he had reached ten, he turned around and opened his eyes, only to see a large rug covering the ground.

"Surprise!" Melia called out, striking a playful pose. "Let's have a picnic here, this is the perfect place to have one."

"O-Oh, is this why you asked me to cover my eyes?" Julius inquired.

"Yep. Considering all the hard work we did today, I think we deserve a nice reward, don't you think?" Melia asked Julius.

"A-Are you sure you want me to eat with you? I mean I don't think I deser—" Julius began.

"You think you don't deserve it because you broke the wall?" Melia cut him off. "You silly goose! I'm not upset over the wall getting broken; besides it was thanks to your trip that we found this place to begin with." She giggled.

"I-I guess so…" Julius replied, his mind still hung up over the idea of having a picnic with Melia. That incident with the cave wall wasn't why he felt he didn't deserve her kindness, but he decided not to press the issue any further. "Do you mind if I help you set it up?"

"Not at all." Melia answered, as she opened her suitcase and began to set things up as Julius lent her a helping hand. After a few minutes, they had finished setting up the picnic, as plates containing fruit and sandwiches covered the rug, alongside a couple bottles of soft drink.

"This day had completely blown my expectations away." Melia sighed blissfully, taking a small swig of cola from her plastic cup. "Not only did we get a lot accomplished, but we discovered this amazing place, and had a lot of fun doing so."

"Yeah, today was pretty amazing." Julius agreed, taking a bite out of a ham and cheese sandwich, as he was surprised by a noise from behind and turned around to see what it was. "Must've been the wind—what is that…?" He began, as he soon got distracted by a large statue of Arceus doing a majestic pose.

"What are you talking about?" Melia turned around and saw the statue as well. "Huh, how curious. Why was this hidden all the way back here?"

"You think we should check it out once we've had our fill?" Julius suggested.

"Certainly; after all I want to enjoy this day a bit more. A day where I made another life-long friend." Melia smiled, surprising the young man.

"Life-long…friend?" Julius said, unsure of how to feel. He couldn't comprehend why a perfect woman like Melia would treat some insignificant cretin like himself, as a friend. Furthermore, he was mentally kicking himself for allowing things to progress this far, as he had inadvertently put Melia in danger by associating with him.

"Yeah, I consider you a life-long friend, Julius. Thank you for coming out with me today." Melia thanked the young man. "You've made today a most memorable one. Especially since it'll be the last memory I make in the Floria District."

"Huh…what do you mean?" Julius inquired, slightly honoured by how much Melia cared for him.

"I leave for Grand Dream City tomorrow, where I am to become the Normal type Gym leader. I'd be going alone though; Ren's busy with his job as my dad's assistant and Venam's got her job as a Gym Leader." Melia answered, a hint of sadness in her tone of voice.

"I see…" Julius replied, thanking his lucky stars that Melia would be safe from Larkspur now that she's moving away from the area. "I'm confident that you'll be an amazing Gym Leader."

"Thank you." Melia smiled at the compliment, her mood picking up from before as an idea formed in her mind. "Hey Julius…why don't you come with me to Grand Dream City?"

"S-Seriously?!" Julius exclaimed in surprise, as new fears flooded his mind. What if Larkspur is in Aevium, and he spots him hanging out with Melia? He'd most certainly capture her and put her through some serious torture sessions just to get back at him.

"Sorry, I guess it's kind of a tall order to ask someone whom you've just met the other day." Melia apologised.

"No, no. I need to apologise for my reaction, it wasn't called for." Julius replied.

"Well it's an understandable reaction, but on that note…" Melia replied, getting up off the mat and faced the young man. "Hey, Julius, fight me in a Pokémon battle."

"A Pokémon battle? I can work with that, but are you sure you want to fight me? I am a champion-tier trainer after all." Julius replied, standing up and facing Melia as well.

"Of course I do; this'll give me the perfect chance to plan out a strategy for when we fight in an official gym battle. How about a quick one-on-one battle?" Melia replied, taking out a Pokéball from her bag. "Ready when you are."

"I was born ready!" Julius replied, as he was about to select a Pokémon, only for his Vilucard to burst out of its ball and started cackling to itself. "Ok then, I guess you know what my partner for this battle is."

"In that case, I'll call out Buneary!" Melia called out, as she threw her Pokéball and the all-too-familiar rabbit Pokémon emerged from it and stared down its opponent. Vilucard was eyeing up the young Pokémon before it, as a mischievous idea was formed in its mind. The Villainous Pokémon quickly scrambled up the tree so that the Buneary couldn't reach it, and started firing a barrage of Sludge Bombs at it's opponent. Buneary hopped from rock to rock to dodged the incoming salvo until it safely arrived at the base of the tree where Vilucard was perched, and used Double Hit on the stump in an attempt to knock it down.

"W-Woah!" Julius was caught off guard by the surprise tactic that Buneary was utilising.

"I figured that if I can't fight you head on, I'll use the environment to my advantage. A common tactic utilized by Aevium's gym leaders." Melia replied, as he Buneary managed to knock the Vilucard off it's perch, as the Villainous Pokémon crashed onto the ground and winced out loud in pain. "Now to finish this; Buneary, use Double Hit one more time!"

The Buneary hoped on over to the fallen Vilucard and was about to pummel it with it's ears, when in an instant, Vilucard leapt up off the ground and pinned Buneary to the tree, the bat Pokémon's fangs glowing a harsh black as it bite down hard on Buneary's arm and started draining the energy from the small Pokémon, as the small rabbit cried out in pain.

"B-Buneary!" Melia cried out in concern. "I-Is it using…"

"Drain Life? Correct." Julius replied, as Vilucard stepped back from the weakened Buneary and wiped its lips. "The signature move of the Vilucard line; it deals damage to the opponent by biting down on them, draining their energy to restore the user."

"I see…in that case I'll have Buneary retaliate with Double Hit!" Melia called out, as the small rabbit sucker-punched her opponent with her ears, surprising the bat and causing it to stagger a few feet back. The Buneary then stated hopping on the spot for a bit until it launched itself into the air and aimed it's feet at the weakened Vilucard. The Vilucard noticed the Buneray and bided it's time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. When the Buneary shot past the tree line, Vilucard unleashed a barrage of Sludge Bombs at it's opponent, the Buneary unable to move out of the way and was pelted by the unrelenting salvo as it was sent hurtling towards the nearest tree.

"Buneary!" Melia called out running over to her Pokémon, who was knocked out after the attack. "Oh thank goodness you're alright!"

"S-Sorry about that…" Julius apologised, with Vilucard bowing it's head in shame.

"It's alright. I did expect you to give it your best, and it seems that you did." Melia replied, as she recalled her fainted Pokémon, as Julius recalled his Pokémon as well.

"I gotta admit, for a young Pokémon I was pleasantly surprised to see it last this long against an experienced Pokémon like my Vilucard. That tactic where you knocked it down from the tree was some clever thinking." Julius praised the girl before him.

"Thank you; hearing that from a champion like yourself is some high praise indeed." Melia smiled. "I'll admit that I'm a little bummed about the loss, but that's ok; nobody expects you to be an unstoppable force all the time."

"Now that we've got that settled, how about I help you pack up the picnic?" Julius offered.

"That'll be appreciated, thank you very much." Melia replied, as the duo got to packing up the picnic. As the duo had finished folding the blanket and had just finished placing it in the suitcase, a cold chill appeared in the area, an ice-blue fog emanating in the air. The fog dissipated a few seconds later, before the earth started shaking all of a sudden and the faint sound of trucks rumbling could be heard.

"W-What on earth was that?!" Julius cried out.

"It sounded like it came from Goldenwood Forest. Come on Julius, we've got to investigate this right away!" Melia exclaimed, as the duo quickly left the area to investigate the cause.

 **15 minutes later**

The duo had arrived back at Goldenwood Forest, where they saw a young couple comforting an old lady, who was visibly distressed. The first thing they noticed was that the air was thick with smoke, as if something was on fire.

"What's going on here? What happened?!" Melia called out, as she and Julius ran up to the group of people.

"W-We don't know. We were in Goldenwood Cave when we heard this huge explosion outside. We ran out as fast as we could, and saw this old lady searching the area frantically for something." The woman answered.

"Some thugs stole my precious Furfrou from me…" the old woman cried out. "They ganged up on me three-against-one and stole my Furfrou from me. I can't remember what their faces looked like, but they were wearing black and red uniforms."

' _Black and red uniforms? You don't mean…'_ Julius started thinking to himself, as he noticed a concerned expression on Melia's face. It seems that the two of them were on the same train of thought.

"I'm just going to leave this behind…just in case." Melia said, placing the suitcase on the ground right by Julius' feet. "If these thugs are who I think they are, then I'll need to act quickly—"

"This way!" A voice barked out loud, as the sound of several footsteps running towards their location could be heard. The old lady started to panic once again, as a trio of thugs in familiar uniforms arrived at the area and confronted the trainers. "We weren't done taking things from you yet!"

"I knew it…I didn't want to believe it, but it's clear as day now." Melia said under her breath as she stepped a bit closer to the thugs. "These thugs are part of a criminal organisation called Team Xen."

"Team Xen!" Julius exclaimed, walking up to Melia's side. "Where the hell did you take my mother to, you bastards?!"

"Woah there, we don't know anything about your mom. That must've been some other grunt who snagged her. That said, I don't think I'm gonna tell you, even if I know where she is." The grunt at the front replied, a nasty sneer on his face.

"Bastards…" Julius growled under his breath, clenching his fists tightly.

"No need to get so angry kid; after all, we're no longer a running joke in Aevium. I'd consider that great news!" the female grunt commented in a rather whimsical tone of voice. "Anyway, we're just gonna continue what we started and then we'll—" she began, before taking a closer look at Melia and stepped back in surprise. "Hey guys, isn't she…"

"The main objective?" the other grunt answered, as wicked smiles appeared on the grunts faces. "Well, well, well. Looks like we've struck paydirt. You there, girl! Come with us and we'll let the others leave unscathed."

"Whhhaaaaaaaa…Y-You want the girl?" the old lady replied, as she struck a somewhat elegant pose. "Ohhhhh myyyyyyyy, I'll admit that I'm slightly honoured. So how long have you been eyeing lil ol' me up…?" Needless to say, everyone was rendered speechless by what they just witnessed.

"W-What on earth are you going on about?! Who on earth would want a gross old bag like you?! Can it, grandma!" One of the grunts barked viciously. "We're talking about this girl! The one with blonde hair, Melia."

"Me…you're here for me…?" Melia replied, pointing at herself.

"Hey fuck you, asshole!" Julius snapped at the offending grunt. "It's bad enough that you're harassing little old ladies, but I won't let you kidnap Melia!"

"Well would you look at that; Mr. Mommy Issues is trying to play the white knight card, what a hoot!" the female grunt chuckled. "Anyway, we were ordered to kidnap Melia, as we were tipped off about how she'll be here this very day."

' _Tipped off, what did they mean by that? Who told them that Melia would be here today…?'_ Julius pondered to himself.

"I'll never go with the likes of you!" Melia declared boldly, as the grunts chuckled darkly in response.

"We figured you'd say that, so it looks like we're gonna have to take you by force!" the head grunt retorted, as he threw a Pokéball onto the ground and a Meowth popped out of it, except that it didn't look like any other Meowth. It's body was a dark purple and it was snarling harsher than a Meowth usually snarls.

"This Meowth doesn't look right…" Melia pointed out.

"Yeah, I've never seen anything like it." Julius commented.

"Oh, is it really that noticeable?" the grunt replied. "Tch, Madelis said that it wouldn't be apparent enough for people to realise…but I guess she was wrong. Whatever, you're right Melia, this isn't a normal Meowth, it's a Shadow Meowth!"

"S-Shadow Meowth?!" Julius exclaimed in shock.

"Yep. It's been subjected to an experiment that was thought to be long gone. But alas, we've recovered enough data to recreate our own army of Shadow Pokémon!" the grunt proudly proclaimed

"But that's impossible! That process was destroyed many years ago!" Melia protested.

"It was, but we brought it back from the dead. I think now's a perfect time to demonstrate the power of Shadow Pokémon to you fools!" the grunt sneered, as the Shadow Meowth got into a battle stance.

' _Julius, I need you to enter 6489 in the code input on the briefcase my father told me to put it in if things get rough out here. Hurry!'_ Melia whispered into Julius' ear as he made a mad dash for the briefcase and put in the code he was told to. The suitcase made a satisfying _'click'_ as it opened and revealed a rather strange device that he hadn't seen before. It was a glove of sorts that had a small device attached to it where a Pokéball could be stored in. Speaking of, there were several Ultra Balls in a small bag beside the glove.

"What is this…?" he inquired, taking the glove out of the case and put it over his hand.

"If that's what I think it is, then I need you to place one of those Ultra Balls into the container and come over here!" Melia called out, as Julius did just that and made his way to her side. "Ok then, I need you to capture that Meowth. It goes against everything that you were taught when you were on your first journey, but it's the only way we can deal with this situation safely."

"You can't be serious! Do you really expect me to cower in fear of the kid with mommy issues?" the grunt called out arrogantly. "Alright then, I'll let you have a chance against me. Just don't go crying to mommy when I lose—oh wait, I forgot. You can't!"

The grunts started chuckling at the joke, as Julius had become uncomfortable all of a sudden, kicking the grass underneath his feet. "Alright then Meowth, put that kid out of his misery!"

The Shadow Meowth hissed at Julius, lunging towards the young man, who was barely able to dodge the incoming attack. He then took the Ultra Ball out of the storage capsule and threw it at the Meowth, striking it dead on as it was sucked into the Ultra Ball and started struggling to get out. After a few seconds of vigorous shaking, the light on the ball died down, indicating a successful capture.

"W-What?! My Meowth!" the grunt protested. "H-How could you snag my Meowth?!"

"So it is a Snag Machine, just as I'd hoped it was." Melia commented, picking up the Ultra Ball as she inspected the device. "Now what is it doing in this briefcase? Unless…"

"G-Give me back my Meowth!" The grunt demanded. "I raised it from an egg, you can't just take it away from me!"

"Well if you cared so much about it, then why did you experiment on it?" Julius inquired, the grunt clamming up in response.

"You'll both regret this! You'll never escape from this forest!" the female grunt warned them, as the trio ran away from the area.

"Well we both got out of that okay." Melia commented, turning to the other bystanders. "You three, stay in that cave for the time being and hide. We'll deal with the situation here."

"O-Ok then…" the old lady replied, as the trio proceeded to enter the cave behind them.

"Julius, we're going to escape from this area and divert Team Xen's attention away from here." Melia told him.

"Got it!" Julius replied, as they began to make their way through the forest.

 **0000**

The grunt from before ran up a ledge as fast as his legs were able to and made his way to a tall blonde man standing by the water's edge, facing what looked like a large black and purple sphere in the air. There were a pair of grunts beside the man who acted as a lookout of sorts.

"S-Sir!" the grunt called out to the blonde man in a state of total fear.

*sigh* "And what is the matter now? You don't have her, do you?" The blonde man sighed in an annoyed tone, not even bothering to face the grunt.

"I-I failed my mission…" the grunt admitted,

"Tch…damn it!" the blonde man replied, turning to face the grunt. "What happened?"

"W-We found Melia, but she wasn't alone. There was this kid beside her, a guy a year or two older than her. He said something about us stealing his mother and wanted to seek revenge on us. So I tried attacking him with my Shadow Meowth but…but…he took my Meowth from me!" the grunt recalled, before his started sobbing profusely.

"Taken away, what do you mean by that?!" the blonde man demanded an answer.

"He had this Snag Machine of sorts on his arm! He just up and took my Meowth from me." The grunt replied hastily.

"A Snag Machine?! Why would Melia have one of those?! That's way too much of a coincidence…the only possibility is…" the blonde man exclaimed, as he started thinking to himself. "Hmph. Well the path to Wispy Path is blocked, so they'll have to come down this way. I'll be able to take the both of them on myself. You there, leave this place immediately!"

"Y-Yes sir!" the grunt replied, as he proceeded to leave the area.

"Eli, Shantelle, get ready. I'll need you to keep me safe until this is completed." The blonde man ordered the grunts beside him, referring to the large sphere in the air.

"It's Sharon, not Shantelle…" the orange-haired grunt sighed, correcting the blonde man.

"Sir…Yes!" the black haired grunt replied as the blonde man got back to work.

 **0000**

Melia and Julius were running through the forest, ducking and weaving behind any trucks they saw to stay hidden from the Xen grunts. They had managed to make significant progress back to town, when they spotted a Xen grunt harassing a young lady, threatening to attack her with his Shadow Finneon.

"Hehehe…now be a good girl and I won't have to hurt you…" he sneered ominously, stepping closer towards her.

"Leave her alone!" Melia demanded, as the grunt turned to face the young couple.

"You! So you're the Melia I was tasked with capturing. Once I'm done with her, you're next. Unless of course, you provide a most generous incentive…" the grunt chuckled ominously, eyeing her up with lust.

"Here's a counter offer I have; back away now, and I won't have to sic my friend onto you." Melia retorted.

"Your friend? Oh I wonder where they could be. I'm so scared…" the grunt mocked her, only to get caught off guard by the sound of a Pokéball clicking, indicating a successful capture. He turned around and noticed that there was an Ultra Ball right where his Shadow Finneon was, as Julius picked up the ball. "M-My Finneon!"

"Maybe this'll teach you not to harass young women next time." Julius quipped, with the grunt gnashing his teeth in anger.

"Alright then, you want to play that game with me?! Then get a load of my Shadow Happiny!" the grunt sneered, as he sent out his second Shadow Pokémon. Like with the other two, the Happiny was colored a harsh purple and was snarling at the trainers.

"Another Shadow Pokemon? How generous of you; allow me to capture it like so…" Julius replied, throwing another Ultra Ball at the Shadow Happiny, sucking it up into the ball. It shook violently for a few seconds, before the light died down.

"I-Impossible! Both my Shadow Pokémon were snagged?!" the grunt cried out in disbelief. "Y-You'll pay for this!" He shouted, as he ran away from the area.

"T-Thanks for saving me from that man. Had you not arrived here in time, I fear what he would've done to me." The young woman thanked the two trainers.

"No need to thank us, we were just doing the right thing." Melia smiled, as Julius handed her the two Shadow Pokémon he had just caught. "Take care out there!"

"Yeah, you two take care." The young woman replied, as the three went their separate way. Melia and Julius continued to run through the forest, when they soon spotted a pair of grunts and a blonde man, looking over the lake as the purple and black sphere began to grow in size.

"Well, well…looks like our targets were kind enough to come right to us." Sharon commented, as she and Eli started down the trainers.

"Melia bad girl right? We capture them and sell them to high up?" Eli inquired, his improper sentence structure indicating that English wasn't his first language.

"Sell? We're not selling them, we're capturing them." Sharon reminded her partner. "I assume you meant that we give them to our leader, right."

"Yes, yes! That is what Eli mean!" Eli smiled cheerfully. "We kill them too, yes?"

"What?!" Melia exclaimed, attracting the couple's attention. "There's no way that we'll let you do that!"

*sigh* "What am I going to do with you, Eli…?" Sharon sighed to herself, smacking her face with her palm.

"Well you two can start by letting us be on our merry way then; I already dealt with two assholes earlier, don't make me add you to the list." Julius replied.

"Leave? Oh no, no, no. you two are not leaving here on your own volition." Sharon retorted.

"Yes, we are leaving; I don't care how obsessed you are with me, but we're leaving whether you like it or not." Melia stood her ground.

"See that's where you're wrong; you're not getting away, and you won't see this place ever again. You may as well give up as it's pointless to resist us." Sharon replied, crossing her arms.

"Never! We'll never give up!" Melia boldly declared, taking a Pokéball out of her pocket. "What do you say Julius, want to take these clowns out together?"

"Certainly." Julius agreed to the proposal, taking out a Pokéball as well. "They'll be dealt with fairly easily."

*sigh* "I guess we have to do this the hard way. Come on, Eli, let's shut them up for good. Go, Misdreavus!" Sharon called out as she sent out her Pokémon.

"Time for battle, Murkrow!" Eli called out as he sent out his Pokémon. The small bird perched itself onto the nearest tree branch with the Misdreavus floating nearby.

"Alright then, take to the sky, Happiness!" Melia threw her Pokémon, as a shiny Togekiss emerged from the Pokéball and proudly flew into the air, chirping happily while doing so.

"In that case, I'll call out Haagross!" Julius called out as well, as the familiar hagfish Pokémon slithered onto the battlefield and confronted the hostile trainers.

"Uhhh…" Eli was at a loss for words. "What we do Shardon?"

"I've got no idea how we're going to get out of this fight unscathed! And it's Sharon." She snapped, reminding Eli what her name was. "Misdreavus, use Psywave on that giant thing over there!" Sharon pointed at the Haagross, as the small ghost Pokémon emitted an eerie wave of psychic energy from the orbs around her neck. It struck Haagross dead on, the large hagfish shaking its head back and forth to recollect its thoughts, only to charge up a Thunderbolt and fired it at Misdreavus, causing the small ghost to cry out in pain before collapsing onto the ground, knocked out from the attack.

"Oh great, we're dealing with a bulky worm-thing that can shoot lightning bolts from its horns. Wonderful." Sharon commented sarcastically. "Guess it's all up to you, Eli."

"Shardon…" Eli inquired, before turning to his Murkrow. "Peck on happy bird." He pointed to Melia's Togekiss. His Murkrow, who was as unsure of things as its trainer, flew off the branch and started flying towards Togekiss, pointing it's sharp beak at it.

"Dodge and counter with Moonblast, Happiness!" Melia called out, as the Jubilee Pokémon nimbly dodged the incoming attack and began charging up lunar energy with its wings, before firing it at the enemy Murkrow, striking it head on and causing it to fall to the ground alongside Misdreavus, knocked out from the attack.

"Well this went just as I expected it to…" Sharon sighed in frustration as she and Eli recalled their fainted Pokémon. "Seems all my big talk was just that, big talk."

"And that's what you get for messing with the wrong team!" Julius grinned, as he and Melia high-fived each other. "Now are you going to step out of the way, or do we—" he began, only to get interrupted by a Pokémon cry coming from the left. The group of four turned and saw what looked like a shiny Garbodor running up towards them.

"I-Is that the Garbodor from earlier?" Melia inquired, taking a closer look at it. "It is! It is the Garbodor from back in the sewers!"

"Oh, look. A threat to the mission! Sorry, Zetta, but we've got to deal with this, right Eli?" Sharon called out to the blonde man.

"D-Do we?" Eli inquired.

"Absolutely, I mean it is our JOB to take care of threats. C'mon, let's go." Sharon called out, as the Garbodor ran back where it came from, as the two grunts followed it in hot pursuit.

"What a strange duo." Melia commented. "Well that's them taken care of; why don't we confront this Zetta character now?"

"Sure; I'm confident we can deal with him easily." Julius replied, as the duo made their way up the ledge to confront the blonde man, who was still focused on the large sphere in the air.

"Hmph, so Sandra and Eli weren't able to hold you two off? Sheesh, what are they feeding kids for breakfast these days?" He joked in a serious manner, as he turned around to face the two trainers. "I gotta give you props for making it this far—is that a Haagross by your side?"

"Yeah, it's one of my companions. Why'd you ask?" Julius replied, petting his Haagross.

"I was warned about a trainer with Pokémon hailing from the Tandor region, and it seems that you're the one I was told about. The name's Zetta, but I'm sure you already know that by know." The blonde man introduced himself, as Julius was about to get a better look at him. His hair was combed over for the most part, though it was quite spikey at the back. Zetta's outfit consisted of a grey shirt and pants that were covered by a large blue coat. "What's your name?"

"J-Julius…" the young man replied, unnerved by Zetta's sudden courtesy.

"Julius? What an odd name. Did your mother hate your or something?" Zetta inquired.

"Oh fuck you! My mother would never hate me! Speaking of which, tell me where she is right now!" Julius demanded, clenching his fists in anger.

"Okay then, I must've hit a soft spot." Zetta replied, turning to face Melia. "And you must be the Melia I was tasked with acquiring. Huh…so that's what you look like I guess things are starting to make sense now."

"Are they? Because I'm completely lost; you're just spewing utter nonsense!" Melia snapped in frustration. "Why would you attack Goldenwood Forest?! Why do you want me that badly?! Am I that important of a target?!"

"Well you answered your own question so I'll skip it. However I do want to know the story behind that Snag Machine that Julius is lugging around; where'd you get it anyway?" Zetta inquired.

"None of your business, jackass!" Melia retorted.

"On the contrary, that machine is definitely my business. See, it throws a huge spanner in a huge part of our operations. So hand it over, now." Zetta demanded, outstretching his hand.

"How about no? I'm not handing over diddly squat to a creep like you!" Julius replied, with Zetta sighing to himself.

"I expected you to say that, so I brought a little friend to speed up the negotiations." Zetta replied, as he pointed to the large sphere behind him. "I take it you know what this is?"

"I have no clue what that thing is…" Melia answered, as Julius was at a loss as well.

"Fantastic, that means I get to be teacher for a day!" Zetta grinned, clapping his hands. "So listen up! This, my humble students, is what you would call a Dimensional Rift. Spheres of incredible dark energy that are composed up of a single sacrifice. They may act as transportation, warping if you will, or as…deadly weapons!"

"Deadly weapons? That thing screams overkill!" Julius exclaimed.

"Hahaha! Right you are, it can be considered overkill. A gold star for Julius!" Zetta joked some more.

"So how deadly is this thing?" Melia inquired.

"Ah Melia, always the curious student. I like that." Zetta replied. "Just one of these things can wipe out an entire town within minutes. But conjuring up a Dimensional Rift takes a lot of effort and energy. Which is why it's a last resort, so to speak. I don't want to use it willy-nilly, which is why I'll battle Julius to see if I need to use it. If I win, I'll take Melia and the Snag Machine. If I lose however, you'll get to see first-hand what this thing is capable of. Sound fair, right?"

"Fair my ass, this is a lose-lose situation!" Julius protested. "After all, I'm not just some ordinary trainer from Tandor. I'm the Champi—" he began, before clamping his mouth shut upon realising what a foolish idea it was to reveal that bit of information.

"Huh, you were right about things being unfair. There's no way I'd be able to defeat a Champion. Oh well, I guess I have to use my last resort after all." Zetta replied, turning towards the Dimensional Rift.

' _Melia, we can't risk losing the Snag Machine to the Dimensional Rift. So you take it and keep it safe. He wouldn't do anything to harm you.'_ Julius whispered to Melia, as he took off the Snag Machine and gave it to her.

"Sounds like a plan." Melia replied, as she took the Snag Machine and wore it over her hand. "Hmmmm, this is quite the comfy fit. I'll make sure that Zetta doesn't get his dirty mitts on it."

"In that case…" Julius said, returning his Haagross to its Pokéball, before turning to face Zetta. "Hey asshole! Why don't you give me your best shot?"

"Oh, you're that eager to die? I'd be happy to indulge you then." Zetta replied. "Dimensional Rift, it's time to wake up!"

The large sphere started to glow harshly as it started to change colors from purple to blue to grey to black and back to purple quite rapidly. Within an instant, a small vortex emerged from the sphere and started to drag Julius towards the Dimensional Rift, surprising the young man as he was being lifted into the air.

"J-Julius!" Melia cried out, returning her Togekiss and made a mad dash for Julius, grabbing his hands tightly and attempted to drag him away from the vortex. However it was too strong for Melia to resist, as she started moving closer and closer to the sphere.

"M-Melia. Don't worry about me, I'll find a way out of this thing!" Julius called out to her.

"I won't leave you behind!" Melia replied, as she mustered all the strength that she could, and was able to gain a small amount of ground.

"Oh for the love of—" Zetta scoffed to himself, picking up a small rock and threw it at Melia, causing her to wince in pain and let go of Julius, as he was soon sucked up into the Dimensional Rift.

"J-JULIUS!" Melia cried out in fear, having witnessed her friend getting sucked up by the Dimensional Rift.

 **Sorry for the cliff-hanger, but I figured it was the perfect time to end this chapter. Some of you may be surprised that Julius didn't get to fight Zetta, but that'll give Melia another chance to shine in the next chapter. Speaking of which, if things go to plan, the next chapter should contain the first Gym Battle between Julius and Venam. As for the part where Melia's Togekiss used Moonblast, I know that Togekiss can't learn the move, but I figured it'll make sense for her Togekiss to have it, since Melia is very special.**

 **I'll catch you all in the next chapter. See ya!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Welcome back to the next chapter of Rejuvenation: Rise from the Ashes. It's got plenty of exciting content to keep you satisfied, including an awesome Gym Battle, so I'm positive that you'll enjoy it greatly. So with that said, let's kick start this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

A wave of emotions was coursing through Melia's body; fear, anger, but mostly sadness. She had just witnessed her newest friend get sucked up by some unspeakable thing, all while her pursuer, her enemy was smirking at her like a lunatic. It was there where she made her decision to take a stand against her foe, the young woman unclipping a Pokéball from her belt.

"You really wanna do this, even after I disposed of your champion-tier friend?" Zetta inquired incredulously, before shrugging his shoulders and bringing out his own Pokéball. "Alright then, I guess it's time to discipline an unruly student. Minior, teach this child a lesson!"

The small meteorite emerged from the Pokéball and flashed its red core at the young woman, before covering itself in its rocky exterior. Melia knew that Miniors were no laughing matter to deal with, especially when their shields are lowered. "In that case, I'll chose Stufful!" Melia called out, as the cuddly little Pokémon emerged from its ball and eyed its opponent up playfully. However, its demeanour quickly shifted to a more serious one upon noticing the expression on its trainer's face.

"A cuddly little toy; I don't recall granting you permission to play with the toybox, so I guess I have to discipline you even further." Zetta replied coolly, stretching his arm and pointing at Melia. "Time for me to issue a 'Swift' punishment!"

"Brutal Swing; don't let a single star get by you!" Melia retorted, as the Meteor Pokémon span its body in the air at rapid speeds, sending a barrage of star-shaped rays at the small bear, who hopped up onto its hind legs and began flailing its arms in a frantic manner, batting the rays in several directions all over the place. Some of the rays were knocked back towards Minior, snapping it out of its rhythm. "Follow up with Rock Tomb, don't give it a chance to recover!"

The fluffy Pokémon slammed its powerful arms into the ground and scooped up several sizable chunks of rock and soil, before hurling them at it's enemy. Minior tried to dodge the incoming attack, but was mercilessly pelted by the attack and was knocked to the ground. Stufful then barrelled towards it and began swinging it's arms in a brutal manner once more, delivering the finishing blows to its opponent. Zetta simply raised an eyebrow in curiosity as he recalled his fallen Pokémon and watch the Stufful trot triumphantly over to its trainer.

"I sense malice in your tone, you know that's no way to talk to your teach—" he began.

"Cut the act! You may think you as sophisticated as you say, but you're nothing but a lowlife hooligan. I'll make you pay for what you did to my friend!" Melia vowed, anger drenching her voice.

"Friend? Oh, you meant that Julius kid. How awfully rude of him to leave class without providing a note. Regardless, with him out of the picture, that leaves you all alone, and vulnerable. Perfect prey for my Shadow Grimer!" Zetta sneered, unclipping his Pokéball and throwing it to the ground, an Alolan Grimer oozing out of the capsule and glared viciously at its opponent. Melia's enraged look transformed into a small smirk; he had just stumbled into an easily avoidable trap, and it was time to spring it. Within a few quick movements, Melia charged up an Ultra Ball in the Snag Machine and threw it at the Grimer, with Zetta's confident smirk transforming into a vicious glare as the ball shook for a few moments, before coming to a complete stand still.

"I have to say I'm disappointed; I thought you would've seen this coming, teacher." Melia snarked playfully, picking up the Ultra Ball and tucking it into her pocket, with Zetta growling in response.

"I can't believe I fell for that!" Zetta hissed under his breath, reaching for another Pokéball and throwing it to the field, as an Alolan Meowth emerged from it and purred sinisterly. "Fake Out and make it snappy!"

The feline Pokémon quickly scurried over to the Stufful, who was ready to trade blows with its opponent. Meowth quickly jabbed Stufful in the nose, flinching the fluffy Pokémon, giving Meowth a chance to launch a barrage of scratches at the enemy, causing Stufful to cry out in pain, though its thick coat mitigated some of the damage. Stufful started swinging its arms rapidly once more in order to push the Meowth away from it's face, before following up with a swift Brick Break to the head, dealing a critical blow as the Meowth staggered back a few feet and fell on it's back, the attack knocking it out.

"W-What is happening, how am I getting defeated so easily?!" Zetta exclaimed in shock and fury, recalling his fainted Pokémon before opting for drastic measures. "Fine then, I guess I'm gonna have to brick out my trump card. Go, Type: Null!" The Xen Admin declared, as the chimera-esque Pokémon emerged from it's Pokéball and merely gazed at the opponent, catching Melia off guard.

"Type: Null, how on earth did you get your hands on one?!" Melia exclaimed, demanding an answer. She had heard all about the controversy surrounding the Aether Foundation and the Ultra Beast program while on a holiday in Alola and understood that Type: Null was an incredibly rare and well-guarded secret. How Zetta got his hands on one was quite the mystery.

"Heh, interested?" Zetta taunted, leaning in towards her. "Sorry, not telling you. But it should give you a clue as to how far Team Xen's influence in the world really is. But enough chatter; use Tackle on the stuff toy over there!"

The bulky Pokémon charged at the Stufful and rammed into it harshly, sending the smaller Pokémon flying back a few feet. It rolled a few feet before managing to pick itself up off the ground, its usually calm attitude replaced with a fierce anger that its species, especially its evolution, was notorious for. The small bear let out a growl that sounded like a squeaky toy to most people, but Melia knew that it was serious business; Stufful then charged at Type: Null and let out a barrage of Brick Breaks, smacking the enemy Pokémon for the audacity of tackling it so harshly. Despite its natural bulk, it simply couldn't keep up with the frenzied assault and gave into the attack, collapsing on the ground and was knocked out. Zetta was at a loss for words at what he saw, as the once angry Stufful ran over to Melia, a joyous expression on its adorable face as the two celebrated their victory.

"Hah, would you look at that…you do have some skill after all. Snagging my Alolan Grimer, defeating my Type: Null. It's a wonder why you even needed that kid around when you're more than capable of handling yourself." Zetta commented, crossing his arms.

"It's over Zetta, return my friend to me at once!" Melia demanded, with Zetta chuckling ominously in response.

"One does not simply return from the Dimensional Space." Zetta sneered, as an idea formed in his mind. "I can have you visit their briefly so that you can say your last farewells to Julius before I hand you over to the boss. As a matter of fact, I'll do just that. Go, my Dimensional Rift!"

Melia quickly recalled her Pokémon and braced herself for the worst; the Dimensional Rift glowing and growing at a rapid pace, only for a bright light to appear from within the pitch-black rift.

"W-What is this?!" Zetta inquired angrily, confused at what he's seeing. Melia had a hunch on what it could be and started thinking to herself, hoping and praying that her hunch was correct.

 **?: During the battle between Melia and Zetta**

"Ugh…where am I?" Julius inquired, wearily getting up off the ground and surveying the area in his immediate vicinity. It had the exact same layout as the forest, but the colors were all wrong; the grass was a lifeless grey, the water in the nearby river was blood red, as if a mass slaughter took place there. Even the famous golden trees were now a dull, lifeless brown. The young man knew he had to get out of this hellish place as soon as possible, though how he would escape was a complete mystery. "Better get out of here, and quickly. Who knows what that bastard is gonna do to Melia!" He got himself focused on the big picture and began walking beside the river, believing it to lead him out of this place. As he was walking at a steady pace, he noticed several Magikarp floundering lazily by the river. Despite the unusual coloring, there was nothing in the water to indicate that it was a potential hazard, so he took the time to gently shoved the Magikarp into the river, the fish Pokémon splashing vigorously to show their gratitude.

"And…there we go!" Julius commented upon pushing the last Magikarp into the water, noticing that they were all swimming down the stream, leading him to believe that something really was at the end of the river. Throwing caution to the wind, Julius began running beside the river to follow the sizable school of Magikarp in the water, only for it to go on and on and on and on. It was the longest distance he had ever ran in his life, much longer than the path through the forest he traversed back in the other world. The scenery was still the same dreary environment as before and was starting to strain the young man's eyes. Julius started panting like crazy, his lungs felt like they were on fire as they were working overtime to help intake desperately needed oxygen. His legs started aching like crazy, to the point where he really wanted to sit down and catch his breath. But he cast that thought aside; who knows what mysterious creatures lived here, whether they were following him, and what they wanted to do to the young man. Casting the frightening thoughts aside, Julius continued running and after climbing a small hill, he took a deep breath of relief.

The river led to a large pool of water, around the same size as the one in Goldenwood Forest. The young man had a hunch that this dimension was, at the very least, a twisted doppelganger of the Goldenwood Forest that he was familiar with. As he walked down the hill, he noticed that several more Magikarp were floundering about by the eastern side of the lake and opted to push them into the water like before. Though there were more Magikarp than before, he was able to successfully push them all into the water and noticed something strange; they were heading to the exact center of the lake where the school from before was swimming in a clockwise circle. Wanting to get a better look at the strange activity, he made his way to a small ledge overlooking the lake, just like the one where Zetta was overlooking the lake. As he made his way there, he soon noticed something sparkling on a rock by the ledge.

"Well what do we have here?" Julius knelt to the ground and picked up what appeared to be a small data chip that would fit perfectly in his CyberNav and inserted it into the small slot on the left side. _'Downloading…downloading…downloading…download complete. Data File Code: Evo added to the databank titled Rift Dex.'_ The CyberNav pinged, with the chip ejecting itself and was subsequently pocketed into Julius' jacket pocket. "Better show this to Melia when I get out of here."

The young man put his CyberNav back in his bag and continued the walk up to the ledge and observed the Magikarp once more. The familiar sight of the black and purple sphere pulsated over the lake as the Magikarp began to swim faster and faster until the inadvertently created an underwater tornado of sorts. The sphere lowered itself so that it was less than a meter above the lake surface, and began sucking up the tornado and all the unfortunate Magikarp inside it. A sense of dread and foreboding wracked the young man, paralysing him with fear as the sphere soon pulsated violently, bright flashes of light emitting from it, with the young man shielding his eyes. Once the flashing died down, he lowered his arm and surveyed the lake once more, only to recoil in fear at what he saw.

Staring right at him was the largest Gyarados he had ever seen; though it's coloration was all wrong. It's serpentine body was a darker blue that usual, bordering on purple in some areas. It's eyes and it's crest were blood red, which despite how cliché it was, was still a frightening sight to behold. The colossal monster eyed the young trainer, consumed with a nigh unquenchable rage and was ready to obliterate Julius, when it was suddenly halted by what sounded like a mysterious voice echoing in the area.

"Wait!" the voice cried out, as a spectral image of Melia appeared above the Gyarados' head, catching the young man off-guard. "I don't know where you are, or if you can even hear this, but I won't let you fight this creature alone!"

"M-Melia?" Julius inquired, before a determined look appeared on his face. "Yeah, let's take this thing down together! Go, Yatagaryu!" The young man cried out, calling forth his most trusted comrade as the majestic dragon eyed up the colossal Gyarados, who roared at it in a state of bloodlust. The massive sea serpent charged up a massive ball of energy and fired a beam of pure, unbridled energy at the Yatagaryu, who dodged the attack just in time to see it vaporise a large swath of the forest, leaving a charred crater in the ground. Julius winched at the sight; had he or his Yatagaryu been hit by that attack, it would've been over. A sudden shriek of pain caught his attention, the young man turning around to see the Gyarados writhing in pain as what looked like a halo of light surrounded its head; seems like Melia was helping him out by paralysing the creature, but it doesn't look like it'll last long.

"Alright Yatagaryu, use Dragon Pulse!" Julius cried out, his trusted comrade charging up a smaller, but equally ball of draconic energy and fired a beam at the Gyarados' head, causing it to howl in pain as its head was pushed back from the attack. It then opted to call upon a heavy rain storm in retaliation, blood red rain pouring over the area and soaking the young man as he soon noticed that the ledge was crumbling from erosion under his feet. Noticing the predicament, Yatagaryu flew down to the ground beside Julius and gestured at him to hop on its back, an offer he accepted with the Yatagaryu taking flight once more, seconds before the ledge collapsed into the ever-growing lake.

"Thanks for the save, pal!" Julius smiled at his companion, before getting himself back into the game. He knew that with the rain pouring as harshly as it is, it would enable the Gyarados to create massive tidal waves, a balanced strategy that blocks incoming attacks and deals massive damage to any unfortunate victim in its way. Still, the rain does provide an opportunity to end this fight once and for all. "Ok, I need you to use Thunder. If my calculations are correct, it should finish off this beast once and for all."

Yatagaryu turned its head in a puzzled manner, its expression inquiring why its trainer would put himself in such danger given how soaking wet he was. "Thanks for the concern, but I should be fine. Now use Thunder!" Julius called out.

Yatagaryu proceeded to charged up a ball of electricity and fire it into the darkened clouds, as the familiar sound of thunder rumbled in the sky. The Gyarados began charging up another beam, but was soon struck in the head by the halo of light, causing it to recoil in pain once more and cancelling its attack. A few seconds later, a massive bolt of lightning struck the Gyarados' head, the massive sea serpent letting out one of the most chilling, blood-curdling screams of all time. It soon collapsed into the lake, sending water all over the place as it soon dissipated into the pulsating sphere, small cracks forming on its surface. The cracks grew and grew until the covered the entire sphere, which promptly shattered into millions of tiny fragments.

"We…we did it. A team effort consisting of Melia, you and I." Julius panted in exhaustion, praising his trusted Pokémon as the spectral image of Melia appeared once more over the lake.

"I knew you could do it…" Melia smiled at him, the image soon disappearing from the area as Julius and Yatagaryu were enveloped in an orb of light and disappeared from the area as well. Upon returning to the normal world, he was shocked to discover that he was at and entirely different area of the forest, and noticed Melia clutching her Togekiss. She seemed to have escaped the clutches of that bastard Zetta after all.

"Thanks for the assistance Melia, we couldn't have done it without you." Julius praised his newest friend, recalling his Yatagaryu.

"Heehee, we work quite well together." Melia giggled lightly. "Zetta's pretty angry that his Gyarados got defeated and tried to turn it back into a rift to save it, but wasn't able to in time."

"That reminds me, I found this chip in that weird dimension. It contains information on something titled Code: Evo. Is that what that thing was? If so, why would Team Xen hide the information surrounding it in its domain?" Julius inquired, handing the chip over to Melia.

"I see…we better get this thing checked out at the lab. Happiness, channel Teleport with Alpha Metronome!" Melia unhanded her companion, with the Jubilee Pokemon's wings glowing, teleporting the trio away from the forest.

 **Gearen Laboratory**

The dynamic duo had arrived back at Gearen Laboratory, specifically in the upstairs foyer right outside Professor Jenner's office. Melia let out a sigh in relief over the success of Alpha Metronome, a move that she still doesn't have mastery over despite hours of practising with her trusted companion. Julius on the other hand, was lost in thought; a puzzled expression on his face which the young woman quickly noticed.

"Is everything alright? We made it out alive so there's no need to be upset over the incident." Melia inquired.

"Don't get me wrong, I am more than thankful that you saved me back there." Julius replied, turning his head to face her. "I'm just…bothered by something."

"Bothered, by what?" Melia pressed further.

"Don't you remember what those grunts with the Shadow Meowth said? That they were supposedly tipped off about your location and knew when to strike. I'm trying to figure out who tipped them off in the first place, someone working in the laboratory perhaps?" Julius recalled.

"That's absurd! Nobody working here would even consider doing such a thing!" Melia snapped at the young man, causing him to flinch as she soon realised her error. "S-Sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you, I just can't accept your theory."

"I-It's fine, I should've been a bit more considerate about it. I never meant to upset you" Julius apologised back. "Well if it wasn't anyone here who could've tipped you off, then who do you think it could be?"

"Gearen City, or at the very least East Gearen, has over 1.5 million people living here. There's a fair chance anyone of those people could've seen me hop aboard the train and notify that Zetta guy, though who exactly is a mystery to me." Melia suggested, as she just remembered something that was on her mind. "Oh yeah, I did have a few questions I wanted to ask my father. It's a good thing we're right by his office!"

"Questions, what kind of questions?" Julius inquired.

"Why would he want me to investigate Goldenwood Cave once more? I already explored that place a few weeks ago and found nothing." Melia answered, before brushing it aside. "That can wait though, we've got to notify him on what happened today before notifying the authorities. Mark my words, Team Xen won't get away with this."

The duo entered the lab and were making there way to Professor Jenner, when Melia stood still in her tracks, halting the young man in his tracks. "Shhh! Did you hear that? Someone's in here. We should hide for a bit." She whispered to him

Julius didn't even have time to ask why before Melia made her way to the wall by her dads office space, with Julius opting to go to the opposite end and mimic her actions, the duo leaning their heads slightly and saw Jenner pacing up and down the room, while a red-haired woman in a uniform eerily similar to the one the purple-haired lady that abducted Julius' mother, stared at him with an annoyed look in her piercing eyes.

"You know…I didn't appreciate you shutting the monitor off while I was still talking to you." The woman scolded the professor.

"What did you expect me to do?! They were right there watching us!" Jenner retorted, his face panic-stricken. "M-My cover could've been blown!"

"Not my concern; you're in a position where your cover could get blown at any day now, no thanks to your recklessness." The woman commented, crossing her arms.

"Why are you here anyway, Madelis?" Jenner inquired. "You've never popped in to check up on me before."

"I want confirmation regarding whether Melia has been sent to Goldenwood forest. We all know this plan can't go south; imagine how angry Madame X will be if she finds out the plan's been ruined." The now named Madelis answered, as shivers went down Jenner's spine. Julius turned briefly to see how Melia was doing, and noticed that she had gone completely silent, her face showing a mixture of betrayal, hurt, but mostly anger.

"I sent her there a while ago; Zetta should have her by now." Jenner replied offhandedly.

"She better damn well be; we didn't provide you with her as a baby all those years ago so you can grow attached to her. We only needed you to keep an eye on her." Madelis brought up his main objective.

"Yes…that's all it was…" Jenner replied, albeit hesitantly, something which Madelis picked up on.

"Your tone tells me otherwise. Has the old man grown soft overtime?" She mocked him, a smirk on her face, as Jenner remained as stone-faced as ever. "Oh boo, you're such a downer! I don't know why you're so upset; Melia will be gone and we'll be on our way. You'll have your life back, isn't that what you always wanted?"

Julius' face hardened with contempt; he had been played like a cheap violin by Jenner as he secretly worked for the people who kidnapped his mother. Worst of all was how he had raised Melia for Team Xen's benefit, only to throw her to the wolves as soon as they came knocking to his door.

"It's always been about you. Isn't it?" A familiar voice snapped the young man out of his daze, as he noticed Melia walking slowly towards her "father" and opted to stand by her side during this climactic moment. Both Madelis and Jenner were surprised to see the duo confront them in the office.

"M-Melia?!" Jenner exclaimed, a look of relief appearing on his face.

"Shut your mouth!" Melia snapped, pointing at him as he flinched in shock. "Don't you dare act like you're happy to see me! We heard every single word! I was just another assignment; I never mean anything to you!"

Julius took note of how Melia was acting; her fists were clenched tightly to her sides, her voice was drenched with venom and she was fighting back tears in her eyes.

"Melia, I-" Professor Jenner tried to defend himself.

"Save it! Your excuses won't save your sorry hide!" Julius interjected.

"Exactly, so you can put a sock in it, father." Melia added, adding some sarcastic emphasis on the last word. "My whole life was a lie! You're not my father, I don't know who my mother is. Tell me…tell me where my real family is!"

Madelis had regained her composure and glared daggers at Jenner. "You said you sent her to the forest!" she hissed viciously at him.

"He did send me there alright; we took care of Zetta and his Dimensional Rift, right partner?" Melia retorted coolly, exchanging glances with Julius.

"Yep. I took out his Dimensional Gyarados, and she trounced him in a Pokémon battle. You need to hire better admins, miss." Julius snidely told Madelis, who was seething at this point.

"So Julius was able to handle it after all…" Jenner muttered under his breath.

"You defeated Zetta?!" she demanded an answer, with the young adults nodding in confirmation. "I knew that idiot wasn't fit for the task…fine, I'll just have to do it myself."

"I'm done being tugged and pulled!" Melia declared, sending out her Togekiss. "Happiness, get Julius and I out of here!"

"Not a chance! Houndoom, snipe them!" Madelis declared, sending out her Houndoom which proceeded to use Flamethrower. The stream of flames struck the Jubilee Pokemon, catching it off guard as it and Melia soon vanished from the room, having teleported successfully. Julius was slightly concerned now that he was outnumbered, but at the very least Melia was safe now.

"N-No! This can't be…" Madelis exclaimed, a mixture of shock and anger in her voice as she recalled her Pokémon.

"Oh well then, I guess you have to come home to Madame X empty-handed…" Julius taunted.

"Bite your tongue!" Madelis snapped, her fingers texting a message to someone, a small ping emanating from her own CyberNav. "Perfect, Zetta's going to check Route 2 for Melia while I tackle the city."

"S-So what going to happen to me?" Jenner inquired.

"Oh, I'll be contacting you right after all this is done; we don't tolerate betrayal." Madelis told him, as she stormed right out of the room, but not before turning to face Julius. "As for you, you'll regret meddling in our affairs."

"Whatever, I'm not scared of you." Julius retorted, with the red-haired woman exiting the room, the young man turned to face the professor. "Well, care to explain yourself before I report you to the authorities?"

"I-I know what I did was wrong, which is why I sent you to look after her in the first place. Please, you must go to Route 2 and find her!" Jenner begged, clasping his hands firmly together.

"…I'm only doing this to keep her safe, not for whatever you want her for." Julius replied bluntly. The professor sighed, knowing that this was the best he was going to get, however a familiar yet enthusiastic voice echoed through the area.

"Professor, I'm done with my assignment!"

"…no, not now…" Jenner sighed in frustration as Ren entered the room.

"Hey, how's it—" Ren began, before noticing the serious expressions on the faces of both Julius and Jenner. The tension was so thick, that it could be cut with a knife. "W-Why's everyone so serious?"

"Long story short, Melia—" Julius began, before a sudden flash of light interrupted him, catching everyone present off guard.

"Oh, this just won't do…" a mysterious, feminine voice echoed through the room. "This is an absolute trainwreck, one that I have to fix."

"Who said that?!" Ren exclaimed, scanning the room frantically, before jumping back a bit as a Gothitelle teleported into the room, and gazed at the other three occupants.

"Before you assume anything, I am not the Gothitelle that you see before you. It's simply my trusted companion." The voice reassured them. "Jenner, you've been a naughty boy, so I'll have to put you in time out for a bit. Is that fine? It's fine for me."

"S-Show yourself!" Jenner demanded an answer, as he was soon enveloped in a light blue aura, courtesy of the Gothitelle. With a quick flick of its fingers, it teleported Jenner out of the room, though where to exactly is a mystery.

"Huh?! Where'd Jenner go?" Ren inquired, confused as to what he just saw.

"As for you two, the energetic boy, and the mysterious child. Should I take you away as well, or should I show mercy?" the voice contemplated, referring to Ren and Julius respectively. "Hmmm…I think mercy calls my name this time."

"Thanks, I guess." Julius replied, still confused as to what is happening right now.

"You, Julius was it? You mustn't involve yourself in this matter any further. Following Melia would only lead you on a path to despair." The voice told the young man, before the Gothitelle teleported out of the room, a second flash of light indicating that the voice was no longer there as well. The two young men didn't speak for a while, still trying to figure out what just happened.

"So do you have any idea what that whole thing was about?" Ren inquired.

"I don't know, what did she mean when she said following Melia would only lead us to despair?" Julius muttered, before remembering what he was going to say before. "Oh yeah, I need to tell you. Team Xen is after Melia; she's on Route 2 from what I've heard."

"Team Xen?! I've heard of them before, but they've never done anything major before." Ren replied. "If they're starting to act now, it can't be good."

"Exactly, which is why we need some additional firepower at our disposal. I'll inform Venam of the situation, while you begin searching there." Julius suggested.

"Sounds like a plan, I'll begin searching when I get there. Don't take too long!" Ren agreed to the idea, running outside the laboratory with Julius running shortly after him.

 **East Gearen Gym**

The massive building stood tall and proud in the city; a vivid purple to help it stand out from the sea of grey buildings around it. Julius didn't have the time to admire the architecture; he had to inform Venam of the situation right away. Thankfully, it seemed that Venam was checking a few of the machines in the lobby out, as Julius started to catch his breath after all the running he did, catching the young woman's attention.

"Hmmm? Oh, it's you Julius." Venam replied, turning away from the machine to face him. "Heh, didn't expect you to be so eager to fight me."

"Now's not the time for jokes; Melia's getting pursued by Team Xen, and we need your help. Ren's already in Route 2 searching for her." Julius panted, resting his hands on his knees.

"Thank goodness you told me right away; I'll do anything to help my best friend!" Venam replied, a determined look in her eyes.

"Let me help, I'm more than capable of assisting you." Julius chimed in, only for Venam to shake her head. "W-Why not?!"

"Route 2 is littered to rocky obstacles that need Rock Smash to be dealt with; you need at least one badge to be able to use the move outside of battle." Venam explained.

"I've got eight of them!" Julius retorted, attempting to bring out his old trainer card from Tandor, only for Venam to halt him in his tracks.

"I should specify; you need one badge from the Aevium league to use Rock Smash outside of battle." Venam explained.

"Damn! What do I do?! I really want to help Melia, but I can't clear the path without a badge!" Julius exclaimed, pacing up and down the room in an attempt to find a solution, until it dawned onto him. "Wait, you're a Gym Leader right? I could get a badge from you."

"True, but I can't just give it to you, what with Aevium League regulations and all." Venam replied, raising a hand to her chin. "In that case, I guess you'll have to fight me for the badge."

"I can work with that, but wouldn't that waste precious time?" Julius pressed further.

"Don't worry; as you just said, Ren's already out there doing some of the leg work for us. Once the battle's done, either of us can contact him to see if he's made any progress." Venam continued, before gesturing at the young man to follow her. "Come on, I'll give you a taste of what you can expect in the Aevium League."

Julius proceeded to follow her down the various hallways and corridors in the building, taking note of the various canisters in the facility. Perhaps these were some part of a puzzle that he would have to solve, were the situation a little less intense. A short while later, the duo arrived at what could be describes as a large wasteland encased inside the building. The area was incredibly dirty, with pools of swamp water and mud littering the place. The plant life was dead for the most part, with the exception of the poisonous plants that thrived in such harsh conditions. Julius was quite impressed at the level of detail that went into creating this arena.

"So what do you think? What lies before you are one of the infamous Special Fields that make Aevium and her sister region, Reborn popular amongst trainers." Venam proudly showed off the field, as she and Julius went on opposite ends of the arena.

"I've heard plenty of things about them; how they reward clever trainers for using them properly." Julius commented. "Before we begin, is there any special rules for a Gym Battle in Aevium?"

"A few actually; for one thing, Gym Leaders will use a full team of six Pokémon, even the first few leaders. No substitutions are allowed unless a Pokémon can no longer battle, with the exception of moves such as U-Turn and Baton Pass. Additionally, neither the challenger nor the leader can use items, except for any held items given to the Pokémon. Finally, and this is the big one, a Gym Leader gets to use different teams, depending on the skill level of their opponent. For instance, I'll use my weakest team against a newbie trainer, while in your case, I'll have to use my strongest team." Venam explained the rules. "Now then, are there any questions before we begin?"

"Nope, I'm all good." Julius replied, analysing the field as he began selecting his first Pokémon. From the look of the field, he figured that Poison type moves will gain a boost in power, and would deal decent damage despite the poor match up. He could start things off with a Ground type Pokémon, but something told him that it wouldn't be the best strategy to begin with. Either way, he had already made his choice on who his first Pokémon will be. "Alright, Vilucard, I choose you!" He called out, the vampiric bat making a stunning entrance before it was entranced by the toxic environment, taking the time to sniff all the flowers dotting the arena.

"Hey, I remember that little fella." Venam smiled, as she soon chose her first Pokémon. "In that case, I'll show you another familiar face. Trubbish, time to rock the halls!" she called out, throwing her Pokeball with the sentient rubbish bag waddling out of it and eyed up it's opponent, a smirk on its small face. It had already knocked its opponent out due to its repugnant smell, and was more than happy to repeat history. Julius raised an eyebrow in response, questioning why she would send out a newly caught Pokémon against an experienced Pokémon like his. Either she thought today would be a good day to train it, or she has a trick up her sleeve.

"Don't charge straight into battle; we've got to wait and see what it goes for first!" Julius notified Vilucard, who scrambled up a nearby tree and gazed at the small garbage bag, waiting for the right time to strike. Trubbish momentarily gazed at it's opponent before it spewed an onslaught of sharp purple spikes into the swampy ground surrounding the tree, creating a devious trap with relative ease.

"Congratulations, you just played yourself." Venam commented cheekily at the young man, confident that her plan would ends things in her favour. She had used Julius' weariness at charging head on into battle, and baited him into a trap that would hinder his chances at victory. Indeed, the young man was surprised at her cunning tactic, but it was a most pleasant one as he knew he would be in for a great fight.

"Not bad, but it'll take more than a few spikes to put me in a bind. Vilucard, strike the opponent from afar with Sludge Bomb!" Julius called out, as his companion hopped from branch to branch, firing a barrage of sludge at its enemy. Though it wouldn't be very effective, the difference in strength between the two Pokémon should still provide some damage output. And indeed, the Trubbish flinched as it was struck by the attack, but something wasn't right; it should've done a bit more than that. It was then that Julius noticed the small purple stone that it had tucked away in one of it's arms and realised why it took the attack as well as it did. "Eviolite, an interesting choice if I say so." He muttered under his breath.

"If you're done traipsing the trees like an acrobat, then I guess I have to kick things into gear. Use Dark Pulse!" Venam boldly declared, pointing a finger to the horizon as her Trubbish let out a loud, sickening burp and fired a blast of malicious aura at the vampire bat. It dodged the attack gracefully and started chuckling at the Trubbish's expense, only to clam up when it soon heard wood cracking underneath it's feet. It didn't even have a chance to move before the branch snapped, sending the Pokémon falling onto a patch of ground riddled with the toxic spikes, causing it to howl in pain as it hopped up onto its feet and brushed the spikes off its body. "And right into the trap." Venam smiled to herself.

"An impressive trap, but I've got my own trick up my sleeve. Vilucard, would you kindly use Zen Headbutt on the Trubbish?" Julius requested.

"Z-Zen Headbutt?!" Venam stuttered, as she witnessed her Trubbish get smacked by Vilucards head, the latter coated in a mystic aura of sorts. The small Pokémon was sent hurtling towards a rock, crashing into it and was knocked out from the attack, despite the defensive boost from the Eviolite.

"Now that's what you can expect from a trainer like me!" Julius pumped his fist in glee, as Venam recalled her fainted Pokémon.

"Pretty sweet, but it'll take more then that to win this match. Go, Nidoqueen!" Venam declared, sending out her next Pokémon, with the regal reptile making her entrance onto the field, unaffected by the toxic spikes her teammate had laid out. Almost immediately, she had gotten into by stomping harshly onto the ground, causing the ground to tremble and crack under her feet, before an eruption burst underneath Vilucard's feet, sending it up into the air. Nidoqueen then used the chance to charge up a Thunderbolt, launching it directly at the Vilucard and shocked the vampire bat. It soon fell onto the ground, knocked out from the dual-assault.

Julius was shocked at what he just witnessed; his Pokémon was effortlessly swept off its feet by a surprise combo. Consoling his injured Pokémon before recalling it, he reached for another Pokéball, and was confident that he can regain the advantage.

"Alright then, allow me to show you something out of this world. Go, Astronite!" Julius called out, as the cosmic being emerged from the Pokéball and began hovering on the spot, avoiding the toxic spikes from before. Venam was pleasantly surprised; her opponent had sent out a Pokémon that was safe from her Nidoqueen's Earth Power, preventing her from using her trusty combo. Regardless, she had seen it in battle before, and had anticipated it's debut in her battle against the young man, and had an ace up her sleeve. "Why don't we start thing off with Power Gem?" Julius inquired.

The Astronite focused on a sizable rock coated in moss and used its psychic power to lift it into the air, before crushing it with its mental might, coating the rocks with its psychic power. It then launched the barrage at Nidoqueen, the rocks hurtling towards her at meteor-like speeds. Nidoqueen's arms started to glow with a dark aura, as she started to bat away the incoming rocks. Though a few managed to strike her dead on, she was still able to deflect a majority of the rocks away. Julius raised an eyebrow at what he saw; using Throat Chop to deflect his attack was quite the cunning strategy, though by using it he now knew about it, preventing him from being surprised by it when he least expected.

"It'll take more then a few rocks to defeat my Nidoqueen." Venam taunted playfully. "Use Sludge Wave to send that intergalactic traveller packing!"

The regal Pokémon stomped on the ground once more, calling forth an imposing wave made up of dirty water, garbage and all sorts of other nasty stuff and directed it towards the Astronite. The Astronite responded by teleporting away from the attack, before firing a blast of psychic energy at the Nidoqueen in response, dealing a great amount of damage though it was mitigated slightly by the latter's Assault Vest. Astronite was about to use a follow-up attack, but was smacked hard by the Nidoqueen's Throat Chop and was pushed back several feet. Though it managed to withstand the attack, Julius knew that it wouldn't be able to take another one like it, which was why he had to act fast and act now.

"Alright Astronite, use Psychic one more time, with gusto!" Julius called out, his companion building up mental energy.

"Not on my watch, use Throat Chop!" Venam retorted, with her Nidoqueen charging towards her opponent, her arm cloaked in a shadowy aura. The latter was right up close to Astronite, when it fired its blast of psychic energy at her, forcing Nidoqueen to strike the incoming attack, creating an explosion that sent both Pokémon flying backwards to their trainers, the two of them both knocked out from the attack. Stunned at the explosive conclusion, both trainers comforted their Pokémon, recalling them to their Pokéballs before eying each other off as they reached for their third Pokémon. Both trainers were trying to read the other's face, predicting what their next choice will be. Within the blink of an eye, both trainers threw their Pokéballs onto the field and watched their next Pokémon stare the other down.

Venam opted to send out her Drapion, while Julius sent out a new Pokémon that she hasn't seen before. It was around 3 meters tall, had orangey-yellow fur covering its body which was similar to that of a giraffe, and had steel panels covering pars of its body, including a mantle on its head that had a long, metal whip dangling down from it. The new creature eyed up the imposing scorpion and let out a low, inquisitive growl.

"I figured a bulky Pokémon would put a dent in your offensive gameplan, and my Gararewl provides more than enough defensive power to block your onslaught." Julius smirked, his Gararewl surveying the area and even sniffing a few of the flowers near its feet. From the way it happily waltzed in the area, Venam figured that it was a Steel type, preventing her from using her potent Poison moves. However, her Drapion was more than capable of taking a couple hits, and she had a special trick to deal with bulky Steel types.

"A smart choice, but I figured that you'd send a Steel type out to ruin my party, much like a certain girl who I won't name…" Venam began, her face scrunching up in disgust upon mentioning this 'certain girl'. "But I've got the perfect trick to deal with Steel types; Earthquake, Drapion!"

The large scorpion leapt up into the air, using its pincers to boost itself, and slammed the ground harshly with its legs, creating a series of shockwaves that caused Gararewl to stagger in its place and lose balance. Though the field greatly lowered the damage output due to all the garbage littering the place, the attack still did it's job, as the Drapion charged towards it's foe, it's tail cloaked in dirty water, and struck Gararewl's head with an Aqua Tail, causing the giraffe to fall to the ground onto it's side. The Drapion moved in closer to claim its prey, but was kicked in the face, hissing in pain as it staggered back a few feet, enabling the giraffe to get back up on its feet. Gararewl lowered its head and proceeded to charged at the Drapion, striking it dead on before binding it up with its whip and slamming it onto the ground. As both combatants backed away briefly, Julius analysed the situation; though it seemed that they were equals, Gararewl was bulkier, but was slower than the speedy Drapion. It was a battle of attrition between the slow but powerful hits from Gararewl, and the speedy hits from Drapion, and the stakes were incredibly high.

"Not bad, but can it take a hit like this? Drapion, use Night Slash!" Venam called out, her Pokémon's claws coated in a dark aura as it scuttled towards its opponent and struck its side dead on, causing Gararewl to whinny in pain, the attack looking like it was a critical hit. As it stepped back a few feet, Julius knew he had to call for drastic measures if he was to win this battle.

"Guess it's time for the big guns; Head Smash, Gararewl!" Julius called out, with Gararewl kicking the ground with its foreleg several times, before lowering its head and charging as fast as it could possibly go. The Drapion stood its ground and raised its pincers to block the incoming attack, as the two creatures made contact. The scorpion was desperately trying to maintain its ground, but was sliding back bit by bit, before it gave in and was headbutted harshly, crashing into a nearby wall and slide down onto the floor, knocked out from the attack. Gararewl knelt in place and started panting lightly, exhausted from its battle; while Julius had won the battle between the bulky behemoths, he knew that whatever Venam sent out next would spell trouble for him. His hunch was proved right as Venam recalled her Drapion and sent out a Salazzle, the perfect counter for a Steel type Pokémon. Though he knew that this battle was lost, he figured that he should try and weaken it for his next Pokémon.

"Alright Gararewl, use Metal Whip to immobilize Salazzle!" Julius suggested, with his teammate using its long, slender whip to ensnare the opponent and squeeze it, causing the salamander to hiss in pain, all while retaining a mischievous smirk on her face. It then dawned on Julius just how foolish he had acted with Salazzle punishing him for it by firing an unavoidable Flamethrower at Gararewl, causing it to whinny loudly in pain as it soon slumped onto the ground and fainted, freeing the cunning reptile from its grasp. Julius recalled his Pokémon, apologising to it for leading it into such an obvious trap, with Venam noticing the frustration on his face.

"With how many times you've stumbled into my traps, it doesn't seem like your head's in the right place." She commented. "Look, I know you're concerned about Melia, but if you throw the match, then it's only going to make things worse in the long run."

"Y-You're right. I was so stressed out from the situation that I'm forgetting to think clearly. Thanks for clearing my mind." Julius smiled at her, reaching for his next Pokéball. "And what better way to thank you than stepping up my game with the perfect counter to your Salazzle? Go, Daikatuna!" He sent out his next Pokémon, as a rather large fish dove straight into the murky water and was swimming contently in it. It was a long, black fish with a grey under belly and two pairs of fins that acted as arms and legs. It had a short and stubby tail, and a long, steel horn on its head that resembled a katana. It eyed up the feminine lizard, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"Another Steel type? Whatever, nothing my Salazzle can't handle. Use Flamethrower, I'm having fish tonight!" Venam declared, her Salazzle firing another stream of fire at the swordfish, who dodged it easily and began leaping from pool to pool, circling the lizard at impressive speeds. It seems that Venam was now in a bind, having been caught off guard by just how quick the Daikatuna was; worst of all was the fact that it was using the environment to its advantage, a suitable strategy for trainers crafty enough to exploit the field terrain. In what could be described as a quick flash, Daikatuna lunged out of the water, its body cloaked in the dirty water and struck Salazzle dead on, causing the lizard to cry out in pain and was flung back a few feet, knocking the poor creature out. "I see…" was all she could say as she recalled her fainted Pokémon, though she had realised something. Given how fast and powerful it was, it could be deduced that its boons were to make up for its frail defences. All she needed was a Pokémon that could strike hard, and eat up a hit or two, and she had the perfect option.

"Vileplume, time to rock the battlefield!" Venam called out, the large sentient flower emerging from its Pokéball and let out a happy cheer to psyche itself up. "Use Sleep Powder over the entire area!"

The Vileplume squatted in place before stretching its body upwards, releasing a large cloud of vivid green spores from its massive flower that blanketed the entire area. What caught the young man off-guard however was that the smaller flowers littering the arena shot out their own cloud of spores, combining with the previous cloud to create a non-escapable hypnotic blanket of spores. The once vivid Daikatuna popped its head out of the water and began groggily making its way to the waters edge, where its upper body slumped onto the ground, the swordfish collapsing into the world of dreams. This was bad news as it provided a free attack to the Vileplume, and a free attack can make all the difference between victory and defeat.

"Perfect, I think it's time for a Petal Dance, don't you think?" Venam smirked confidently, her plan going off without much trouble. The Vileplume began twirling on the spot at incredible speeds for its species, creating a massive storm of sharp petals that scooped the slumbering fish up in its imposing maw. The Daikatuna cried out in pain as it was assaulted by petals from all sides in the petal storm. Around half a minute later, the Vileplume stopped its attack and started teetering on the spot, confused as a result of fatigue. The Daikatuna fell into one of the pools and started bobbing on the surface, knocked out from the powerful barrage.

"Nice tactic." Julius complimented his opponent, recalling his fainted Pokémon before settling for his ace in the hole. "Time for me to send out my ace Pokémon and score myself my first badge. Go, Yatagaryu!" the young man declared, sending out his strongest Pokémon, who cawed majestically as dark clouds brewed over the arena. Even the confident Venam couldn't help but shiver internally; Julius' other Pokémon were incredibly tough, but this thing was on an entirely different level altogether. Still, she wasn't going to back down from this fight, especially since she was close to victory.

"Vileplume, use Sleep Power again!" Venam called out, but her Vileplume was still staggering on the spot in confusion, the order falling on deaf ears.

"Time for you to have a taste of our power; Hurricane, Yatagaryu!" Julius retorted, with the Stormbringer Pokémon using its serpentine body to whip up an incredibly powerful gust of wind in the room, catching the Vileplume off guard and picked it up in the resulting windstorm. Venam watched in horror as her Vileplume was trapped in the hurricane, assaulted by the high-speed winds before being flung out of the storm and crash landed onto the ground. Though knocked out from the attack, there wasn't any serious damage to it, which was some relief for the experienced Gym Leader. "S-Sorry about that, I didn't anticipate it would do much damage." The young man apologised.

"No sweat, my Vileplume will recover after a nice rest." Venam replied, recalling her fainted Pokémon before selecting her last Pokémon. "You may have pushed me to the edge of defeat, but I will not fall before you. Go, Seviper!" The young woman sent out her ace Pokémon, the large serpent eying up the legendary dragon. Upon release, Seviper used a Haze attack, emitted a thick, billowing fog from its mouth that blanketed the field, with Yatagaryu taking flight so as to not get caught by surprise. The large dragon surveyed the ground below, waiting for the fog to dissipate so that it can strike its opponent the first chance it gets. However, it soon heard the tell-tale sounds of slithering on swampy terrain coming from several areas. It looked from side to side in order to locate the source of the noise, unaware that Seviper had slithered onto a tree behind it and coiled itself over a rather thick branch. It opened its mouth and spewed a barrage of noxious sludge at the dragon, catching it off guard and knocking it down from the sky.

The Yatagaryu quickly got back up and squawked at the serpent in anger, charging up its draconic energy before firing it in a beam towards the coiled serpent at incredible speeds. Seviper couldn't get out of the way in time and hissed in pain as the attack struck it head on, causing the branch to shatter and the snake to fall onto the swampy ground, where it promptly recovered. By now the haze had died down and the Yatagaryu took flight once more, with the Seviper attempting to knock it down with Sludge Bomb once again. However, this time the Yatagaryu knew what was coming and dodged the attack with each, before charging up electricity in its horns and firing it into the storm clouds above. The sound of thunder rumbling could be heard in the room, both trainers looking up to see what would happen. Then in a flash of light, a massive bolt of lightning struck the serpent, causing the Seviper to hiss loudly in pain, before slumping to the ground, knocked out from the attack. Though Venam was surprised at how powerful the attack had been, and expected her ace to have lasted a little longer, she was still immensely satisfied from the battle.

"I've heard plenty of good things about you when Amanda gave me the details surrounding you, but to see it firsthand doesn't do her words justice." Venam commented, a smile on her face as she recalled her Seviper. "Well done Julius, you've more than earnt the PoisonHeart Badge." The young woman walked up to him and handed him a badge in the shape of a purple heart that had a flair on each edge.

"Alright! Well done team, you've all earned yourself a nice break after this battle." Julius cheered, recalling his Yatagaryu. "So, does that mean I can use Rock Smash outside of battle?"

"Indeed." Venam replied. "However, I want to know if you really care for Melia; despite her strength, she still could use her help, and I'm not in the mood to deal with people pretending to care about her. So, Julius, do you actually care about her, or were you just thrown into a series of events that you weren't even a part of? You better tell me the truth…"

It took Julius a bit of time to come up with an answer; he didn't want to befriend someone else and have them suffer because of him, but he couldn't abandon someone while they were in great danger. "Though I've only known her for a few days, it seems that the two of us had already became fast friends. I will help her, no matter what I have to do." Julius answered, with Venam eying him up to determine the value of his answer. After a small while, a smile graced her face.

"It seems that you do care about her after all." Venam replied. "In that case, I'm more than happy to have you help me and Ren out. We got to let our Pokémon rest after that battle though; it was quite intense."

"Sounds like a plan." Julius agreed, with the two trainers exiting the room, unaware that they had been watched from the shadows. A teenage girl with light-brown skin, long black hair that was done up into two plaits, and wore an outfit that consisted of a long-sleeved, purple dress that reached the top of her knees, and a pair of matching purple shorts, had stepped onto the battlefield, an intrigued expression on her face. She had seen her fair share of trainers before, but this Julius guy was the most intriguing one yet. She knew that she had to battle him, and as luck would have it, she knew where he would be. The girl chuckled playfully to herself before disappearing from the arena and began planning her next move.

 **Sorry for the hiatus, but I was enjoying the latest episode of Rejuvenation, and oh boy was it amazing. Have a happy new year my fellow readers, and here's to another great year of amazing story telling. Catch you in the next chapter, everyone!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Welcome back to the next installment of Pokémon Rejuvenation: Rise from the Ashes. I hope you're excited to explore Route 2 with me, as I take you all on another amazing adventure, in this amazing fangame.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Aevium's Route 2 was quite the feast for the eyes; with the grass and trees there a vivid shade of pink due to the presence of the towering cherry blossom tree in the center of the route, which was a major draw for tourists exploring the region. The train from East Gearen had just arrived at the station and ground to a halt, with several passengers hopping off the train once the doors opened. Julius was amazed at what he saw and spent a bit of time gazing at the trees while waiting for Venam to join him.

"This place looks wonderful…" The young man commented to himself as Venam hopped off the train and joined him.

"Yeah, Melia and I like to hang out around here whenever we get some quite time. That said, we should focus on finding her." Venam reminded Julius about the main reason they were here to begin with.

"Agreed. But there seems to be a problem; which path do we take?" Julius replied, directing his gaze to the three-way fork in the path. "North, South, or East?"

"Well when Ren first informed me about what's happening to Melia, he told me that he went South to begin his search." Venam informed her friend, an idea formed in her mind. "In that case, I'll go East while you take the North path."

"Fine by me. So, what will we do in the event that one of us finds her?" Julius inquired.

"Simple; we inform the others and meet up by the train station. Ren told me that the two of you already have each other's numbers, so let's exchange ours to make things easier." Venam answered, as the two trainers began exchanging their number via their CyberNav. "Oh, and if you decide to be a smartass and try prank-calling me, I'll put a boot up your ass, got it?"

"Loud and clear." Julius replied, in a serious manner. Once that little bit of business was done, the duo opted to go their separate ways and began searching their designated areas. While Julius was walking down the dirt path and called out Melia's name at frequent intervals, he took occasional glances at the pink bushes littering the side of the road, only to get the shock of a lifetime as the voice of someone going "Hey, watch out!" echoed through the area, with someone bumped into him and knocking him onto the ground.

"Ahh…" Julius rubbed the dirt off his face, getting back up and noticed a girl with light brown skin, black hair, and a purple outfit was standing right where he had tripped and fell. "B-Be careful next time, ok?" He asked, with the girl giggling playfully and running off down the path. For some reason, he felt the urge to check his wallet, and was surprised to find that all his cash on hand was missing. While he could get some more from his savings account, that required heading back into the city, wasting precious time that could've been spent searching for Melia. He opted to priorities the more important matter at hand, the girl can keep whatever money she pilfered from him for all he cared.

He continued walking down the path, making sure to dodge whatever crumbling rocks he saw scattered on the road, though why they weren't cleared out was a mystery to the young man. However, his trip would come to a halt as he saw a bunch of rocks blocking a staircase to the next part of the route, with the thief standing behind them.

"Now isn't that just a shame? You can't get past these rocks, can ya?" the thief mocked playfully.

"Look, I have some important business to do on this route, I'll let you keep the money if you help me move these rocks aside." Julius offered, with the girl pondering the idea before shaking her head.

"Nah, that doesn't sound like fun. I'd rather play tag with ya; in that case, you better catch me while you can!" The girl retorted, running off while chuckling like a conniving prankster. Julius sighed to himself and sent out his Astronite, requesting it to crush the rocks with it's mental energy. The cosmic being was more than happy to obey the order, outstretching its right arms and used its mind to coat the rocks in a bluish aura, before closing its fist, causing the rocks to shatter into thousands of tiny pieces.

"Thanks for that." Julius thanked his companion and recalled it, before continuing up the stairs and onto the dirt path. A couple minutes later, he got his first glimpse at the Route 2 river, it's sparkling blue water radiating in the morning sun, but it was the out of place tree on the wooden bridge spanning the river that attracted his attention. Opting to investigate it, he gently poked its leaves, and was surprised to see it shake on the spot before moving down the path at surprisingly quick speeds. The young man booked it down the path and ended up at the clearing with the famous cherry blossom tree; which had several Aipom playing around on the branches while several people were resting on the nearby benches. It was there that he noticed the tree from before resting comfortably in a patch of dirt and went up to it, crouching beside it and started poking on the leaves once more.

"Nothing to see here, just an ordinary tree doing ordinary tree thing like photosynthesis." The 'tree' said, attempting to get the young man to leave. Julius was tempted to leave the girl to her own devices but opted to annoy her to get back at her for stealing from him. "Uhh…you can leave now." The tree told him.

"Awww, but I wanted to learn more from the Infamous Talking Tree of Route 2." Julius replied whimsically, poking the leaves once more.

"Don't tell me you're one of those people who have a special interest in trees…" The tree replied in a deadpanned manner, with Julius continuing to poke the leaves. "Goddamnit! I'm a goddamn tree for Christ's sake! Can you please stop touching me?!"

"Only if I get my money back." Julius requested. The tree let out a loud sigh, before a hand emerged from it and removed the disguise, with the girl from before being the culprit.

"Man, you're the persistent one, aren't you?" She commented, resting her hands on her hips.

"Well I'm satisfied now; keep the money, I've got more important business to do." Julius replied, turning around to continue his search only for the girl to start laughing like crazy. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, it's just that you're a riot. That whole 'not-caring' act you tried to pull was comedy gold!" The girl laughed, wiping a few tears away from her eyes. "The name's Nim; don't go forgetting it anytime soon."

"The name's Julius; I'd advise you to cut back on the acts of theft, not every trainer is as forgiving as I am." The young man introduced himself, with Nim chuckling once again.

"That's the joke; I never actually took your money. I just placed it in one of your jacket pockets, yet you were too busy to even check it." Nim giggled, as Julius began searching his pockets. True to her word, he found the missing money in one of the pockets and put it back into his wallet.

"Alright, I'll admit you got me." Julius conceded, putting his wallet away. "But why put yourself at such great risk for a few laughs?"

"To be brutally honest I'm intrigued by you, or your battling skills so to speak." Nim answered. "I saw your battle between you and Venam; gotta say, you really live up to your title as the Champion of Tandor. So, I concocted a plan to attract your attention and get a chance to battle you. Normally, a 'Hello, I'd like to battle you' would suffice, but I wanted to try something more interesting."

"If all you wanted was a battle, I'd be more than happy to provide you with one. However, now's not the right time to be honest. I'm searching for one of my friends." Julius replied.

"Don't worry, I can take us to a place where time won't pass a single second. It'll be the perfect place for us to battle." Nim proposed her idea, intriguing the young man. "So are you interested?"

"Well so long as it's a quick match, then I don't see the harm in a battle…" Julius agreed to the idea, with Nim clapping in joy.

"Hooray, this is gonna be so fun!" Nim smiled, as a purple aura surrounded her body. "Now hold on tight, this might be a bumpy ride." Julius didn't even have a chance to respond to her statement before the two trainers disappeared from the area.

 **?**

The duo had wound up in what appeared to be a battlefield at the bottom of a purple chasm, an indescribable aura emanating in the area. It was obvious to the young man that wherever he was, it definitely wasn't in Aevium. At the other end of the battlefield, Nim was panting in exhaustion, a few beads of sweat pouring down her smooth face. "N-Note to self, it takes twice as much energy to bring more than one person here."

"Are you going to be alright?" Julius inquired.

"I-I'll be fine, just need to catch my breath…" Nim replied, standing up straight a few seconds later. "I bet you're wondering what this place is; I like to call it the Altered Dimension."

"Hmmm, so you have the ability to warp to different dimensions using your mental energy? That's rather neat." Julius complimented the young lady.

"Thanks." Nim smiled, doing a little curtsy before the young man. "The Altered Dimension boosts the power of Psychic type moves, fitting considering that I train Psychic type Pokémon. Think of this as an opportunity to prepare yourself should you come across an unfavorable situation."

"I've dealt with unfavorable situations before; I eat those for breakfast." Julius quipped, causing Nim to chuckle heartily.

"Now that's the kind of talk I expected from a champion." Nim replied, unclipping a pair of Pokeballs from her belt and threw them onto the field. "Solrock, Lunatone. Let's show this guy who's the boss of this place!"

The young man saw the two meteorite Pokémon emerge from their balls and hovered on the spot, awaiting his first move. He figured that it would be smart to fight fire with fire and selected two of his Pokémon. "You're not the only one who uses Psychic type Pokémon in this dimension; Brainoar, Dramsama, time for a little game of wits." Julius smirked, sending out two Pokémon that Nim hasn't seen before, eliciting an amused smirk from her.

The Brainoar resembled a large white catfish, with a pink fin that spanned the creatures back, from the base of its neck, to the tip of its tail, as well as a pink mouth and whiskers. It also had a pair of stubby arms, which had pink fins on them as well. But the most striking feature was that its brain was visible from what looked like a protective glass dome on the catfish's head.

The Dramsama looked a lot like a cross between a swan and a parade float, with a thick red and white fur coat covering its body. It's head and neck were half black, and half white, and had a few multi-coloured feathers on top of its head, as well as a multitude of them creating a tail like that of a peacock. Dramsama had a sinister glint in its eye, as if planning something malicious, while the Brainoar had a laidback smile on its face.

' _Best thing to do would be to play it safe; who knows how powerful they are.'_ Nim thought to herself. "Alright then, Solrock, use Reflect! Lunatone, use Light Screen!"

The two meteorites focused all their mental energy to form two wonderous walls of light, one blue, the other light green. For some reason, they shone brighter than usual, but Julius figured it was an effect of the field in this dimension. "In that case, I'll have Brainoar use Surf, and Dramsama use Nasty Plot!" Julius countered, with the Masquerade Pokemon hopping onto the high ground to avoid it's ally's attack, and began concocting sinister plans for its opponents. Meanwhile, the Brainoar generated a large amount of water and flooded the battlefield with it, causing the two meteorite Pokémon to let out a low moan of pain as their bodies were assaulted by the vicious tide. Though the barriers mitigated a good portion of the attack, it still did a number on the two Pokémon, pushing Nim to try a desperate tactic.

"Solrock, Lunatone, use Rock Slide on Dramsama!" Nim called out, with the two Pokémon firing a beam of psychic energy at a rock overlooking the area, causing it to crumble and shower debris over the Dramsama, who used its body to protect its beloved plumage, squawking in pain as the rocks jabbed its delicate body. Once the rock shower has dissipated, it preened itself before glaring ominously at the two Pokémon and began charging a Shadow Ball, before hurling it at the Solrock, causing it to moan in pain as it was sent hurtling towards the back wall and proceeded to slide down it, fainted from the powerful attack.

"Hah, unfavorable situation my foot!" Julius smirked confidently, with Nim recalling her fainted Pokémon.

"Oh, this match is far from over. Inkay, time to take the stage!" Nim called out, the small squid Pokémon emerging from it's ball and floated next to Lunatone in a casual manner. "Now Inkay, use Swagger on that troublesome Dramsama!"

The small squid slowly floated towards its opponent and began squawking quietly at the Dramsama, perhaps a derisive comment towards its beloved plumage. Whatever the case, it infuriated the Masquerade Pokémon, as it tried to swat at the small Pokémon in a blind fury. The Inkay effortlessly dodged the incoming attacks and opting to go for Foul Play by grabbing the Dramsama's wing as it was about to attack, before using its power to flip the bird into the air and slamming it down onto the ground, knocking it out to Julius' surprise. Though he knew that Dramsama were especially weak to Dark type attacks, he thought it would've lived at least one attack.

' _Hmmm, guess I have to try something different.'_ Julius pondered to himself, recalling his fainted Pokémon and making his decision. "Alright, I choose you, Vilucard!" The young man called out, with the familiar vampire bat Pokémon making a grandiose appearance, eyeing up the arena with a sense of awe. Nim wasn't all that concerned, despite the type disadvantage she was at; she had a plan to deal with any irksome Dark type Pokémon.

"Alright; Lunatone, use Moonblast to teach that irksome bat a lesson!" Nim called out, with the lunar meteorite charging up fae energy to launch a decisive attack. However, it was struck with a blindingly quick punch, causing it to moan in pain as it was flung towards the wall and was knocked out from the impact. The young woman recalled her Pokémon and noticed that Vilucard was blowing some dust and debris off it's paws, before turning to her and smirked triumphantly, mighty pleased with it's masterful Sucker Punch. Nim didn't mind that she was down to her last two Pokémon; in fact, she was enjoying the thrill of the battle. "Meowstic, time for us to make a comeback!"

The psychic cat emerged from its ball and gazed at its opponents; its silky white and blue fur shining in the vivid environment. Julius had a hunch that it's in a completely different league than her other Pokémon. Regardless, he wasn't all that concerned and plotted his next move. "Brainoar, use Signal Beam! Vilucard, use Sludge Bomb on Meowstic!" The young man called out. The Brainoar generated energy in its done, firing the multicolor beam of light at the Inkay, striking the small squid directly, causing it to cry in pain as it faltered to the floor and fainted from the powerful attack. However, the Meowstic was expertly dodging the incoming barrage of noxious garbage, retaliating with a powerful Thunderbolt that struck both of its enemy. Though Vilucard managed to shake the attack off, Brainoar was shivering on the spot, its body temporarily paralyzed as small crackles of electricity crawled all over its body.

"That ought to even the odds a little bit." Nim smiled, with Julius recalling his injured Brainoar, forfeiting the right to send out another Pokémon. "Meowstic, use your own Signal Beam on Vilucard!"

"Counter it with Sludge Bomb!" Julius retorted, with the two Pokémon launching their powerful attacks at each other, colliding together mid-air. At first, both attacks were evenly matched, however Vilucard managed to gain the edge and struck Meowstic directly, the cat crying out in pain as it was sent flying back a few feet, crashing on the ground as it struggled to get up. Realizing that it clearly was in no shape to continue the fight, Nim resigned the battle and recalled her Pokemon.

"Amazing, simply amazing. That battle was quite the inspiration." Nim complimented the young man, his companion incredibly happy over its victory.

"Thanks. Sorry if it seemed like I was in a rush, but I've got an important task at hand." Julius replied, recalling his Pokémon.

"Well since you won fair and square, I'll return you to the entrance of the cave. Both you and your Pokémon should feel refreshed when you get back; a special perk this dimension has." Nim smiled, as she began charging up her psychic energy. "I hope that I can have a rematch with you some day!"

"Sure thing. Just don't go tampering with my wallet next time." Julius quipped, the young surrounded by a mystic aura. He soon disappeared from the dimension, but not before hearing Nim say "Remember…I'll be watching you…"

 **0000**

The young man wound up at the cave entrance, right where he was before getting warped to the Altered Dimension. Recalling what Nim had said earlier, he scanned his Pokéballs with his Pokédex and true to her word, all his Pokémon were refreshed. The young man took one last look to his sides, before proceeding to enter the massive cave.

 **Amethyst Cave**

As the name suggested, the cave was absolutely littered with amethyst crystals, some as large as the young man's head. There were mine tracks placed all over the floor, branching off into three different directions, with mine carts full of crystals lying still on the tracks. What caught his attention was the fact that Ren and Venam were waiting patiently in the cave room, with Julius calling out to them.

"S-Sorry I'm late, I got lost while searching my designated area." He explained his situation, hoping that they would accept it.

"Eh, it's fine. At the very least you can help us search this cave." Ren replied.

"In that case, which direction should each of us search? It could take us hours to fully search the area." Julius inquired, with Venam coming up with a plan of attack.

"Well the exit to the north leads to Sheridan Village, which makes it the most logical choice to pick. However, it's possible that she predicted that Team Xen would go that way and hide deeper in the cave." Venam listed off the potential options, before making a decision. "We'll go down the northern path, and search Sheridan Village for her—"

"She didn't go this way…" a cold, chilling voice spoke softly, as a man in a black hooded robe walked down the bridge and towards the trio. Warning bells immediately went off in their minds, their hands reaching for their Pokéballs.

"And how the hell do you know that?!" Venam demanded an answer, her hand clenched tightly on her Pokéball. "Furthermore, who are you?"

"It doesn't matter who I am…" The man replied bluntly. "What matters is that she didn't go this way. That's it."

"Oh yeah, and why exactly wouldn't she go down this way?" Ren pressed the man further, who sighed deeply in response.

"You've never experienced true fear, have you?" The man asked Ren, a bamboozled look appearing on the young man's face. "If any of you have experienced true fear, then you'll understand why she made the wrong turn."

"As someone who has experienced true fear, I get what he's saying…" Julius spoke up, attracting the attention of both Venam and Ren. "When someone is afraid, and I mean in a total state of fear, your mind doesn't take the time to consider all available options, opting to go for the quickest or easiest option in the hopes that it escapes whatever danger is pursuing it."

"Exactly." The hooded man replied. "Fear blinds the mind; cripples your intellect. When you succumb to the grasp of fear, you make choices that you wouldn't normally make, resulting in her taking the wrong turn."

"Damn it!" Venam snapped, kicking a small rock down a darkened corridor. "What the hell do we do now?!"

"As much as I don't want to trust this guy, I say we listen to him and go east." Ren suggested. "After all, if Melia did go north, then she'd end up in Sheridan Village. She'd be safe there since there's a Gym Leader there."

"Yeah, there's that Sensei dude or whatever his name is…" Venam chimed in, catching on to what Ren's saying.

"Exactly. If we went there and Melia did in fact take a wrong turn, not only would we have wasted precious time, but she'll get cornered and captured by Team Xen." Ren continued.

"Furthermore, how do we know that Team Xen hasn't anticipated her movements and planned to ambush her when she arrives in Sheridan Village. After all, that admin of there's has plenty of time to organize an ambush while searching the city." Julius supported his friend's argument.

"Hey yeah, that does sound like something they would pull." Venam came around to support the argument. "In that case we should search east then."

"Heh, smart children." The hooded man chuckled dryly. "You've all got your mind in the right place…" The man then took his leave, the three teenagers left with several questions in their mind. Who was he? How does he know Melia made the wrong turn? Can he be trusted? Whatever the case, the trio knew where they had to go and made the trek east.

"Hey, Julius." Venam asked, attracting the young man's attention. "You said that you experienced true fear; so when did it happen?"

"…I'd rather not say." He muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets and walking at a faster rate than before. Venam turned to Ren, hoping that his closest friend would offer an explanation, but even he was at a complete loss.

"Whatever it was that happened, it must've happened when he wasn't in Aevium." Ren proposed. "Perhaps when he encountered that CURIE lady for the first time while he was in Tandor."

"Could be the case. Or he could've visited another region after winning the Tandor League, and experienced something so traumatic, that he chooses to keep it to himself, and could explain some of his odd quirks." Venam replied, before shaking the thought out of her mind. "Whatever the case, we better get a move on and search for Melia."

"Right away!" Ren declared, the two teens running through the cave to catch up to their friend. Though it took a while, they eventually caught up with Julius, who was quietly gazing at the ceiling for some odd reason.

"There you are! What was that all—" Venam began speaking to the young man, who hadn't budged an inch from where he was standing." What are you looking at exactly?"

The young man was snapped out of his daze and turned to face the two trainers. "You've been here before, right?" Julius asked Venam, who nodded quietly at his question. "During your previous trips here, did you happen to see any Joltik scurrying up the walls?"

"No, this place hasn't got enough charged up electricity to draw them in." Venam answered, her gaze looking up at the ceiling and saw what Julius must've seen on the ceiling. There were dozens upon dozens of Joltik clinging on the rocky wall, using their mandibles to dig through the rock surface in order to find electricity to feed on. "What the—why are they here?!"

"Someone has to have planted them here; no way would they voluntarily go to a place that doesn't have much electricity to feed on." Ren deduced, as another question formed in his mind. "But who would do such a thing, and why?" He began pondering, before the sound of rock crunching under a boot alerted the trainers. They turned around and spotted a Team Xen grunt, a small smirk on her face.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we've got a couple of kids snooping around where they shouldn't be." The grunt sneered at the trainers.

"You!" Venam hissed in anger, pointing at the grunt. "You will not touch so much as a single hair on Melia so long as we're around!"

"Yeah, so take a hike and we'll leave you alone!" Ren added, causing the grunt to chuckle heartily.

"Hah! You really expect me to run away just because a few uppity brats told me to?" The grunt retorted, unclipping a Pokéball from her belt and throwing it to the ground. "Perhaps I should give you all a taste of my Shadow Vanillite!"

"S-Shadow Vanillite?!" Venam and Ren exclaimed, as the small ice-cream cone emerged from its Pokéball and snarled at the trio. Julius tried to reach for his Snag Machine, before mentally cursing to himself upon recalling how he gave it back to Melia before the whole thing with the Dimensional Rift.

"Melia and I have fought Shadow Pokémon back in Goldenwood Forest; trust me, they're no joke." Julius warned the duo.

"In that case, it'll be the perfect chance to show you two how much I've grown. Frogadier, let's settle this as quickly as possible!" Ren stepped up to the challenge, sending out his starter Pokémon to deal with the threat. The Frogadier gazed at the ice-cream cone and had already figured out a plan of attack. "Heh, that's just what I was about to suggest. Use Water Pulse!"

The nimble frog created a pulsing orb of water in its hand, throwing it at the Vanillite at blindingly quick speeds. The Shadow Pokémon hissed in pain as it was pushed back by the attack, before it began emitting a shadowy wave that sent chills down everyone's spines, most notably Frogadier's. The Vanillite used this opportunity to lunge at the unnerved frog and smashed into it with its small body, causing Frogadier to stagger back a few feet.

"Perfect…now Frogadier, throw that Vanilite with Fling!" Ren called out, with his starter perfectly obeying the command. It grabbed the ice-cream cone, which started snarling at its opponent viciously, before mustering up all its strength and threw it directly at the grunt. The attack had caught her off guard, preventing her from moving out of the way before being struck in the head by her Pokemon. Both the Shadow Vanillite and its trainer were knocked out from the attack and collapsed to the floor. The trio took this opportunity to run away from the grunt, deeper into the cave. Eventually they made it to what looked like another fork in the path.

"Now which way do we go; further down the path or over the bridge?" Venam inquired, the sounds of footsteps rushing to their location echoing throughout the cave. From the sounds of it, the grunt must've alerted her teammates before the battle, and are now in hot pursuit of the ones responsible for knocking her out. It was then that Julius peered down at the ground below the bridge and saw what looked like a small yellow thing below but couldn't get a clear view of it due to the distance between them.

"Hey guys, there's something down there." The young man called out to the duo. "Don't know what it is exactly, but it appears to be yellow—"

"T-That has to be Melia's hair!" Venam called out, a wave of relief coursing through her body. "C-Come on everyone, time to get a move on!" she called out, making a mad dash over the ravine, with the two boys following her as fast as they can. What followed was 30 minutes of non-stop running, ducking and weaving through various twists and turns while avoiding any stray rocks in the path. Though they slowed down just a bit when walking down the incline leading to the bottom floor, they didn't stop to take even a 5 second break, fearing that it would be the difference between life and death. Eventually they made it to the largest chamber in the room, which had Joltik and Galvantula. The trio had spotted the blonde-haired figure that Julius first pointed out, only for the young man in question to frown upon seeing who it really was.

"Zetta…" Julius commented darkly, the Xen admin turning around and noticing the familiar face of his adversary.

"Hah, so you finally caught up to me. You're Julius, right? That trainer who followed Melia like an obedient dog?" The blonde man replied dryly, crossing his arms. "You caused a lot of damage, young man. A lot of damage."

"The only one who's caused any sort of damage is you, you slime ball!" Ren retorted, pointing at the older man who merely chuckled in response.

"You certainly crossed a line by trying to kidnap Melia; I don't tend to show mercy to anyone who intends to harm her, even if they may be the boss of Team Xen." Venam declared.

"The boss…?" Zetta repeated, an amused smirk on his face. "I'm far from being the head honcho. Far, far from that."

"Then you're just a waste of our damn time! Tell me where Melia is, this instant!" Venam demanded, anger seeping into her tone.

"Oh, he better, or else I'll make his time here incredibly miserable. It's not something that I want to do, but desperate times call for desperate measures." Julius added, reaching into his bag to search for a certain Pokéball. However, Zetta started laughing, outstretching his arms in the air, but it wasn't a normal laugh, nor was it an evil one. It had an undertone of…anger in it.

"I know where Melia is…" Zetta began, his face furrowed into a frown. "Melia, is dead." This revelation had sent chills down the trio's spine, mainly from just how coldly he said that last part.

"B-Bullshit! Melia can't be dead. You're lying through your teeth!" Ren snapped, clenching his fist tightly. "If this is some sick joke of yours, I'll knock the teeth out of your skull!"

"You think I'm joking?!" Zetta roared, startling the young man. The older man has a mask of rage plastered on his face, his breathing was ragged and sweat was dripping down his forehead. Within an instant, he retrieved something from his coat and slammed it down on the ground before his feet with such forced that it created a small dust cloud "Here's your damn proof that she's dead!"

The trio lowered their gaze, before gasping at what they saw. It was a yellow messenger bag, with the strap severed at the middle. The entire thing was coated in what was undoubtedly somebody's blood, the amount indicating that it was a somewhat serious wound. But the one thing which made the trio recoil in horror was the Togepi key ring that was on the zipper, something which Melia had placed over the zipper a few weeks ago.

"No…t-this can't be true…" Ren tried to deny the proof right before is eyes. Venam had a horrified look of despair mask her face, while Julius was solemnly silent, unsure on what to say. Sure, he can't say with certainty that she was dead, but the evidence was pretty damning.

"Oh, there's no mistake. No mistake at all…everything is fucked, fucked I tell you!" Zetta started ranting to himself, kicking small rocks all over the place. "Everything that existed to be Melia is gone, gone in the blink of a fucking eye!"

It was at this point that the initial shock was replaced with an agonizing wave of grief and despair. Ren cursed under his breath and punched a nearby wall, scraping his knuckles on the rocky surface, as fresh blood oozed slowly out of the new wound. Venam had fell to her knees and let out an agonized scream, before proceeding to bawl loudly while cradling herself with her arms. Julius was still as silent as a ghost, looking down at the bag with his mind filtering out all other noises, a wave of self-loathing creeping through his body. He blamed himself for not getting her in time, he blamed himself for not capturing Zetta during the first time they met, but most of all he blamed himself for befriending Melia in the first place. He knew that if he had never met her in the first place, none of this would've happened; Team Xen wouldn't have pursued her, and she would have been safe and happy with her true friends. Of course, it wasn't a rational thought to begin with, but it seemed like whenever he would make a new friend, they were cursed to die in some inhumane manner, starting of course, with the friends he made back in the Ayrith region. His state of pity was soon shattered by the continue rantings of Zetta, who had began pacing back and forth in a complete frenzy.

"There we so many things we needed her for—things I needed her for. And all of that has been ruined because that bastard Julius meddled in an affair that he had no business being a part of in the first place!" Zetta continued to rant, with Julius muttering something under his breath. "Hmmm, what was that you were saying?!" The older man inquired, leaning in slightly towards the young man.

"I said, fuck you, you bastard!" Julius snapped, glaring at the Xen admin. "Look, I know I'm to blame for all this; what with befriending Melia and making her a victim of whatever godforsaken curse has plagued me. But to whine and complain about needing her for whatever plans you have in stock for her is downright sickening!"

"Hah, so you admit that you're at fault here—" Zetta began.

"Cut the crap! Don't you dare blame Julius for this…" Venam snapped, getting up off the ground and glaring daggers at the older man. "If you hadn't of chased her here to begin with, none of this would've happened in the first place."

"Besides, we were too slow to get here, so if anything, we're all to blame." Ren chimed in, glaring daggers at Zetta was well. Julius couldn't understand why they would willingly defend him, despite his crimes. Though he hated to admit it, he was touched by their unfitting loyalty.

"No…you weren't late. As a matter of fact, you're just in time." Zetta grinned dangerously, clicking his fingers in the air. Before they knew it, a large black and purple sphere hovered in the air behind Zetta, with Julius immediately recognizing what it was.

"You have another Dimensional Rift this whole time?" The young man asked.

"Yep." Zetta replied bluntly. "I was saving this one for a special occasion, but considering how much of a pest you are, I guess I had to break out the big guns. Oh well, at least I get to dish out the same amount of pain that you inflicted onto Team Xen."

"Not before we inflict the same amount of pain you gave to Melia!" Ren called out, as he, Venam and Julius all reached for a Pokéball each.

"Fine then, if it's a battle you want, I'll take you three on at the same time!" Zetta scoffed, selecting three of his own Pokémon. The Pokéballs landed on the ground, with a Sneasel, Type: Null and an Absol emerging from the balls. Though the three Pokémon looked incredibly tough, the heroes weren't afraid of them whatsoever.

"Here's the plan; I'll deal with the Absol, Ren deals with the Sneasel, which leaves Julius with the Type: Null." Venam whispered to the two men. "Any objections?"

"None on my part." Ren said, sending out his Frogadier for battle. Venam opted to go for her trusty Sevpier, the imposing serpent coiling on the ground and hissing at the enemy Pokémon.

"Zetta, you will feel the icy sting of retribution today, and I have just the Pokémon for the job. Go, Frosthra!" Julius declared, throwing his Pokéball to the ground, as a rather large Pokémon emerged from it. It was an extraordinarily beautiful specimen, with crystal-blue coloured wings, a snowy white body that was coated in a soft and fuzzy fur, its underside covered in blue fur. It had six legs that had tufts of white fur, as well as blue eyes and a pair of royal blue horns that rested above the eyes and curved downwards. Both Ren and Venam gazed at the creature in awe, the majestic moth radiating its impressive power with every wingbeat.

"So Zetta, you still think you can beat us?" Venam taunted, leaning in slightly towards the agitated man.

"Oh, I know I can crush you effortlessly! Sneasel, use Slash on the frog. Absol, use Bite on the snake. And I'll have my Type: Null use Crush Claw on that bug!" Zetta ordered, with his Pokémon charging into battle. The Sneasel lunged at the Frogadier, swiping its sharp claws at the nimble amphibian. Frogadier staggered back a few feet, its arms covered in scratch marks that ran up its slender arms and retaliated with a swift Pound to the Sneasel's head. The bipedal weasel winced in pain, rubbing his head as the Frogadier emitted a blanket of smoke from its mouth, causing the Sneasel to start coughing lightly. It started scanning the area for the enemy Pokémon, its eyes more than capable of seeing through the smoke. However, the Frogadier was able to sneak behind it while it was coughing, and fired a powerful Water Pulse at it, sending it flying into the rocky wall, where it slid down onto the ground and was knocked out from the surprise attack.

Meanwhile, the Absol had lunged at Seviper and bit down on the serpent's tail, causing it to hiss in pain as it started waving its tail in the air at frantic speeds to shake it off its tail. It managed to succeed as the Absol was thrown onto the ground, before managing to get up and attempted to slash the serpent with its sharp horn. However, Seviper was able to dodge the incoming attack and bit down hard on the Absol's flank, a purple hue coating the snake's sharp fangs. The Absol cried out in pain as Seviper's venom started coursing through its bloodstream, with the small, sphinx-like creature kneeling on the ground, giving the Seviper an ample opportunity to strike it with its tail, sending it flying to the same wall that the Sneasel was flung towards, with the two Pokémon crashing into each other. Venam and Ren hi-fived each other over their victory, and eagerly waited for Julius to come out on top.

"Use Quiver Dance to dodge the incoming attack!" Julius suggested, with the large moth flapping its wings and swaying side-to-side, as it was performing for a prospective mate. It effortlessly dodged the Type: Null's attack, and had bolstered its mind and body for the upcoming duel. Frosthra then proceeded to flay its wings, generating a sizable amount of extremely cold energy, before firing a beam of the frozen energy at the Type: Null, causing the chimera to groan in pain as it was soon encased in a block of ice, unable to break free from the icy grasp. Zetta was both shocked and outraged that he had lost so easily and recalled all three of his Pokémon.

"You brats don't know when to quit!" He snarled, before he started chuckling lowly to himself. "Oh well, that means I get to dispose of you another way."

"Please, I dealt with your last Dimensional Rift. Why don't you spare yourself the humiliation and turn yourself in?" Julius suggested, as Zetta chuckled louder in response.

"Turn myself in, when I still have a Dimensional Rift at my disposal? Not a chance!" Zetta sneered, outstretching his arm. "Dimensional Rift, send these interlopers to the bowels of your realm!"

The large sphere began pulsating violently, as it generated a powerful vortex and began sucking up the young trainers. Thought they made a valiant attempt to escape its clutches, they were swept off their feet and were sucked into who knows where, with Zetta smirking triumphantly over his victory.

 **Dimensional Rift**

The trio had arrived in what looked like a cave with muddy brown rock walls, and blood red crystals littered all over the place. The area was deathly silent, as if sound itself ceased to exist in this realm. "Ugh…where are we?" Venam inquired, wearily getting up off the dirt floor while rubbing her head."

"We're inside the Dimensional Rift. I should know since I've been there before, or at the very least a different version." Julius replied, helping Ren get up off the ground.

"So how do we get out of here then? I don't plan on spending the rest of my time here." Ren asked, looking around the place for a possible exit as Julius raised a hand to his chin.

"If this realm works like the last one, we will need to defeat the Dimensional Pokémon that dwells here. However, that's easier said than done; whatever's in the air here bolsters its power greatly." Julius answered, as his gaze had locked on to something. "Hmmm, is that a…"

"A Joltik? It sure as hell doesn't look like any Joltik I've seen before." Venam chimed in, her gaze locked onto the gray Joltik clinging onto a stray steel beam. Ren mustered up the courage, and went to take a closer look, but as soon as the tips of his fingers touched the critter, it suddenly disappeared in a flash of light.

"Woah!" Ren gasped, stepping back a few feet.

"Where'd it go?!" Venam wanted an answer, her mind rattled by what she just saw.

"I-I don't know!" Ren replied, before shaking his head to get back on track. "Ah, what does it matter? We better find a way out of here as soon as possible."

"I'm with you there." Venam replied, as the duo walked further into the cave. Julius was about to follow them, when he noticed something sparkling on a rock near the steel beam. Crouching down to investigate it, he picked it up and saw that it was a small data chip, just like the one in the previous realm. Inserting it into his CyberNav, he was able to download the file stored on the chip, a date file titled Code: Materna. Pocketing the chip, he quickly made his way to the others and noticed that they were looking at a small patch of grey grass, where several Joltik were playing with each other. They were about to step closer to the Joltik, when the room started shaking violently, the trainers bracing themselves for what's about to come.

"Hold on tight, it's coming!" Julius warned his friends, as the large sphere appeared on the cliff over looking the grassy patch, and a colossal black and red Galvantula emerged from the sphere. It had an agitated look on its face, directed at the trainers for what it assumed was attempting to harm her children, with the Joltik scurrying back into the safety of their burrow.

"Gahh!" Venam cried out in fear. "T-That thing is colossal!"

"How on earth are we supposed to defeat that thing?!" Ren exclaimed.

"It's obvious that we can't handle it on our own; we have to work together to defeat it, or at the very least, put it out of its misery." Julius suggested. "Look, I know that I'm not worthy of your kindness, but if you help me out this one last time, I will greatly appreciate it."

"Not a problem! We're a team and a team always works together." Venam agreed, taking her Seviper's Pokéball and throwing it to the ground, with the serpent emerging from it once more.

"Yeah, we're getting out of here together, no matter what they throw at us." Ren added, sending out his trusty Frogadier. Julius gave them a small smile, before retrieving his Frosthra's Pokéball and sending it out, the majestic moth fluttering in the air. The Dimensional Galvantula eyed up its opponents, contemplating on what move to go for, before opting to fire a string of electrical webbing at Frogadier to ensnare the amphibian. The frog managed to dodge the incoming attack, leaping into the air and fired a Water Pulse at the massive spider. Galvantula was able to dodge the attack by crouching under it, chittering at the Frogadier, perhaps as a form of mockery. But it soon paid the price for its arrogance, as it soon felt a chill in its legs, turning its head and witnessed Frosthra using Ice Beam to freeze its legs in place, giving Seviper ample opportunity to hurl a barrage of sludge at the spider, causing the critter to screech in pain as it thrashed its body in an attempt to break free from its icy prison.

"Alright! That's the spirit!" Venam cheered, pumping her fist in the air. "Let's keep the momentum going!"

The Galvantula narrowed its eyes and attempted to strike its foes with Signal Beam, charging up its sinister energy and firing it at the three Pokémon. Frosthra used its body to shield its companions from the attack, crying out in pain as the beam struck its fuzzy back. However, it was able to endure the attack, thanks to its impressive special bulk. The three Pokémon figured that a combo-attack would be the best way to deal with their foe and concocted a plan with each other. After they had came to an agreement, both the Frogadier and the Seviper began charging up their Water Pulse and Sludge Bomb respectively, before proceeding to fire them at the Galvantula, with Frosthra using Hurricane to fuse the attacks and create a dark purple gust of wind packed with power. The Galvantula was unable to get out of the way, its feet still submerged in the icy prison; it was soon struck by the powerful gust of wind, causing it to screech loudly in pain, before slumping down on the ground, unable to continue battling.

"Now that's a wrap!" Ren flash a toothy grin, clicking his fingers in the air with Julius and Venam breathing a sigh of relief, as all three trainers recalled their Pokémon, thanking them for their hard work. The Galvantula raised its head and glared at the three trainers, at it prepare to use the last of its energy to destroy its enemies, when a mysterious voice called out to it.

"Galvantula, I understand your anger. However, it is time to rest. Once and for all…" the voice called out to it, with the anger subsiding from the spider. Its body soon started to fade from the cave, but not before giving a look to the three trainers, one that looked like it was finally at peace. All three trainers had a look of confusion on their faces, especially the two boys; they could've sworn they had heard that voice before. However, they were soon caught off guard by the area shaking violently, before disappearing in a flash of light.

 **Amethyst Cave**

The three trainers had arrived back at where they were before, with Zetta glaring daggers at them. "You've got to be kidding me…how do my Dimensional Pokémon keep losing?!" He ranted, punching the rocky wall beside him.

"Teamwork; when we work together, we're unstoppable." Julius smirked dangerously at the villainous man. "It's over chump. You've lost not one, but two rifts. You could've saved yourself the humiliation, but you had to be an arrogant fool."

"I'll make sure that you rue the day you led Melia to her death!" Venam added, her body eager to dish out a side-order of vengeance.

"Oh, shut your mouth!" Zetta snapped, pointing dangerously at them. "I don't know how I keep losing to punks like you, but I'll make sure that you three die in this godforsaken place!"

*sigh* "That's enough, Zetta. You can stop talking now." The voice from before sighed in contempt, as a look of surprise appeared on the blond man's face. Suddenly, a Gothitelle and what everyone assumed was her trainer appeared in the room. The trainer was quite the elegant lady, with wavy long black hair and bright green eyes. She wore a long-sleeved black shirt and a long, billowing, black skirt, with both articles of clothing decorated with various white ribbons, giving her an appearance like that of her trusted partner. Though the three trainers knew next to nothing about her, they knew she carried an elegant, but deadly demeanour.

"Y-You—" Ren started speaking but wasn't able to finish his sentence.

"Who the hell are you? You're interrupting important business!" Zetta demanded an answer, with the mysterious newcomer chuckling haughtily to herself.

"Your business is far less important than the pride I sacrificed to grace you all with my presence. Nevertheless, I am Crescent." The woman introduced herself. "I like the name Crescent; it's a beautiful name and holds great importance to me. That aside, there's an uncontrolled animal that needs to be caged."

Both her and the Gothitelle moved closer to Zetta, a look of fear growing on his face. "S-Stay away from me you…you…" He started calling out, yet it fell on deaf ears.

"You know, I've grown bored of your voice. As far as I know, you're the only one who can create those Rifts. So, I think it's about time I silenced you." Crescent retorted, as she and her Gothitelle used their mental energy to envelop Zetta in a blue aura, a look of fear plastered on the mans face. "Oh, what's the matter? Are you feeling fear? Don't you know that's what feeds monsters like me? You aren't so tough now that you're in a losing position, though that can be said for most people. Overall, you're a pathetic excuse of a person, if you can even be called one." She taunted the frightened man.

"N-No! Get away from me!" Zetta cried out, thrashing against the oppressive aura to no avail. Soon enough, he disappeared from the area, leaving the three witnesses with more questions than answers.

"…What did you do with Zetta?" Venam asked the strange woman.

"That's inconsequential." Crescent brushed the question aside, directing her gaze to Julius and Ren. "You two, I told you back at the lab that this path would only lead to despair, yet you ignored my advice for some reason."

"I—we couldn't stand by and leave Melia to fend for herself against Team Xen." Julius attempted to justify his decision.

"Yeah, we chose to act upon them in a way we saw fit." Ren added, supporting his friend's choice.

"Yet all it amounted to was blood on your hands. Blood that won't come off no matter how hard you scrub." Crescent replied coldly. "Melia is dead, and there is nothing that can change that." It was at this point that Venam's anger had reached a peak, the young lady glaring daggers at the mysterious woman.

"Who the hell do you think you are?!" Venam snapped, pointing her finger at Crescent. "How can you say we've got blood on our hands, when we pushed our limits to try and save Melia?!"

"If that is what you need to sleep at night, then believe it with all your might." Crescent sighed in an amused manner. "But what's done is done. I have nothing else to say to you three. Go home and leave Team Xen to the people who actually know what they're doing. Au revoir…" Crescent farewelled the trio, before she and her Gothitelle disappeared from the area in the same manner they first arrived. The cave was silent once more, with the three trainers struggling to comprehend what just happened, as Venam slowly walked up to the cave wall and punched it with all her might.

"Damn her…!" Venam cried out, her shoulders shivering as tears started streaming down her cheeks. "Melia's gone…I can't believe my best friend is dead…"

Julius walked up to her and started petting her back gently in an attempt to comfort her. Though it wasn't going to do much, it at least showed that he empathized with her. Though if anything, he was the last person to hand out such a gesture, given how her death was entirely his fault; had he not befriended her, there was a strong chance that she would still be alive.

"She is…but we can't give up here." Ren tried giving a pep talk. "We have to fight Team Xen to avenge her death."

"No…I'm heading back to Gearen City. I need some time to myself…" Venam replied sadly as began walking towards the exit, turning around one more time to face the two men. "Once I've had some time to myself, I will become stronger and crush anyone who gets in my way. And when I'm done, I'm going to go after Crescent and Team Xen for what they've done."

"In that case, I'll get stronger as well. I wish to join you in your quest for vengeance." Ren chimed in.

"Count me in." Julius voiced his support. "I must do this in order to atone for my sins; she died because I allowed her to become my friend, making her a victim of the curse that has plagued me since my days in Tandor."

"Julius, this wasn't your fault." Ren replied. "Look, I don't know what happened back then that had affected you so deeply, but you are not to blame for Melia's death."

"Yeah, you're quite the reliable and kind-hearted friend, and don't you dare let anyone tell you otherwise." Venam chimed in, as Julius made his way to the exit.

"That's nice of you to say that, but if you know my history, then you'll realize I'm anything but what you said…" Julius told the two, before he began walking out of the chamber, with the two trainers looking at each other for confusion before proceeding to exit the chamber as well. Though all the evidence says that Melia is dead, Julius had a hunch that she may still live. He hasn't told the other two about his hunch, lest he get their hopes up for no reason. Right now, he was heading back to Gearen City to recollect his mind, before heading to Sheridan Village to continue his journey.

 **Happy New Year everyone! I hope to bring you all a generous amount of content for you all to enjoy. I'll go ahead and say that the next chapter won't contain a gym battle, but it'll still have plenty of material to keep you hooked in. Thank you all for reading this, I'll see you next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Welcome back everyone; I hope you've been having a good day. In case you're wondering about Julius' self-loathing, it plays an important role in both the story and his character, though the root of it won't be revealed until quite some time. In the meantime, enjoy this breather chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

It has been a few days since the search for Melia had come to a tragic end, with all three party members tackling their grief in completely different manners. Venam had become distraught to the point where the Aevium League had to close her gym for a few days, since she wasn't in any condition to battle whatsoever. Ren had doubled down on his training to avenge Melia and had even challenged Julius the other day. Though he was defeated rather swiftly, it didn't damper his spirit whatsoever, rather it encouraged him to try new methods to further push his limits. Julius on the other hand, was going over the situation in his head over and over again to see if there was anything he could've done differently that day. The night offered no relief for the young man, as he was plagued by nightmares once more, the shadowy figures chastising him for his failure that day, and how Melia's blood is on his hands.

But what was plaguing the young man's mind was the genuine possibility that Melia was still alive. For starters, there was no body; not a perfect indicator that someone wasn't dead, but a solid place to start. Zetta claimed that she was eaten by a Galvantula, but the young man had learnt that neither it, nor its pre-evolution can eat and digest meat, preferring the taste of electricity. Additionally, there may have been a sizable amount of blood on the bag, but what's to say that she didn't scrape her arm on a jagged portion of the wall? It makes sense when you consider that Melia was fleeing for her life, ignoring any potential injures she sustains unless it was gravely serious. Then there was that mysterious guy who confronted him and his friends near the entrance; his appearance seems a little too convenient for his liking. Did Melia strike a deal with him to keep her safe, handing him her bag and promptly used it to trick Zetta? Whatever the case, it was still too early to determine the full truth regarding the incident, with Julius getting up off his seat and exiting the Gearen Laboratory, a flyer for a new building in the city, titled 'Gearen Help Center', in his hand.

The walk wasn't that far from the lab, only taking around 15 minutes tops. As the young man arrived there, he was taken aback by the grandeur of the building, its white exterior standing out from the sea of purple buildings. It was resting on a ledge that require going up a set of stairs to reach, with the second-floor balcony providing a spectacular view of the city, or at least the eastern side of it. Entering the building, Julius' eyes were greeted by the bright white walls, covered in posters and pinboards, with several flower pots decorating the various desks and tables in the building. There were at least 2 dozen or so people in the building, sitting behind a desk or checking out one of the pinboards, as a tall woman with short, spikey pink hair was making her way to the entrance.

"Oh, another newcomer?" the woman inquired, gazing calmly and professionally at the young man. "May I have a moment of your time, please?"

"Sure, don't have much planned for today so I figured I should check this place out." Julius replied.

"Wonderful! Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Ayuda, President of Help Plaza Co. I run this place with my lovely wife, Mei." Ayuda introduced herself, pointing at the woman sitting behind the receptionist's desk as Julius waved at her, with Mei returning the gesture.

"My name's Julius. I'm sure you've heard about me." The young man introduced himself in return.

"Yes, I've heard all about you and your victory over the Tandor League." Ayuda replied. "Anyway, back to business. How would you like to help me out in an experiment?"

"A-Alright then…" Julius answered nervously, his nerves rattled over the prospect as bad memories began flooding back into his mind.

"Don't fret. This experiment isn't dangerous whatsoever, nor is it that complicated." The older woman reassured the young man, noticing the change in his attitude. "That said, let's head on over to the backroom. Normally I don't let anyone enter there, but you're abnormal, in a good way that is."

"Thanks, I guess?" Julius replied, with Ayuda giggled as she escorted the young man to the facility's backroom. Upon arrival, the first thing the young man noticed was the large machine in the back of the room, with what looked like a capsule the length and width of his forearm resting on it. "Ah, I take it you're impressed with our glorious Assembly Component?"

"Yeah, it looks rather nifty actually." Julius admitted, noticing that the capsule was protected by a durable glass shield.

"As you may know, this world is filled to the brim with genetic material from various Pokémon. Normal people can't see them lying about, but as I've said, you aren't normal, well not anymore at least!" Ayuda proudly presented the Assembly Component, her hands gesturing towards it.

"Anymore…?" Julius inquired, as Ayuda grabbed his arm and took out a small needle, injecting a viscous green fluid into his bloodstream, with the young man wincing in pain. Once she was done, she removed the needle and applied a small band-aid to the miniscule wound before binning the used needle safely. "W-What did you just put into me?!" The young man demanded.

"Nothing dangerous, just a serum to help you detect Pokemon cells, Zygarde cells to be specific." Ayuda explained. "See, I'm on a quest to gather all 150 Zygarde cells lying about in Aevium, and I need someone to do the leg work for us."

"And what do you plan to do with Zygarde once I gathered all the cells?" Julius pressed for more details.

"Research of course. Zygarde genetic DNA contains dozens of vital minerals to help keep the planet healthy. Think of all the medical breakthroughs that we can achieve with our research." Ayuda continued, her eyes sparkling with joy.

"That's nice and all, but would you only need 100 cells to get Zygarde in his 100% Forme?" Julius asked.

"Normally yes, but since our machine is fairly weak, it requires more energy to work, hence the higher number of cells needed." Ayuda replied, handing Julius a cube-like device. "This is a Gather Cube. It's where you collect and store all the cells you find. Now take care, I'll be sure to reward you for your efforts."

Julius gave her a small nod before exiting the building, tucking the cube in his bag. Upon exiting the building, he was now at a crossroad as to what he should do next. On one hand, he felt obliged to fulfill his duty to Ayuda, given the potential benefits to society their efforts could endow to the general populace. But on the other hand, he couldn't just wander around the region, gathering cells while his mother was still missing. It was then that an idea formed in his mind

' _What if I were to complete the Aevium League, dealing with Team Xen whenever they crop up on the radar?'_

Julius liked the idea a lot; not only will he avenge Melia's death, if she really was dead, but sooner or later, he'll eventually find his mom and be reunited with her. Besides, he'll be able to find plenty of cells by travelling to the various towns and cities. The young man decided on his next destination; Sheridan Village, he remembered Ren mentioning it when the trio encountered that strange man in Amethyst Cave and figured that it would be a wonderful place to collect cells. Hoisting his bag overhis shoulders, Julius made his way towards the train station to Route 2, to continue his journey.

 **Amethyst Cave: 2 and a half hours later.**

The young man had entered the cave once more, opting to go straight this time, over a tall pit of sorts similar to the one where the trio had encountered Zetta. The key difference was that there was a river with sparkling blue water flowing in it. The water was coming from a waterfall that was built into the cave and was where several Pokémon of various species were resting by the waters edge. As Julius walked up a set of stairs chiseled out of the rocky wall beside the waterfall, he was surprised to see the hooded man from before, calmly gazing at the flowing water.

"Can I help you mister?" Julius called out to the man, who turned around and faced him in response.

"So…it seems like you've failed too?" The man spoke in the same eerie tone as before, causing Julius to flinch momentarily. "Hardly a surprise."

"Oh, put a sock in it! There's no need to pour salt on the wound, you insensitive bastard!" Julius snapped, clenching his fists tightly as the hooded man sighed to himself.

"Compose yourself, Sheridan Village lies at the end of this cave. Find me there, and we'll talk some more then." The hooded man replied, walking away from the area and turning around a corner. Julius tried running up towards the man to get some answers, but upon turning the corner, he was shocked to see that the man was…gone, as if he had vanished into thin air.

"This is starting to get weird now…" Julius mumbled to himself, slapping his cheek lightly to regain focus and continue his trek through the cave. The path was incredibly long, with various twists and turns all over the place; the young man had to be extra careful not to trip over any stray rocks, else he could break something and could have to wait for several hours before he would receive any help whatsoever. Though his legs started to cramp and were aching for a rest, Julius decided to continue pushing through the cave, the smell of fresh air indicating that he was close to the exit. Upon walking up the final flight of stairs, he reached the cave entrance and was greeted with a refreshing breeze that felt nice and cool on his face. There were tall, thick trees lined up beside the dirt path that lead to the town, around half a kilometer away from the entrance and several flower patches growing beside the trees. Julius soon noticed what looked like an old woman and a girl, who he assumed was either her granddaughter, or a close acquaintance, having what sounded like a heated discussion underneath the wooden sign hanging over the path, and decided to see what the fuss was about.

"—that doesn't excuse his wrongdoings, eldest." The younger of the two protested. She was quite the adorable, peppy young woman, with dark purple hair that was done up in a ponytail and bright green eyes. She wore a grey t-shirt with red sleeves, purple sweat shorts and white sneakers, a simple but effective outfit.

"I realize this, Aelita. However, there must be a reason for the Sensei to shut himself and his emotions off." The old woman answered, maintaining her composure throughout the conversation. Her hands were wrapped around a red and white striped staff, that was slightly taller than her body from head to toe.

"Sheridan. Village. is. a. place. of. community." Aelita emphasized each word to strengthen her point. "It's always been our pride and joy to be united as one! But that hasn't been the case for some time now, and it's causing people to leave our community! It's always been said that if the leader of Sheridan Village isn't in sync with the village, it shall fall." She argued with her elder.

"People leaving doesn't spell the end of the village, we've endured this trouble many times." The old woman replied. "In fact, in all my years in this village, this has only occurred once. And we were able to make it our alive and well that time." She continued, causing Aelita's face to soften, her mood calming down from before.

"Is that so? Well that's reassuring…still, it wouldn't hurt to check up on Sensei." Aelita said, turning around and making her way back to the village. The old woman was able to call out to the young girl, but she was too far away to hear her voice and opted to drop it.

"…there's so much of Vivian in that lass…" the old woman sighed cheerfully to herself, as she soon noticed Julius walking up to her, her eyes widening in surprise. Finally, after all this time, he had reached this place. It was just like the saying she learnt as a child; hope always shows up in the direst of circumstances.

"Is something the matter?" Julius inquired, noticing the surprised expression on the old lady's face.

"N-Nothing, young man." She hastily replied, before clearing her throat. "Welcome to Sheridan Village! I hope that nothing ruins the mood and ambiance of this place."

"I wasn't expecting this amount of courtesy from a secluded place like this; its nothing like my hometown." Julius admitted, with the elder catching on to what he was saying.

"Ah, you hail from Goldenleaf Town? A tragic bit of business, that place…" The elder commented.

"Yeah, I ended up leaving the place around 10 or so years ago due to my father getting a job in Tandor." Julius added. "I'm here mainly because I've heard about the gym here and wish to challenge it for a badge. Additionally, I also have some business with a hooded guy."

"Why yes, we do have a gym here, lead by our very own Sensei. However, he's busy at the moment, so you can take some time to reflect on you and your soul while you wait." The elder bowed before him, before heading back to town to conduct her own business. The young man shortly followed her into town and was taken aback by how tranquil the area was. The wooden houses were standing by the flowing river, most likely the one from which the cave river stemmed from, as several martial artists were staying in the area, either to spar with one another or to meditate alongside their Pokémon. He was so overcome with the serenity of the area, that it took him a while to notice that his CyberNav was ringing, as he picked it up and began speaking into it.

"Can I help you?" Julius inquired.

" _It's Ayuda, remember me?"_ She spoke cheerfully into the phone.

"Yes…but how did you—"

" _No time for that. I forgot to highlight the most important feature of the Gearen Help Center. I've arranged for a truck to pick you up once you arrive at Sheridan Village, see you soon!"_ Ayuda interrupted the young man, promptly hanging up on him once she was done. Julius had pocketed his phone and had just noticed a white pick-up truck arrive in the area, with a Help Center employee driving it. The worker had soon noticed the young man and began waving at him to hop in, with Julius shrugging his shoulders before proceeding to do as he was told.

 **0000**

The truck had arrived back at the large building, with Julius hopping out of it and entered its interior once more. The first thing he noticed was Ayuda waiting patiently by a rather large pinboard at the back of the room.

"Ah, good to see you again. How has your cell gathering business going?" The businesswoman broke the ice.

"I was able to find a few cells at Amethyst Cave, but you called me back here before I could search Sheridan Village." Julius answered, bringing out the cube and pressed a red button on it, showing the cell count stored inside the device. "So, what did you need me here for again?"

"I forgot to tell you all about the main feature of the Help Center, in my eagerness to begin our experiment!" Ayuda chimed happily, presenting the pinboard behind her. "This is the request board; trainers all over East Gearen post their requests on this board, where trainers can accept them at their leisure. The client hands us a reward to be given to the one who completes the request, with the reward usually ranging from money to rare items. Did you understand that?"

"Yes, I did. As a matter of fact, the meeting I was supposed to have in Sheridan Village isn't due for another hour or two. I'm pretty sure I can handle a request or two while I wait." Julius got the message.

"Wonderful!" Ayuda clapped her hands once, her gaze focusing on the pinboard. "Now let's see if there's one you can deal with…aha! Here's one for you; a little girl had her Pokémon pinched while she was walking through the city. She mentioned that the thugs were heading towards Oceana Pier to make an escape. For more information, you can ask her over at Gearen Laboratory."

"Alright then, I'll handle it." Julius agreed, accepting the request notice from Ayuda before making his was back to Gearen Laboratory. Upon arriving at the laboratory, he started asking around the place for the request giver, with a passing trainer pointing over to a young girl with black hair done up into two pigtails, wearing a red scout uniform. She couldn't have been over 10 years old and had a miserable look on her face.

"Hey there." Julius replied, crouching down to her eye level and showing her the notice. "I'm the one who's gonna get your Pokémon back."

The young girl's eyes lit up upon hearing this, feeling a newfound sense of hope in this dire circumstance. "R-Really?! Oh, thank you mister, those thugs took my Starly and are planning on heading over to the Badlands to sell for a high price." She explained the situation to the young man.

"I see. I already had a basic idea on where to search, so I'll be back here with your precious partner." Julius reassured her, getting up and making his way to the Oceana Pier.

 **15 minutes later**

Julius had arrived at the docks, and began searching for the small bird, a task easier said than done in an area this large. An idea had popped into his mind; why not have one of his Pokémon search alongside him? Julius dug his hand into his bag and began searching for the right Pokéball, a small smile appearing on his face upon finding it.

"Herolune, I choose you!" Julius called out, throwing his Pokéball onto the ground as a rare and powerful Pokémon emerged from it. The Herolune was a tall bipedal Pokémon resembling a dog, its body primarily covered by spiky brown fur, that formed a long mane on its head. Its paws were colored red and resembled boots and gloves. Its white eyes were shadowed with black patches; the creature donning a yellow cape as well. Its face and chest were covered with yellow patches which resemble a mask and breastplate, the latter of which having a red crescent moon symbol on the middle. Herolune and Vilucard have a rivalry of sorts, a common trait engrained into both species. "A young girl had her Starly stolen from her, I need you to find it for me." Julius explained the situation to the large dog, who started sniffing the air for the bird's scent, and pointed towards the western docks, bounding off in the direction of the scent, with Julius running after it. Soon enough, they arrived at their destination, and saw a trio of thugs crowding over a caged Starly, the small bird frightened out of its mind.

"Hahahaha! What a score!" The thug in the middle hollered, with his cronies hollering as well. "Once we sell this thing in the Badlands, we'll be set for life!"

"Not on my watch!" Julius declared, stepping forward alongside Herolune, the large dog growling at the villains.

"Well, well. Looks like some little squirt is trying to act like a big hero, and you all know what we do to punks like these, right?" The head thug sneered, as he and his cronies stepped towards the young man.

"Yeah, we send them crying home to mommy!" The thug on the right cackled, taking out a Pokéball and sending out his Yungoos, the small Pokémon hissing at the young man.

"Oi, save some for me!" The thug on the left called out, throwing his Pokéball and sending out his Grubbin, who chittered to itself.

"Heh, better teach my boys how to deal with this kid. Go, Stunky!" The head thug sneered, taking a Pokéball and sending out his Stunky, the small creature waving its tail in the air. Though they had the numerical advantage, Julius knew that all three Pokémon were low-levelled; a strong attack should knock them out in one hit.

"This'll be an easy battle; Herolune, use Bone Rush." Julius calmly requested, with his partner bringing out it's trusty tool and twirled it in its paws. With a swift strike, it smacked the Yungoos with the bone, sending it flying into a few trash cans and was knocked out as a result of the attack. Both the Grubbin and the Stunky charged towards their opponent in a mad dash, only for them to get knocked into the trash pile alongside their comrade, leaving the three thugs terrified at what they just witnessed.

"S-Shit, what do we do?!" The thug on the right called out, as the head thug turned to face the water and saw a speedboat heading towards them.

"The boat's here; come on, we've got a bird to deliver!" The leader replied, with the hooligans making a dash for the boat, only for the trio to stop right there, as a sudden chill appeared in the air.

"Nu-uh-uh, don't fly away, little dove." A mysterious, yet enchanting voice spoke though the wind. Julius had no idea who could've said it but based on the terrified expressions on the thugs faces, this person could be serious trouble. All of a sudden, three large stalagmites appeared from underneath the both and pierced right through its hull, rendering it unusable.

"W-What the fuck?!" The head thug screeched, with Julius using the opportunity to snag the cage and step away from the thugs. Still, he couldn't leave the immediate area for some reason, as if the chill wanted him to bear witness to how it was going to punish the thugs.

"Little dove, little dove, little dove, pity dove. A bird can no longer fly with clipped wings." A woman mused to herself, staring at the ruined yacht, as Julius and the gang looked up towards the roof of the warehouse. She had long green hair, brown eyes and wore what appeared to be a black suit and matching black pants.

"We can't have peasants like you running around." She glared daggers at the gangsters. "Do you think you'll just be able to do as you please around here?"

"Y-You will pay for destroying out boat!" The head thug snarled at her, his fists clenched tightly in anger.

"Awww…that's too bad. I was going to let you go, but I changed my mind." She sighed, before making some sort of odd gesture with her hands. "Aevogio!" she called out, as she walked off the roof and gracefully hovered down to the ground, her body surrounded by a magical aura. Both Julius and the gang were at a complete loss for words, as the lady landed smoothly onto the ground, before staring at the gangsters once more.

"As punishment for attempting to steal this poor little pigeon, all of you will become my servants, and I will make sure that you all get taught proper manners." She said coolly.

"And what if we say no?" The leader sneered. Sighing once again, the lady chanted another spell, surrounding all three gangsters in a magical aura, and lifting them off the ground. With a simple flick of the wrist, the gangsters were sent flying into the horizon, screaming all the way.

"H-Hello there, I mean you no harm. I was just reclaiming this Starly for my client." Julius explained the situation.

"It's nice to see there are good Samaritans in Aevium, despite the current circumstances." The woman replied calmly. "The name's Karen. I'm—well let's keep that a secret for right now." She hastily changed the subject.

"I'm Julius; as you already know, I'm fulfilling a clients request." The young man introduced himself.

"In that case, I might have a request for you later on, I just saw how effective you were at dealing with those lowlifes." Karen replied, turning to present the stalagmites once more. "Did you like my creation? Magic is a beautiful thing; pushed away by humans out of fear. Tell me, have you ever heard of the Garufa?"

"No, I haven't." Julius admitted.

"The Garufa were a powerful tribe that roamed the world centuries ago. They harvested the power of Pokémon, and together with their soul, created a series of powerful grimoires." Karen went into detail about the Garufa and their history. "This allowed them to cast powerful spells, depending on the type of the Pokémon that was sacrificed. For instance, the obsidian spikes I created required the combined soul of a Rock-type, and a Fire-type Pokémon; I just used a Magcargo as the sacrifice. Ah, but I'm just rambling at this point. You don't suppose the captain of this ship survived this little…uproot."

"I wouldn't have a clue, but I doubt they survived." Julius answered, his mind still trying to comprehend all he had just heard about the Garufa. "Anyway, I better get back to the little girl with her Starly."

"Until next time, Julius. And there will be a next time, I can feel it in my bones." Karen farewelled the young man, as he made the quick trek back to the laboratory. Upon arriving back there, the young girl noticed the man, and immediately got up off her chair, upon seeing her beloved Starly.

"You did it! You got my Starly back!" she cheered, unlocking the cage and retrieving her companion, before nuzzling up to it.

"Not a problem. I'm more than happy to help anyone out." Julius replied, putting the cage on a nearby table. "Anyway, I've got to head back to Sheridan Village for a meeting. No need to reward me—" the young man continued, before the young girl hugged him out of the blue, surprising the young man.

"Thank you, mister. I'll never forget your act of kindness…" the girl smiled at him, letting go of the man shortly after. Julius returned a warm smile at her before exiting the lab to resume his business in Sheridan Village.

 **Sheridan Village**

The young man had arrived back at the village, after another arduous trek through Amethyst Cave. Though it was an exhausting feat, at the very least it provided good exercise for the young man, who began walking slowly through the tranquil area once more, searching for the Gym. He soon noticed what looked like an arena of sorts on a small island surrounded by water, that lead down a small waterfall and towards the river running though the town. There appeared to be a Pokémon battle going on between two competitors, with at least a dozen other trainers watching the battle from the sides. But what really caught his attention was the large wooden manor resting on top of the cliffside, a wooden staircase leading down towards the arena. Making sure to avoid the combating trainers, Julius made his way up the stairs and noticed the purple-haired girl from before standing beside the front entrance, a frustrated look on her face.

"…You still refuse to speak to me?" She spoke softly to the door, her look of frustration turning into one of desperation. "Why won't you speak to me anymore? What have I done to anger you?!"

"H-Hey, is everything alright?" Julius inquired, surprising the girl as she turned around to face him.

"I-I'm fine!" She replied hastily. "Sorry if I'm blocking your way."

"No need to apologise. I'm Julius, what's you're name?" the young man introduced himself, extending his hand to her.

"My name is Aelita. I am a student here at Sheridan Village." She introduced herself as well, accepting the handshake. "I assume you wish to speak to K-, Sensei, right?"

Julius had noticed her slight slip-up but didn't put much thought into it and chose to ignore it. "Yes, I wish to see him in regard to a Gym battle." He answered. "I hope it wouldn't be too much trouble."

Aelita sighed to herself upon hearing his request. "I'm not even sure if you should waste your time; he isn't exactly welcome to visitors at this moment, not even those he should care about." She replied, a hint of weariness and sadness in her tone. "That said, if you're so adamant about speaking to him, then who am I to stop you? Anyway, I've got some things to do. It was nice meeting you Julius."

"Yeah, it was nice meeting you as well, Aelita." Julius called out, with the young girl heading back down the stairs. Though she seemed like a nice lady, Julius knew that befriending her would end up poorly for her, as Melia so aptly proved. The young man got his mind back on track and knocked on the door, before proceeding to enter the large house. He was immediately captivated by how luxurious it was compared to the other houses. There was luxurious furniture decorating the main room, the walls hosting a few paintings from famous artists. And right in the center of the room, gazing quietly at the young man was the hooded guy from before.

"So, you've found me…" the hooded guy spoke to the young man.

"Yes, I did find you. Now what did you want from me?" Julius inquired.

"Deep within the village of light lies a soul who lives solely to cast a shadow…" the hooded man uttered what sounded like an ancient riddle, before removing his hood, revealing his short, shiny black hair to the young man. The older man also had an…odd look so to say, as if he had been drained of his soul, and was reanimated as a mindless husk of a human being. "My name is Keta, the Sensei of this village."

"N-Nice to meet you Keta, I'm Julius." The young man introduced himself, a little rattled by the look in Keta's eyes. The older man then gestured for Julius to follow him, the pair of them heading towards a room to the back of the manor. Upon entering, the first thing that Julius noticed was a fairly large tree, with a wooden grave marker hanging off one of the branches; a few short sentences written in a language that Julius didn't understand, were etched on the grave marker. He then noticed Keta crouching before it, placing a few small flowers in a vase resting by the tree trunk.

"I try so hard, Taelia…but smiling is something that is just…so impossible." He uttered quietly at the grave, closing his eyes in respect.

"You have my condolences Keta, I too know what it's like to lose someone close to me." Julius sympathise with his elder, who got up off the ground once more.

"You mean that girl, Melia, was it?" Keta replied, with Julius nodding in response, though she wasn't who he was referring to. "A familiar name, indeed. One that won't be forgotten; the three of you weren't strong enough to save her, am I right?"

"Y-Yeah, that's it. I wish there was something that I could've done differently that time." Julius admitted, only for Keta to narrow his eyes at the young man.

"Bullshit! Nothing you could've done would be enough to change what happened in that cave." Keta retorted, his voice now carrying what sounded like an icy anger, as if he too had felt that feeling before. "Our fate is written from the moment we take our first breath, though I suppose there are those who believe that fate can be changed. Honestly, I don't think it hurts to protect yourself with some falsified belief. All that said, what if I told you there was a way to save your friend?"

Julius eyes lit up upon hearing that last line. He could give her a second chance at live, reunite her with Venam and Ren as a token of apology for getting her killed in the first place. As for him, he'll leave the three to their own devices; better to be lonely once more, than drag them into the jaws of death once more. A small, bemused smile appeared on Keta's face upon seeing Julius' expression.

"That look tells me everything I need to know. Now then, Amethyst Cave is a very special place, holding many secrets within its depths. One of these secrets involves a bright red stone near the cave entrance from Route 2. They say that coming into contact with this rock will open the way to Amethyst Grotto; in the grottos depths lies the Soul Stone. I want you to retrieve it and bring it to the area where you lost your friend; once you've done that, come back here and we'll talk about a gym battle." Keta explained.

"H-How did you—" Julius began.

"You're a newcomer to this town, therefore I assumed you wanted a gym battle." Keta answered. "Now go. I wish to spend some time here on my own."

Julius bowed in respect, before making his way out the manor, a new sense of hope inside his heart.

 **Amethyst Cave: Route 2 Entrance**

"At this point I'll may as well move in here, with all the traversing I do." Julius joked to himself, wandering through the familiar cave once more. Luckily, he didn't need to search a long time for the stone, given how it stood out against a small cluster of grey rocks. It was more than twice the size of his head, and shone a bright red. The young man stepped closer to it, resting his hand on its refreshingly cool surface, as the cave started to shake violently, knocking Julius off his feet. The miniature earthquake caused a rock wall by the red stone to crack, before crumbling into a pile of smaller rocks, revealing a hidden passageway to what Julius assumed was the Amethyst Grotto. Taking a deep breath to muster up his courage, Julius entered the now revealed passage way, wanting to know what secrets were hiding behind it. What he saw was so shocking, so unbelievable, that he swore he was dreaming. Hiding behind the wall was what appeared to be a wide, spacious field full of lush green grass. There were several tall trees, sporting crimson red leaves that shone brightly in the light, a light that for all intent and purposes, shouldn't even exist. But the most out of place, and outright terrifying thing was the doppelganger of Keta, standing perfectly still in the field, an ethereal mist surrounding it.

"…Follow me." The doppelganger spoke, floating backwards further into the field. Julius stood there for a few seconds, wide-eyed with shock before following the doppelganger, a hint of hesitance in his steps. A few minutes later, Julius had climbed up a small plateau and encountered an even stranger sight; an altar lying on the ground, surrounded by five small stone pillars, with the doppelganger hovering over the center of the altar.

"So, you finally made it." The doppelganger called out to the young man. "Before I tell you anything, I should let you know something; I am not Keta."

"W-Who are you then, if you're not Keta?!" Julius wanted an answer, his voice conveying the sense of fear the young man was feeling at the moment. He had heard that bad things happen to those who encountered their own doppelganger and was worried that he will meet his own doppelganger in this illogical grotto.

"I am the manifestation of his emotions and soul; Keta has a lot of darkness surrounding his past. His days were like a living hell, being tormented by the guilt that he held inside him." Keta's soul explained the situation. "I sense a similar feeling deep inside you; I pray that you don't meet a fate similar to him."

"T-Thanks…" Was all Julius could reply with, fully empathising with Keta.

"Keta had used a secret power located in Sheridan to separate us. Thus, I was banished to this grotto. What a fool, devoiding yourself from your emotions won't solve anything." Keta's soul continued, as a puzzled expression appeared on his face. "It is quite peculiar that he would send a random trainer down here in his stead, a sign of desperation perhaps? Or did he see something special in you?"

"He sent me here to retrieve the Soul Stone. Have you seen it around here?" Julius asked the spectre before him.

"I have, but there's something I need to inform you about. Tell me Julius, did you know that Keta is a member of Team Xen?" Keta's soul replied, his answer catching the man off guard as the gears in his mind started to click together. Was Keta in on the whole plan with Melia? If so, then was that discussion he had with the three of them a way to buy Zetta some additional time? "No need to worry, you have no reason to fear us. In fact, I have a favour to ask you?" The spectre called out, snapping the young man out of his train of thought.

"What is it that you want?" Julius inquired.

"Please, find a way to bring him back to what he used to be. Naturally, that's a heavy order for a stranger, but it is one I grant you regardless." Keta's soul requested, reaching into his pocket and presenting a beautiful, crystal ball to the young man. "Here, take it. This is the Soul Stone that you came here for. This should help you fulfil your quest."

"T-Thank you." Julius thanked the spectre, placing the stone in a well-protected pocket in his bag.

"By showing Keta the way you battle, you should be able to sway his mind onto the right path. He'll finally put this to an end, once and for all. When this is all over, I request that you come back here." The spectre said, before disappearing into the aether once more. Julius knew what he had to do next, go back to where Melia had perished and use the stones power. Exiting the grotto as quickly as possible, Julius made a beeline for the cave depths to see if it will work.

After an intense dash to the site where Melia was killed, Julius looked around the area to see if the coast was clear. The swarm of Joltik and Galvantula that were here seemed to have moved on to another location. Furthermore, there didn't seem to be anyone else there, at least not in plain view. Julius took the stone from his back and placed it on the spot where Zetta had threw her bag; a dried-up patch of blood being all that remained of if, perhaps Venam reclaimed the bag as a memento of sorts. The young man waited and waited and waited for something to happen, but nothing out of the ordinary worked. After fifteen minutes, Julius took the stone off the ground and put it back in the bag, the young man letting out a disappointed sigh. It seems that the legends about the Soul Stone were false. As Julius began making his way out the depths, a thought struck his mind. What if the reason it didn't work, was because Melia wasn't dead? If that was the case, then where was she hiding. The young man decided to keep onto that small bit of positivity, as he began making his trek back to Sheridan Village.

 **A shorter than usual chapter, but I didn't feel like writing a Gym Battle in this chapter. Not to worry though, the next chapter will have what you're looking for. I thank you all for your readership.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Welcome back everyone, and today will be the chapter where Julius has his second Gym Battle in the Aevium League and get more than what he bargained for. It'll be the most intense chapter yet, so strap yourselves in for the ride of a lifetime.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Having arrived back at Sheridan Village, Julius made a beeline for Keta's residence, the Soul Stone nice and snug in his right hand. Though he couldn't bring Melia back from the dead, it added credence to his belief that she was still alive. That said, he was promised a Gym Battle and he was going to cash it in right away. Making his way to the residence, he entered the small shrine in the house where Keta was waiting, a placid look on his face.

"I see you were able to retrieve the Soul Stone. Give it to me for a moment." Keta requested, outstretching his arm as Julius handed the stone to the man. Keta soon turned around and studied it intensely, looking into the stone as if he was trying to find something within it, but wasn't able to find what he was looking for. "…Fate favors the fool yet again. Incredible."

"Come again?" Julius inquired, with Keta turning around and handing the Stone back to Julius.

"Unfortunately, I am unable to do anything about Melia, she truly does seem gone." Keta answered bluntly. "I'll let you keep the Soul Stone though, it may provide useful to you."

"I see…" The young man replied, taking Keta's advice into consideration. "Now, about that Gym Battle you promised earlier?"

"Indeed, you'll get your battle. As a matter of fact, it'll show me what kind of person you are, and how well you and your Pokémon sync up with one another." Keta honored his promise, gesturing towards the door. "There's a battleground south of here where we'll have our battle. Defeat me and I'll give you my badge as proof of your victory."

"Lead the way, sir." Julius replied, with Keta taking the lead as the young man followed right behind him. A couple minutes later, they had arrived at the arena that was surrounded by the river, the same one Julius had noticed on his way to the manor. There appeared to be a small crowd surrounding the arena to see the upcoming fight, including Aelita and the village elder from before. Perhaps this was all part of the training they do here, he thought to himself. Either way, he was gonna give them a taste of what things are like in Tandor.

"Forgive me for the audience. It seems they are excited to see me battle once again. Especially against an opponent such as you." Keta called out from the opposite side of the arena, as Julius took his place. "Ignore them, they are inconsequential."

"I can't blame them for wanting to watch; as a matter of fact, I'll be happy to show them a few things I've learnt." Julius replied, a small smile on his face.

"I'll need you to battle to your best ability, to ease my troubled self. Your chipper attitude tells me I'll be pleasantly surprised." Keta commented, turning his head to face Aelita. "Aelita, if you would…"

"S-Sure thing." Aelita agreed, her mind still surprised about Keta's sudden decision for a battle. "This will be a Single, 6-on-6 battle. Standard Aevium League rules apply here; the first trainer to have all six Pokémon faint will be declared the loser. Now that's been said…battle commence!" She called out, waving a small flag downwards as each trainer had chosen their first Pokémon.

"Crabominable, you're up!" Keta called out, unleashing the massive crab from its Pokémon, whom slammed its fist on the arena surface to pump itself up.

"If that's how you wanna play, then I'll be happy to indulge you. Go, Alpico!" Julius called out, as a mysterious Pokémon emerged from its ball, causing the crowd to coo in awe. It was a fairly short rabbit-like creature, just over a meter tall and had blue and black fur all over its body. It had two long tails which it used for skiing all over the place, as well as a icy spur on the edge of each of its hands, acting as a ski pole for the rabbit. It let out a quite cry as it hopped into the air and temporarily freezing both the arena and the water surrounding it.

"Clever thinking, but it'll take more than that to best me. Crabominable, use Drain Punch!" Keta ordered, with the beefy crab scuttling towards the rabbit, the snow granting it a slight boost in speed. The Alpico retaliated by hopping on its tails and skied on the frozen waters at impressive speeds, circling the crab in the hopes of making it dizzy. However, it decided to stand still and wait for an opportunity to trip its foe and pummel it, closing its eyes in an effort to hone its senses. Round and round the Alpico went, causing a few of the audience members to get dizzy and clutch their heads. But soon enough, the Crabominable reared it's fist and thrusted it into the air as the Alpico was close to striking. In a move that caught the audience off-guard, the rabbit grabbed the thick arm and leapt over it and towards the crab, where it swiftly clapped its paws together, snapping the crab out of its zen state as it scuttled back a few feet.

"Now then, how about a Moonblast?" Julius suggested, with the rabbit deftly landing on the ground and began charging lunar energy. The Crabominable had snapped out of its minor daze and saw what its foe was about to do, opting to scuttle towards in in an attempt to take it out with its massive fists. But just as it was about the slam the small rabbit, it had fired a sizable orb of lunar energy, causing Crabominable to cry out in pain as it was flung backwards and crashed into the ground, knocked out from the attack. The students were surprised at how quickly one of Keta's Pokémon was knocked out, even though it had lackluster special defense, with Alpico bowing before the students.

"Woah, that little critter's a lot stronger than I expected." Aelita mused to herself. "Is this the power of Tandors native fauna?"

"Hmph, not bad." Keta commented, recalling his fainted Pokémon and reaching for another Pokéball. "But you've left yourself open for a counterattack. Go, Emboar!" He summoned his next Pokémon, with the giant pig emerging from its Pokéball, its body heat thawing the arena and the frozen river, hindering Alpico's greatest strength. Hopping off its tails, it dove nimbly towards its massive foe and attempted to trip it with a quick leg sweep, only for the pig to snatch the rabbit in its hand and leapt up into the air. The Emboars body started to heat up as it threw the rabbit down onto the arena floor, before slamming into it with its bulky body in a powerful Heat Crash attack. The pig slowly rose up off the ground and back off from the fainted Alpico, with Julius wincing at the sight of his injured comrade.

"Don't worry, we'll avenge your loss…" Julius spoke to his ally, recalling it before studying the situation. From how powerful its last attack was, he determined that fighting Emboar head on wouldn't end well, but what happens if he utilizes the area to his benefit? With that in mind, he selected his next companion for battle. "Alright Tubareel, time for battle!"

The Pokéball unleashed his next Pokémon into the river surrounding the arena, with a large shadow forming in the water. Soon enough, a massive fish leapt out of the water to the crowds' awe before diving back in. It was a massive specimen, at around eight meters long and had a large head that was filled with razor sharp teeth. The Emboar had a startled look on its face, as it gazed at the calm water, dreading the next appearance of its terrifying foe, as an idea formed in its mind. It set its fists alight and began punching the water, steam arising from the surface as Julius recognized the plan it was going for.

"Do whatever you can to prevent it from evaporating the water!" The young man called out, with the Tubareel poking its head out of the water briefly before diving back in. It circled the water, waiting for the perfect time to strike, though it couldn't wait too long as Emboar was doing a superb job of heating up the water. In the blink of an eye, the massive fish leapt out of the water and rammed its head into the pigs back, pushing it into the water as it began floundering for a few seconds before making an attempt to swim back to dry land. Its bulky frame did it no favors in the water, a fact that the Tubareel was counting on. It charged at the pig at impressive speeds, ramming its head into its body again, pushing it out of the water and into the air, with the large fish leaping out the water once more, smacking the Emboar with its water-coated tail. The Emboar was sent hurtling down towards the arena and caused a sizable impact crater, knocked out from the relentless assault.

"Return Emboar, you did your job." Keta informed it, reaching for his third Pokémon. "Machamp, time for you to serve some fish for the crowd!" The man continued, with the super powerful humanoid emerging from its Pokéball, flexing its arms as it watched the large fish dive back down again. Julius knew about Machamp's amazing strength; a few rapid punches could take out his Tubareel, even with its amazing defenses. And it wasn't like he could attempt the same trick that he pulled with Emboar, he'd have to try something different, which was when a new idea formed in his mind.

"Try riding the river current, Tubareel!" Julius suggested, with the large fish nimbly swimming up the river current and started to bide its times. The Machamp had a hunch on what its foe was trying to attempt and maintained its stance, its gaze focusing on the imposing shadow in the river. A few moments later, Tubareel swam down the river, its speed heightened by the current as it leapt out the water and swung its tail down at its foe, only for the Superpower to grab its tail, catching the fish off-guard. The Machamp soon unleashed a frantic barrage of punches upon the poor fish, the latter hissing in pain as its defenses were put to the test against the intimidating foe. Tubareel was soon knocked into the water, with Machamp walking up to the river edge as two of its fists crackled with electricity. It plunged its fists into the water, a wicked current of electricity coursing through the river resulting in a few of the audience members backing away to avoid getting shocked. It backed away from the water as the fainted Tubareel floated up to the surface of the water, a troubled expression appearing on the young man's face.

"This wasn't how I expected things to go down. Still, you put up a valiant effort, which I greatly appreciate." Julius spoke to his companion upon recalling it, before choosing a familiar, yet reliable option. "Astronite, ready yourself for battle!" He called out, with the cosmic entity emerging from its Pokéball once more, as the crowd gazed at it in awe.

"I've seen plenty of intriguing sights in my lifetime, but this would have to take the cake." The village elder commented, gazing calmly at the mysterious creature as it hovered on the spot in a peaceful state. The Astronite extended its right arm and enveloped the Machamp in a light blue aura, as a sudden surge in power caused the aura to intensify and send the Machamp flying backwards into a tree outside the arena, catching Julius by surprise. Did the tranquil serenity of the village help empower Psychic type attacks, much like Nim's personal arena? Perhaps this was why so many martial artists were encouraged to train here, both physically and mentally. Yet despite the boost in power, it wasn't enough to defeat the Machamp, the bulky Pokémon staggering back onto the arena. One of the Superpower Pokémon's hands lunged towards the Traveler Pokémon and slapped it harshly with a Knock Off attack, sending it crashing into the sandy surface of the field. Julius was mentally relieved that he hadn't given his Astronite an item to hold, otherwise things would've ended badly.

"Alright then, go for another Psychic, with gusto!" Julius called out, with his partner slowly rising from the ground. Like before, it outstretched its arm and started channeling all its energy, with the Machamp charging at it in an attempt to disrupt the attack. However, it wasn't able to reach it in time, and was surrounded by the aura once again. Like before, the field boosted the move's power, with the Traveler Pokémon sending the Machamp hurtling towards another tree outside the arena with the impact causing a substantial amount of dust being kicked up. Once it had settled, it showed that the Machamp was knocked out for good this time.

"Interesting…return." Keta said, recalling his fainted Pokémon. This has proved to be an entertaining match so far, with Keta on the verge of determining what kind of person Julius was. Still, he had a few battle-capable Pokémon at hand and thought of a way to deal with his new foe. "Medicham, time for battle!" He announced, with the placid warrior emerging from her Pokéball, its palms closed together in a meditative stance. A fitting choice all in all, when you consider the power that the arena houses.

"Astronite, use Cosmic Power." The young man opted to play safe, with the Traveler Pokémon channeling cosmic energy to heighten its defenses, its hands closed together in an imitation of its opponent. The Medicham had finished her meditation session, and leapt up high into the air, aiming her knee at her foe and delivered a powerful High Jump Kick, pushing Astronite a few feet back. The Astronite opted to retaliate by charging a ball of lunar energy and fired it at the Medicham, who yelped briefly in pain as the powerful energy struck her body.

"Seems I have to step up my game then. Use Meditate, again." Keta requested, with Medicham going back to her side of the arena and started meditating once more, closing her eyes and began focusing all its energy into heightening its senses and attack power. The Astronite, realizing what its foe was trying to go for, chose to use a second Cosmic Power, as it began gathering cosmic energy once more to heighten its defenses. Once both contenders had finished collecting their strength, the Medicham made a running start and leapt up into the air once more, hoping her next High Jump Kick would finish things off. The Astronite stood there, waiting for the right time to move; too early and the opponent would have sufficient time to change course; too late and it gets a face full of knee. Just as the Medicham was but a few feet away from the Traveler Pokémon, the latter swerved to the right, catching her off-guard as she crashed into the sandy terrain, clutching her leg in pain upon landing on it. This had rendered her vulnerable to counterattack, with Astronite charging up another ball of lunar energy and firing at her, sending the Medicham flying a few feet out of the arena, knocked out from the 1-2 combo.

"I see…guess I'll have to resort to a desperate tactic, so to speak." Keta chimed in, recalling his fainted Pokémon before selecting his fifth Pokémon, and throwing its Pokéball onto the field. Julius watched as the Conkeldurr emerged from the ball and slammed its powerful fist into the ground to psych itself up, realizing that Astronite was exhausted from dealing with two powerful Pokémon in a row.

"A-Alright, Astronite, use—" Julius began, before being interrupted by a heavy crashing sound. The Conkeldurr had somehow managed to gain a quick burst of speed and landed an almighty Knock Off on his Astronite, possibly as a result of the Quick Claw it was holding. The young man saw that Astronite had fainted from the sudden attack, even with its heightened defenses and deduced that the attack had been a critical hit. "Return Astronite, you did an impressive job today." He added, recalling his Pokémon before selecting another one, opting for a more traditional match between two fighting masters and sent out his next Pokémon to the adoration of the crowd.

The new Pokémon was a large bipedal specimen with some impressive muscles. It had orange and purple fur all over its body, its back sporting long orange quills tipped with what looked like a potent poison. It had purple markings around its face, resembling a mask worn by luchadores, and had sharp purple claws on the ends of its fingers. It eyed up the Conkeldurr with a toothy grin on its face, hoping for a good fight. "Allow me to introduce my Luchabra to you all. I figured that it'll be smart to use my own fighting type in this battle. Shall we start with a quick Poison Jab?"

The Luchabra agreed to the suggestion and charged at its opponent, its thick fist glowing a harsh purple as it delivered a powerful jab to the Conkeldurr, causing the large Pokémon to bellow in pain as it staggered back a few feet. The Muscular Pokémon cracked its knuckles and delivered a swift Drain Punch to the Luchabra's face, causing it to hiss in annoyance as Conkeldurr managed to recover a small amount of energy with the attack. The two combatants grappled each other, their arms and hands locked in a battle with both contenders attempting to gain an advantage over the other. For a while it seemed that the two were evenly matched, having stood their ground in the intense stalemate. But in some sort of twisted joke, it seemed that fate decided to favor Keta this time as the Conkeldurr had gained another quick boost of speed and was able to sweep Luchabara off its feet. The Conkeldurr was about to administer a devastating Hammer Arm to its fallen foe, when Luchabra leapt up off the ground and jabbed its poisonous quills into Conkeldurrs stomach, the Muscular Pokémon hissing in pain as a faint purple hue appeared on its cheeks, indicating that it had been poisoned.

The Luchabra stepped back, smirking from the advantage it had gained, only for the smirk to drop from its face as the Conkeldurr gained a second wind, its attack power increasing immensely. Seems that fate was having her fun by teasing Julius, yet he wasn't ready to throw in the towel yet. "Try to take it out as quickly as you can; it's got nothing left to lose!" He informed his teammate, knowing that it was on a time limit of sorts and would opt to go for more brazen strategies. Though it initially disliked the idea, Luchabra came around to accepting it, viewing it as the best possible thing to do in this situation. It started by unleashing a barrage of sharp spikes on the field, coating the arena with the treacherous spikes to slow its opponent down. However, Conkeldurr barreled through them, not showing a single care in the world as it slammed its fist into the ground, tripping up the Luchabra. The crafty Chupacabra Pokémon opted to trip its foe in retaliation, causing the Conkeldurr to cry out in surprise as it landed flat on its face, before the former got up and delivered a finishing blow to the back of its head, knocking the Conkeldurr out. The audience began muttering amongst one another as Keta recalled his Pokémon; it has been quite some time since he was down to his last Pokémon.

"Lucario, its time to end this!" Keta called out, sending out his ace Pokémon, the bipedal canine letting out a determined howl. From the get-go, Julius noticed that it was a shiny Pokémon, but was caught off guard upon realizing that it was colored differently from a standard shiny Lucario. It was orange and white, as opposed to the yellow and white he had seen before. Was there something in Aevium that made shiny Pokémon look different from their overseas counterparts? Regardless, it didn't put him at a disadvantage, so he was fine with it.

"I gotta say, I enjoyed this fight a whole lot. Helped me feel a bit better from what happened a few days ago. But it's time for me to end this, use Drain Punch!" Julius called out. The Luchabra lunged forward and delivered a swift punch to its opponent, dealing a fair amount of damage and recovering some much-needed energy. But Lucario had a trick up its sleeve, leaping up into the air and firing a barrage of Aura Spheres at the opponent, with Luchabra blocking the attacks with its arms, though it still took some damage. As the dust settled, it noticed the Lucario dashing towards it at impressive speeds, unleashing a relentless barrage of punches and kicks, with Luchabra countering with its own punches. Though Lucario had the clear advantage in speed, the Luchabra was able to weather the tide, tripping its foe with a sudden sweeping kick, sending the Lucario falling to the ground. Luchabra pinned it on the ground to prevent it from getting up, but the Lucario managed to slip free and began grappling its foe, planning on knocking it into the water. Catching on to its plan, the Luchabra headbutted the Lucario to temporarily daze it, enabling the Chupacabra Pokémon to push its foe off its body. Mustering up all its will, the Luchabra barreled towards its enemy, its fist raised in a punch as Lucario opted to do the same, the two Pokémon colliding into each other resulting in a sizable dust cloud being kicked up. Once the cloud died down, everyone saw both Pokémon eyeing up one another, panting heavily in exhaustion, until Lucario collapsed to the ground, no longer able to battle.

"With Lucario rendered unable to battle, the Sensai has no more Pokémon to battle with. Therefore, Julius is declared the winner!" Aelita announced, waving the flag down once more to an ecstatic crowd, who were more than pleased with the battle.

"Alright, we did it!" Julius called out in joy, with his Luchabra posing victoriously to the crowd.

"The way you command your Pokémon…it's unlike anything I've seen before." Keta commented, recalling his Lucario. "I'd dare say that you've shown me the light. The way you displayed your kindness and power through your Pokémon is to be commended. Which is why I must undo what has been done. My apologies, but I can only give you your badge when this is finished." He continued, walking away from the arena in a hurry, leaving Julius confused, and a tad bit annoyed at the situation.

"Sensei? Where are you going?!" Aelita called out, running in the direction of her leader.

"H-Hold on a minute Aelita!" The village elder tried to get her attention, before attempting to catch up to her. Julius spent a minute to apply some quick healing to his Pokémon that partook in the battle, before recalling them and followed the trio to wherever they were going. A short while later, he noticed the elder catching her breath by a nearby rock and opted to check up on her.

"Hey, is everything alright?" Julius inquired.

"I'm fine, but I lost them. Last thing I saw was Aelita running behind the waterfall, presumably to that secret entrance she knows about." The Eldest answered, pointing towards the small waterfall near the steps to the arena. "Please, make sure she doesn't do anything to reckless."

"I'll make sure nothing bad happens to them." The young man promised, making his way towards the waterfall and crept on the thin path behind it, looking for this supposed entrance behind it. Soon enough, his hand slipped through a crack in the wall, a snug fit for the young man. Mustering up his will, he squeezed his way through the crack and entered the mysterious location, his eyes widening in surprise upon realizing that he was now inside a very spacious cave. The ceiling for the entrance area was fairly low, but not too low, and the rocks were a vibrant reddish brown, but the most notable thing was the sudden rise in temperature, enough to make him sweat, but wasn't too hot for his liking. Near the entrance, analyzing the area in the same state of disbelief as the young man was Aelita, her eyes focused on a wooden sign right near the entrance.

"Wha…what's going on here?" Aelita spoke to herself, averting her gaze from the sign, before a rock crumbled onto the ground, causing her to turn around and was alerted by Julius' presence. "Ah! Oh, it's just you, Julius."

"Sorry about startling you." The young man apologized, scratching the back of his head. "I see that I'm not the only one surprised by this place."

"Yeah, but my case is a little different. I remember the Eldest mentioning how this place was a serene hideaway, with flowing water and lush green grass. But this? This is the complete opposite of what she described it as. Something tells me that Sensei knows what's happening here, why is why he ran away." Aelita explained her case, an intrigued expression appearing on Julius' face.

"I see. In that case, do you need a hand searching for him?" Julius offered.

"Yes! Thank you so much!" Aelita cheered, shaking the young man's hand vigorously, before backing away as a faint blush formed on her face. "S-Sorry about that."

"No need to apologies, nothing wrong with showing a bit of enthusiasm." Julius replied. "So, shall we get going?"

"Uh-huh." Aelita replied, with the to initiating their search inside the cave. The first thing they noticed was that the air was getting more and more humid as they went deeper, sweat falling down their foreheads and making their skin uncomfortably sticky. Soon enough, the duo noticed an elevated platform up ahead, flanked by two small pools of lava that had machines resting in it, though what they did was a mystery to them.

"Well at least we know why it's so unbearable in here." Julius commented, with the duo walking up the stairs to the elevated platform, only for a weird orange tentacle of sorts to emerge from the dirt, a grotesque combination of organic and technological, with what looked like an eye analyzing the two trainers.

"Eurgh! What is that hideous thing?!" Aelita cringed in disgust at the thing, taking a step back. "It's all squirmy and disgusting and horrifying…let's leave it alone, ok?"

"Fine by me." Julius replied, the duo giving the thing as much space as they can as they passed it, though they never left the things sight. Eventually, they had made it to an elevator that most likely lead deeper into the cave, only for the path to be blocked by a reddish-brown rock that looked suspiciously different from the other rocks. Indeed, as they went up to inspect it, two more tentacles burst out of the ground and eyed up the trainers.

"What on earth is this thing?" Aelita inquired, crouching down to get a better look at it.

"I am no thing, nor am I nothing!" The strange rock utter, causing the duo to step back in surprise as it rose out of the ground, revealing itself to be an artificial intelligence of sorts, with a comically happy smile on its screen. "Beep Bop Beep Boop! Greetings, I am the Security Enforcer Component, otherwise known as SEC, model #3567 to be precise. This model was placed under the authority of the subject known as Madelis. Please insert your specially crafted Team Xen ID Cards into the slot provided." The machine detailed, as a small slot on the top opened. Julius was at a complete loss for words; he'd seen plenty of strange things, but this would have to take the cake.

"Team Xen ID Cards? But neither of us have them on us…" Aelita replied to the machine.

"No specially crafted Team Xen ID Cards?!" SEC called out, it's face imitating a gasp, before smiling once more. "No worries, I'll just use the backup voice recognition app!" it continued, diving back into the dirt.

"Oops…I think I made things more difficult." Aelita commented, an embarrassed look on her cute face. "Still, there's something about Team Xen that sounds…awfully familiar."

"They were the ones who orchestrated the attack on Goldenwood Forest. I should know, I dealt with them alongside my friend Melia." Julius answered. "That said, at least we know why the area is a lot different than what you were told."

Suddenly, the all-too familiar device burst out of the ground, an angry frown on its screen "Warning! Warning! Intruders detected in the area. How can you do this to SEC? I was the teamplayer, the MVP! SEC was ready to offer you complimentary Team Xen pudding, but you spit on SEC! You're no member of Team Xen, you're unauthorized guests! That makes me very, very, very angry!" It ranted, the two tentacles glaring at the trainers.

"So, I take it we don't get the pudding then? That being the case, we'll move out of here then, yeah?" Aelita replied, slowly backing away from the machine with Julius opting to do the same, only for the tentacles to block the path out.

"Too late! SEC has already notified the higher ups and has been programed to neutralize both of you! They will be no mercy toward would be heroes like you two!" SEC retorted, its screen showing a Pokéball as one of the tentacles open the hatch on top and retrieved a lone Pokéball and threw it to the ground, revealing what looked like a Shadow Salandit, the small lizard hissing viciously.

"Don't worry, I've got this." The young girl reassured her companion, reaching for her own Pokéball. "Go, Hawlucha!" She called out, throwing her Pokéball on the ground, as the nimble bird dusted itself off before eying up the rogue lizard. Almost instantaneously, the Salandit scuttled towards Hawlucha at impressive speeds, scrambling over rocks and other bits of debris before lunging towards its foe, its mouth open and poised for attack. Hawlucha retaliated by snatching it out of the air and slamming it into the ground, kicking it towards a nearby rock, shattering it into pieces. The small lizard emerged from the rubble and fired a stream of small fireballs at Hawlucha, who blocked in incoming attack with its wing and proceeded to charged towards it, leaping up into the air and delivering a powerful Flying Press onto the Salandit, kicking up a sizable dust cloud. As the dust settled, it showed that the lizard was knocked out from the attack, with the Hawlucha proudly strutting back to its trainer.

"GWAH! My systems are failing!" SEC cried out, its tentacles flailing wildly. "SEC is terrified, mortified and even a little excited. How can something so awful happen to a good guy like SEC? I-It's time for Sec to shut down for good…G-Goodbye…" It continued, before shutting down.

"A shame, I never did get the pudding I was promised." Julius commented, turning to Aelita. "That was some fine battling you pulled off. Not many people secure a victory when battling a Shadow Pokémon."

"Shadow Pokémon? I guess that explains the weird purple hue it had. Whatever the case, we should get a move on." Aelita replied, and odd look appearing on her face as she focused on SEC's deactivated body. "Still, I kinda feel bad for SEC. He only wanted to do his job with a smile on its—"

The young girl was soon interrupted by the machine emerging from the ground once more, a comical smile on its screen. "Sike! I'm back! I bet you thought I was dead, right? HAHAHAHAHA!" SEC cackled with glee.

"So, I take it you were also lying about us not getting any pudding?" Julius asked, hoping to get a quick taste.

"Nope." SEC replied instantaneously. "Nor was I lying about shutting down. As a matter of fact, it'll be so amazing that it'll put the socks on your grandmothers!"

"How would that even—Gah!" Aelita cried out in surprise as a stick of dynamite emerged from SEC's body. Was he really going to take them down with him?

"Check it out! When SEC is defeated, there is no more purpose for SEC. Self-annihilation is the most feasible way of scrapping myself. After all, every show must end with a bang, right? Though this version of myself will be gone, there are several other copies littered throughout the base, all connected to a master server. We shall be rivals for the duration of your trip in this mountain." SEC informed the duo, as the quickly took cover before the stick of dynamite detonated, sending bits and pieces of scrap all over the place.

"Ahhh…are you alright?" Julius called out, getting up off the floor and dusting himself down.

"Yeah, I'm fine. What a strange turn of events this has been so far. At least we can go down the elevator now." Aelita replied, the duo making their way to the elevator. The machine creaked and groaned temporarily before slowly rising to the next level, upon which the door opened, and the pair hopped off it. They noticed that around a dozen or so Xen grunts were patrolling the area, hoping to catch the meddling intruders. Opting to take things slowly, they stayed low to the ground and quietly explored the place, their eyes taking note of a grunt clutching his bloodied nose with a second grunt checking up on him.

"Hey, what happened to you?" The female grunt inquired.

"It was the craziest shit. I was minding my own business when this guy came outta nowhere and kicked me in the face. that really hurt my feelings, you know." The injured grunt complained.

"Did you get a good look at the perpetrator?" The former inquired. "It'll be necessary for the medical report."

"Well I don't remember much about him, but he did look quite miserable and depressed." The second grunt replied, slowly making his way to the medical bay, with the other grunt following him.

"Depressed and miserable…that has to be Sensei's doing!" Aelita determined the identity of the culprit. "He can't be too far away!"

"In that case, we better get a move on." Julius chimed in, the duo continuing their trek through the merciless cave, their bodies assaulted by the uncomfortable heat. A few minutes later, they arrived at a platform housing another lift, but were dismayed to see four guards standing by the area. The young man scanned the area for a solution to this predicament, his eyes focusing on a loose stalactite. Grabbing a nearby rock, he flung it at the stalactite, causing it to wobble temporarily before crashing onto the ground, alerting the guards with its noise as they ran briskly to the area to investigate it. The pair took this opportunity to make a dash for the elevator and hop on it, with Aelita pressing a few buttons before the machine creaked and groaned, slowly rising up to the next level.

Upon arriving at the third floor, the duo noticed that there wasn't as many guards as on the lower floor, but appeared to be more vigilante in their patrols. Like before the duo scurried through the area, crouching down to avoid unwanted eye contact, their hands close to their Pokéballs in case things get dicey. Upon travelling to the northeastern area of the cave, they saw a third lift, a wave of relief washing over their bodies, only for a familiar machine to emerge from the soil in front of the lift.

*yawn*… "Who's making that annoying ruckus?" SEC inquired, the eyes on his screen focusing on the two trainers. "Oh, it's only the slick duo. Man, you really know how to wake someone up, don't you?"

"Well we were trying to be stealthy in here; that said, can I get some pudding now?" Julius inquired.

"No, no. a million times no!" SEC answered, causing the young man to sigh sadly. "Pudding aside, you know the song and dance by now, right?"

"Yep, it doesn't matter how many Shadow Pokémon you throw at us, we can take them on!" Aelita declared boldly, only for SEC to start laughing. "W-What's so funny?!"

"Oh nothing, nothing but the fact that I'm playing a new song and dance for this encounter. To pass me, you'll need to enter the four-digit code, but only the guards around here know it. You could ask them, but I doubt they'll tolerate your presence here. Or you could spout some random numbers and hope they work, but it'll take you ages. The choice is yours." SEC answered.

"I'm gonna go with the random number; I wanna see if I get lucky." Julius smirked, intrigued by the challenge.

"How amusing." SEC commented, amused by this turn of events. "Go on, take your first, and only guess."

"2567" Julius replied, as a surprised look appeared on SEC's screen. By the look of it, he had guessed correctly.

"GAH!" SEC cried out in shock. "How could you do this to SEC again?! All SEC wanted was for you to succeed, to see you bring in that paper! But all you did is reject me!" Like before, a stick of dynamite emerged from the slot on top the fuse slowly trickling down.

"Wait, before you go, I want to ask a question. Why did you have only one Shadow Pokémon?" Aelita requested.

"Ah, that's simple. Production of Shadow Pokémon has just start—" SEC explained, before its body detonated early, the two trainers shielding their face with their arms as bits of debris scratched them.

"I guess the boss of this place didn't want SEC to spill the beans." Julius deduced, brushing the dirt off his body.

"Yeah, that seams to be the case…" Aelita added, turning around and staring at the young man. "How were you able to get the code correct in a single go?! The odds of that are extremely slim."

"You wanna know the truth? I saw the number on a bit of scrap from the first SEC we saw and figured that it must be important. Guess we know what it's good for." Julius chuckled lightly, the duo entering the elevator and pressing on the buttons once more. The elevator rose up in the mountain once more, stopping at what looked like a rather small floor, consisting of two small lava pools, a path of sorts to another elevator, and yet another SEC.

"Ah, hello. I am the Security Enforcer Component, but you may call me SEC—" The machine began.

"We've already met. In fact, we had just talked to you a few moments ago." Aelita interrupted its introduction.

"…no recollection." SEC replied, its usual comical smile still visible on the screen.

"Whatever, let's get this over and done with." Aelita sighed in annoyance, reaching for a Pokéball.

"Nope, no battling. I won't let you through." SEC smirked coolly, the tentacles waving as if to mock the two trainers.

"What do you mean, you won't let us through?!" Julius demanded. "I'll have you know that we busted our asses just to get up here.

"Exactly what I said, I won't let you though." SEC repeated itself. "What's that, you think it's unfair? Boo-hoo! Life is unfair; you don't like it, you can contact the manager, which is me! I am the manager!"

"We're not leaving until we find Sensei and get out of this cave!" Aelita stood her ground.

"I said leave, now!" SEC demanded, its smirk turning into a frown.

"Move out of the way, or I'll disassemble you. I don't know how, but I'll find a way." Julius threatened, eliciting a scoff from SEC.

"Ugh! Why must you pester me so? Do you have a thing for Security Enforcer Components?" SEC inquired, as a malicious grin appeared on the screen. "Don't worry, I shame not, but I'm sharing this secret over social media as we speak—Oh what's this? I check your internet history and found something interesting. Gym Leaders Monthly; someone's been a very naughty boy…"

"S-Shut up!" Julius snapped, his cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

"Look, I have no idea what you two are going on about, but if you can blow yourself up so we can get through, that'll be appreciated." Aelita requested.

"ENOUGH!" SEC boomed, the room shaking slightly. "SEC cannot take your annoying voices anymore! You constantly pester SEC, endanger his life what that's all he wanted. You follow me up here to my final component, and you want me dead!"

"Rubbish! You've probably got several other components to hide yourself in." Julius retorted, crossing his arms.

"That's only the half-truth; while SEC has many copies, only three exist in this mountain. It'll be very, very bad times if all three get killed!" SEC interjected, before sighing to itself. "But you leave SEC no more choices…"

Like before, a stick of dynamite emerged from the top of the machine, the fuse lit up and slowly shrinking by the second. "You're both horrible, simply horrible! Aelita and Julius have hearts of stone!" SEC called out. "Sensei won't be happy to see how his top pupil has become in a few minutes."

"What did you just say…?" Aelita inquired, an uneasy feeling rising in her stomach.

"Oh, don't be so coy. You know darn well what SEC just said." SEC chimed, flashing Aelita a wink. "It could be disbelief, or denial, or stupidity; maybe even a cocktail of all three. Though we part ways here, let it be known that this ain't the last you've seen of me."

SEC soon exploded once more, sending bits and pieces scattering all over the cave, with both trainers having ducked behind a rock before the explosion. They checked to see if anyone had been alerted by the noise, before making their way to the elevator.

"Hmph, we're finally done with that annoying machine. Aelita sighed in relief, pressing the button on the elevator to open the door. "Let's just find Sensei as soon as possible; I don't wanna stick around here any longer than I have to."

"Agreed. Though the circumstances aren't the most pleasurable, I'll admit that I enjoyed hanging out with you." Julius smiled, catching Aelita off-guard as a faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"Ah…the door just opened. L-let's hop inside and continue our search!" She blurted quickly, entering the elevator alongside Julius, the former embarrassed yet pleased with the kind words, as the doors closed, and they began moving to their next destination.

 **A little short, but I wanna save the infiltration of the main base for next chapter. It'll be a most thrilling experience for you all, and for me. I hope this chapter helped establish the friendship between Julius and Aelita, despite the former's dislike of the concept. And with that, I'm gonna pull a SEC and head on out of here!**


	9. Chapter 9

**I'm back, and better than ever! Yes, this is the chapter you've all been looking for, the infiltration of Team Xen's base in Caratos Mountain. It'll have several twists and turns, and maybe even a bit of foreshadowing for the future. Either way, I hope you all have a good time!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

The elevator had ground to a halt after what felt like an eternity, its doors opening and giving both trainers a glimpse of what the road has in stock for them. They were in a lavishly decorated hallway, a few alcoves along the way that housed machines similar to the ones in the lavapits. "Woah…what is this place; it looks kinda awesome!" Aelita commented in awe, eying up the area carefully.

"Team Xen must have some pretty deep pockets if they were able to build a place like this." Julius added, looking down the hallway to see if there were any grunts heading towards their position. He knew that SEC had informed the commander of this base, who had most likely ordered some grunts to intercept them, yet for some reason, nobody was coming. Was SEC bluffing, or could they be planning an ambush later down the line? Regardless, standing around wouldn't solve anything. "Come on, we better get moving."

"Agreed. Sensei has to be here somewhere!" Aelita replied quickly, running off down the halls of the strange facility. The young man tried calling out to her, but she had already turned a corner, and opted to follow her at the same pace as her. Soon enough, Julius had entered a rather large room which had see-through glass in the center, where he could see a green liquid flowing underneath, and noticed Aelita inspecting a cylindrical machine that reached the roof. "What is this…?" she mused to herself, with Julius walking up to get a better look at it.

"I don't know. Perhaps we should leave it—" he began, his hand accidentally pressing a small green button on the console, the young man swearing under his breath. The fluid in the machine started to spin rapidly, as a small door on the bottom of the cylinder opened up and allowed a Pikachu to rise up through the fluid, with the door closing a few seconds later. The Pikachu appeared to be in a semi-lucid state of consciousness, though neither of them could say it with 100% accuracy.

"I-Is that a Pikachu?!" Aelita exclaimed, looking around the area and saw several other cylindrical machines in the room, all whirring with activity as various Pokémon were inserted into the machine and were floating in the fluid. "There's more of them here; they're keeping Pokémon in these pillars, but for what reason? They look like they're suffering…"

"My guess is that these machines play a role in turning them into Shadow Pokémon." Julius assumed, looking over the consoles for a deactivation button. "Hmmm…seems we'll have to shut them down from the master computer, which would definitely be protected by Xen Grunts—"

"Aelita?" A man's voice called out from somewhere, the girl's ears perking up upon hearing it.

"That voice! I-It has to be—" Aelita began, running down the hall with the clear glass, with Julius following right behind her, only to come face to face with Keta, standing right in front of a set of double doors.

"Oh Sensei! We've finally found you!" Aelita smiled, on the verge of jumping for joy. "I was worried sick about you; why'd you run off like that, Sensei?" She inquired.

"Aelita…" Was all Keta could answer with, speaking in a low, hushed tone. Julius knew about Keta's association with Team Xen but kept quiet about it so as to not upset Aelita any further. Though why he was here, kicking grunts in the face was still a mystery. Was he trying to hide his misdeeds? Speed up the Shadow Pokémon plan? Or trying to seek redemption? Either way, he knew that things were about to go south, based on the tone of his voice. "Y-You're such an idiot."

"Hey! That's not—H-Hey, you're hurting my arm!" Aelita cried out in surprise, with Keta firmly gripping her forearm for whatever reason.

"Back off Keta! No need to—" Julius began.

"This doesn't concern you!" Keta replied bluntly, as a pair of Xen scientists took Aelita and dragged her through the doors, the girl trying with all her might to break free from their clutches but couldn't in time. Keta soon followed the two scientists through the door, shooting Julius on last gaze before closing the door.

"It didn't before, but now it does." Julius commented to himself, making his way through the door. He had never intended on befriending Aelita but warmed up to her surprisingly quick. Besides, there was no way he was gonna leave her at the mercy of Team Xen. However, right as he was about to enter, a pair of scientists riding Klinklangs confronted the young man, the PA system crackling to life as a familiar voice spoke through it.

" _Honestly, did you really think we'd let a pair of kids walk around a highly important Xen base?"_ The voice spoke in a condescending manner, a few cameras now directed at the young man.

"Madelis…we meet again." Julius replied through gritted teeth, kicking himself for not seeing this ambush sooner.

" _Ah yes, you're that cheeky little brat who thwarted our plan to capture Melia back in Goldenwood Forest. About time I got revenge for your meddling."_ Madelis replied, her voice more confident than before. _"We knew about you two snooping around for quite some time now; SEC did notify me about it. I'm sure he told you about it, no?"_ She continued, with Julius slowly nodding in frustration.

"Then why let us be for so long? Surely it would be best to remove all threats as soon as possible." Julius inquired.

" _Easy; if we ambushed you right there and then, you would both be on high security at all times. We held back in order to lower your guard, allowing for a more planned, calculated ambush. And what do you know, it worked!"_ Madelis explained, pleased with herself over the success of her plan. _"It was easy using your ambition against you. Just hang a carrot over a horse's mouth and they'll come running. But alas, I'm afraid your efforts, however admirable they may be, end here."_

"Ha! I'm not scared of you; why don't you come down here and battle me?" Julius retorted, mustering up as much courage as possible.

" _No, not at all. I know about your exploits in other regions; battling you would only end poorly for me, at least for now that is. Scientists, take Julius to the cargo hold, now. I want them to personally witness what Team Xen is capable of."_ Madelis ordered, with the PA shutting off afterwards. In the blink of an eye, one of the scientists, fired astun gun at the young man, temporarily paralyzing him, before proceeding to escort the young man deeper in the facility.

 **0000**

The young man sat up rather quickly, his body no longer paralyzed from the stun gun. He looked around and saw a few more of those cylinders from before, as well as a few dozen cardboard boxes. This, combined with the small lavapool in the middle made the room feel claustrophobic; the metal bars didn't help the feeling. Miraculously, Julius still had his bag and Pokémon with him, though he figured it was all part of Madelis' plan to instill a feeling of false hope within him. Whatever the case, he'll throw her "kind gesture" back at her and bust out of this please. It was then that he soon noticed something sparkling on top of a cardboard box, with the young man picking it up and inspecting it. It looked to be a key of sorts and was colored a bright yellow. Julius pocketed it and made his ways to the bars, inspecting each one. But just as he was about to inspect the last set, he heard footsteps walking towards the cell. The young man backed off, and was confronted by a familiar figure.

"You were foolish to follow me, Julius." Keta scolded the young man, his gaze fixed on the caged man, before sighing to himself. "But I suppose it was foolish of me to come alone."

"Look, whatever business you have with Team Xen is none of my business. Right now, we need to find Aelita and get her out of here." Julius replied, with Keta gesturing the young man to back away from the bars. Within a few short seconds, Keta delivered a swift kick, knocking out the metal bars that Julius hadn't inspected yet.

"You really shouldn't involve yourself in Team Xen's affairs." The older man commented, with Julius nodding in appreciation before hopping out of the cell.

"Normally I'd keep my distance, but they kidnapped my mother, and I'll do everything in my power to rescue her." Julius replied quickly, with Keta's eyes widening slightly.

"So you too, have someone you're looking out for…" he muttered under his breath, attracting the young man's attention.

"What was that?" Julius inquired.

"It was nothing." Keta replied. "Anyway, we better get a move on; it's time for us to end this once and for all. Follow me, I know the way back to where you were before this happened."

"L-Lead the way then." Julius offered, allowing Keta to go first. Though he seems trustworthy now, there's no telling what he has in store for the young man. Therefore it'll be best to keep a close eye on the man during their time together in this place. Julius walked through the hallways, which were strangely quiet, save for both his and Keta's footsteps; soon enough, they both arrived back at the set of double doors from before.

"It seems that Madelis is quite the egotist…" Keta chuckled dryly. "She adorns her private laboratory with some of the finest security money can buy. We'll need four keys to open up the path to her room."

"You mean like this?" Julius showed him the yellow key he had picked up earlier, with Keta giving the young man a slow nod in confirmation.

"Yes…that is one of the keys. What an incredibly obvious and foolish place to hide a key; nevertheless, we must find the remaining keys." Keta replied, with the duo stepping through the doors and entering a massive room that had several more cylinders standing tall and ridged, with a balcony at the back of the room. There were four keyholes under the balcony, each one in a different color. Furthermore, there were four separate corridors leading in different directions, with the young man contemplating which direction to take. Eventually, he settled on the bottom-right path, since there were no guards patrolling the area. As quickly and quietly as possible, the two men went down that path and ducked into the first room they could. As expected, there were more of those cylindrical machines, however he noticed a familiar figure standing by one with a concerned expression on her face, and soon realized why she was all worked up.

"Eli…you damn fool Eli, how on earth did you get stuck in there?!" Sharon cried out desperately scanning the console for a button to fix this mess.

"Sh-Shardon…help, please…" Eli tried speaking through the viscous fluid. Sharon sighed to herself in frustration, before turning around and was surprised to see Julius one more.

"Y-You. Here, just take it." Sharon threw a green key at the young man, who caught it easily.

"Thanks, but why give it so willingly?" Julius inquired.

"We were ordered by Madelis to delay you, but as you can see, we're not in any position to do so." The woman replied, gesturing to the machine before her.

"You do know that you could end up in trouble for assisting us, right?" Keta reminded her, with Sharon sighing once more.

"True, but I don't care about that right now. Besides, I never liked that pretentious twit Madelis anyway." She admitted, not giving a damn about the consequences. "I'll just act like I lost trying to protect the damn key. Besides, she's wants you two to meet her in her tacky room anyway, so there's no point in even keeping the key away from you."

"Thanks for the heads up, we'll be on our way then." Julius replied, the two men ducking out of the room and heading back to the main room of the facility, opting to go for the bottom-left path. There were two grunts, minding their own business as they casually walked down the corridor. Julius reached for a Pokéball, but was halted by Keta, with the older man opting to creep up towards the Xen guards. Within a few seconds, he delivered a series of quick blows to the grunts, knocking them out and gestured to Julius to help him hide the bodies. "Woah, those were some impressive moves." The young man commented.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." Keta replied, with the two men diving into the room at the end of the corridor. It was a large room, much bigger than the other rooms he saw before, and housed several storage containers filled with various bits of intelligence regarding the Shadow Pokémon plan. There was also a large generator in the middle of the room, a small console resting on the front of the machine. Julius was about to inspect the machine, only to get halted once more by Keta. "Stop, did you hear that?" The older man inquired. Julius was about to ask what he was talking about, only for a speaker imbedded in the console to flare up.

" **Warning. Warning. Warning. Warning. Magma levels: Stagnate. Waiting on further instruction…"** The speaker blared, with Julius trying to make out what it was trying to say. **"Input: Madame X. Magma Status: Churning…"**

"Madame X…it seems she's overseeing the process herself." Keta muttered under his breath.

"Heh, so the Big Bad Boss Lady is here herself?" Julius commented, amused at the prospect of dealing with Team Xen once and for all. "But why would she create pools of lava in a mountain like this?"

"Carotos Mountain used to be filled with pure water and nutrient filled stone. They're using a special power to melt it from the inside out. By disabling this panel here, she won't be able to tear apart Carotos Mountain anymore." Keta explained.

"Is that so?" Julius smirked, waltzing over to the panel and began fiddling with the buttons, before pressing a red button, shutting down the generator for good. Upon deactivation, a small slot opened in the console as a blue key was ejected from the machine. "I'll take that, thank you very much!"

"Odd…why would a key be hidden in this panel?" Keta pondered.

"Perhaps there's some truth to Sharon's statement about Madelis waiting for us in her room." Julius answered, pocketing the key. "Oh well, we've only got one more key to find. Let's get a move on."

The two men exited the generator room and returned to the main room yet again, with Julius opting to go down the top-left corridor, which was empty, but the young man deduced that the guards stationed there must've changed shifts. They entered the room and saw several of those cylindrical machines, as well as what looked like a large, silver machine at the end, though its purpose was unclear. There was a computer on a nearby desk that was connected to the silver machine, with a pair of scientists working on something.

"No, set that variable to 721. We need that for later." The female scientist rebutted her co-workers' statement, with the male scientist clicking away at a few keys. The pair were soon alerted by the sound of footsteps and turned around. "Well, well, well. It seems Julius has escaped from his cell. I assume you want the red key?"

"Correct; now give it to me or else I'll have to resort to drastic measures." Julius threatened, trying to act tough, only for the scientists to start chuckling loudly.

"No, here's how it's gonna work. You go back to your cell, and neither of us have to do anything drastic." The male scientist countered the man's threat, though Julius wasn't going to back down. He took out a Pokéball from his back and sent out his Pokémon of choice, with his Yatagaryu letting out a mighty roar before glaring at the scientists, who were now quivering with fear.

"Last chance. Give us the key and we'll be on our way." Keta offered an ultimatum, with the female scientist cursing under her breath before chucking the key at them, with Julius catching it. "Much appreciated. Now we'll be on our way."

The two scientists glared at the trainers, with Julius recalling his companion and heading out of the room. Soon enough, they arrived back at the balcony and inspected the four locks. One by one, they inserted the keys into the locks and watched the stairs being lowered to their level, and quickly ran up them without a care in the world. Soon enough, they entered a massive room that was lavishly decorated, and noticed dozens of scientists sitting in rows as they were showing respect to Madelis, who was sitting on a gaudy looking throne, with Aelita sitting right beside her, tied up with rope.

"Well you two certainly took your time…" Madelis smirked, blowing her nails casually while lounging on her personal throne. "I mean honestly, how long does it take to get four keys, especially if they've been laid out for you."

"I knew this was too easy…we've been led into your trap." Keta calmly retorted, with the redhead chuckling ominously.

"Well I did have something to show you, and it would be so rude of me to keep you both waiting." She replied. "I just know you'll enjoy it, for the last remaining moments of your pitiful lives."

"Hopefully it's not as big a disappointment as that Zetta guy; he was way too easy." Julius commented snidely, with Madelis' eyebrow twitching in annoyance before she regained her composure.

"Oh, I'm sure you'll be more than satisfied with what I've got in stock for you—" Madelis began, before being cut off out of nowhere.

"Enough of this inane nonsense! Release Aelita, this instant!" Keta demanded, a hint of anger evident in his usually cold tone.

"Oh, and what if I refuse to do so? What then?" Madelis casually shrugged her shoulders, unfazed by Keta's demands. "Murder? Oh please, Keta. We both know that murder is beyond you. After all, Taelia wouldn't appreciate you going against what she believes in, would she?"

Keta soon backed down and clammed up, his bluff having been called out. Julius had no idea who Taelia was, but he assumed she was very important to Keta, maybe even the rest of Sheridan Village. Regardless, it seems Madelis had the advantage this time, and she was enjoying every moment of it.

"Now that you've quietened down, this give me a chance to inform you that the contract we created has now been rendered void. However, I'm quite the merciful woman; surrender to me and I'll forgive your past grievances." The redhead spoke casually, attracting the young man's attention.

"Contract? What on earth is she talking about?" Julius wanted an answer from Keta, but it fell on deaf ears.

"I'm not kneeling before you; get out of this place, now!" Keta demanded once more. Madelis sighed to herself, not in anger, but in annoyance, like someone who was dealing with a particularly troublesome pest.

"I guess fools never truly learn…" Madelis began, hopping up off her throne and walking slowly to the duo. "Tell me…why is it you're so insistent on protecting this girl…Aelita, was it? Back when we made our contract, you handed me a list with the names of everyone living in Sheridan at the time. I certainly don't recall seeing an Aelita there."

"Again, what is this contract you're babbling about?!" Julius inquired once more.

"Patience, Julius. You'll learn in time. Now where was I…?" The redhead brushed the question aside. "Ah yes, I was wondering why you would protect this girl, when you practically gave your entire village up to me, and then it hit me; this girl, is she by any chance your daughter?" She dropped a bombshell, with the room growing eerily quiet afterwards. As if everyone was taking the time to digest the information they were just given.

"Sensei…gave up Sheridan Village to Team Xen…?" Aelita broke the ice, albeit quietly.

"Mhm~…Your Sensei offered the lives of everyone in Sheridan Village, in return for a favor. Which is a complete contradiction of whatever you're doing right now, Keta." Madelis answered, with Julius figuring out that this must've been the contract Keta allegedly signed with Madelis, though what that favor was is still a mystery. "Of course, this all makes sense now that I've put two and two together."

"My stance hasn't changed; I will not back down!" Keta called out once more.

"How unfortunate; you're well aware of what we have here in the laboratory, right?" Madelis sighed, her mouth turning into a small smirk. "What we have here is the most powerful Shadow Pokémon to date; even more so than the legendary Shadow Lugia. Though it isn't 100% finished, it should do the job nicely."

"Oh please! There's nothing you have that could match—" Julius began, before the whole facility started shaking temporarily, with the room growing pitch black all of a sudden. A few seconds later, the lights flickered back on, with Julius now staring at a most terrifying sight. It appeared to be a Mewtwo, that was coated in a purplish-green aura that radiated an incredible power. "You've got to be kidding me…"

"Beautiful, isn't it? Just look at this magnificent specimen." Madelis proudly showed off her creation, as if it were her magnum opus. "Well Julius, you wanted something that'll make up for Zetta's incompetence and here you have it. Tremble before the power of my Shadow Mewtwo!"

"D-damn it! When this is over Keta, I'm hauling your ass back to Gearen Laboratory to report you to Jan!" Julius snapped at the older man, who ignored his outburst as the young man searched for the first Pokémon he could find and sent it out against the Mewtwo. The Pokéball opened up, with Vilucard chuckling mischievously, before gulping in fear upon locking eyes with the Shadow Mewtwo. "Look, I'm just as scared as you are, but I'm sure we can get out of this unscathed. Use Dark Pulse!" The young man continued, pointing at their opponent.

Vilucard was still a little hesitant, but it was ready to face its fear and charged up a horrible aura, firing it at the Shadow Mewtwo. The attack was a direct hit, with Julius grinning to himself, only for his grin to drop upon realizing that the Mewtwo wasn't fazed at all by the attack, swatting it aside as if it were a small slip of paper fluttering in the wind. The Mewtwo then focused its mind and formed a large cloud of shadowy air, the rooms temperature taking a sharp dip downwards. It then swung the wind towards Vilucard, who cried out in pain as it was quickly frozen by the oppressive winds. It was clear as day that it was in no shape to continue the fight.

"Ugh…sorry about that." Julius apologized, recalling his fainted Pokémon. He was about to reach for a second one, before realizing the futility of it all; there was nothing he can do against a Pokémon that was created solely to destroy all those who oppose Team Xen. All continuing the fight would do, is get more of his companions brutally defeated, which was the last thing he wanted. "I…I yield." He admitted, taking a sizable amount of his money and throwing it towards Madelis, an ecstatic look on her face.

"I'll take your meagre offering, but I'm more pleased with that defeated look on your face. How priceless." She grinned, stuffing the money in a random pocket. "Well that was a little too quick for my liking but oh well, I guess I'll be destroying you both now.

"No, you can't! don't hurt them!" Aelita called out, breaking free of her binds and running up to them. Madelis was a little surprised at how she broke free from the binds and diverted her attention momentarily, only for the sound of a punch to help her regain focus. She set her sights back to the main objective and saw Keta lunge towards the Shadow Mewtwo and deliver a few quick punches.

"You can't be serious…" Madelis commented incredulously, eying up the man in disbelief. "Do you really think you can take on my Shadow Mewtwo by yourself?"

"Aelita, Julius. This isn't over. You two must proceed to the generator room behind this room. Everything will end if you can destroy the generator. Every bit of data surrounding the Shadow Pokémon Program will be destroyed; they'll be slowed down temporarily." Keta called out weakly, continuing his strained assault on the Mewtwo.

"Oh you treacherous fool. Had you wanted me to kill you, I would've been happy to oblige." Madelis replied to her former sub-ordinate, turning to face the two teens. "You two are more then welcome to try and destroy the generator. But you won't succeed; it's an impossible feat."

"C-Come on Julius, we've got to hurry!" Aelita called out, snatching the young man by his arm and running off to the generator room. They continued running down various halls, hoping to avoid any carefully placed ambushes Madelis might've set up. Soon enough, they entered a small room that was empty, save for a small door that most likely lead to the generator room. "B-Before we go on Julius, I have to apologies for not clarifying things earlier. It's true, I am Sensei's daughter, but I doubt that wasn't obvious." The young girl said, taking a few quick breaths to recover.

"No, I should be the one apologizing. I knew your father was in cahoots with Team Xen, yet I kept quiet so as to not upset you." Julius apologized as well. "I was trying to be considerate of your feelings, but I knew it was wrong of me to not immediately report this, despite the lack of collaborating evidence."

"Look, we can talk about this later. Right now, we have to shut down the generator!" Aelita interjected, with the duo diving in through the door. The generator room was uncomfortably hot, more so than the rest of the mountain. There was a large pool of lava that the back of the room, with something that appeared to be the generator they were tasked with disabling, a panel of sorts standing right near the lavas edge. The duo quickly made their way to the panel and began inspecting it, trying to figure out how to switch it off, only for both of them to get a better look at the generator itself.

"W-What is that?!" Aelita cried out in shock, pointing at the generator. It bore a striking resemblance to the Legendary Volcanion, but was much smaller than the books said it was. It was colored a pitch black, with splashes of yellow all over the place. There was a pained expression on the poor beings face, as several pipes were protruding from its body, channeling water and lava to a massive orb resting above its body.

"That? Oh that's the generator." A familiar voiced echoed throughout the room, with the duo turning around as they saw Madelis and her Shadow Mewtwo walk up to them. "Enough! Keta was a fool to try and stand up against Mewtwo, but he didn't listen. All his recklessness got him was an early death. The fool couldn't even take a punch without dying; extremely embarrassing if you ask me."

"No…That can't be…" Aelita spoke quietly to herself, falling to her knees and started sobbing quietly, with Julius kneeling beside her, resting his hand on her shoulder to comfort her.

"My, how touching. A shame that you'll be dying in a few moments." Madelis smirked coldly, crossing her arms.

"That may be so, but if I am gonna die today, I'll make sure to bring you down with me…" Julius spoke slowly, rising up and confronting the wicked admin. "I don't know what on earth you did to this poor Volcanion, but I'll make sure to repay the favor!"

"Oh that thing? Wanna know a fun fact about it? It was originally going to be our strongest Shadow Pokémon. However, it resisted our efforts far easier than we anticipated, try as we may, we just couldn't do it. So instead of wasting all our efforts by throwing it away, we converted it into something else; a living generator to power this place up. Carotos Mountain used to be filled with pure water; we could've used hydroelectric powering, but I wanted to see Volcanion and Keta suffer for defying Team Xen's ambitions. So we planned on melting the mountain down, take anything of value that we could, and then as a final gift to Sheridan, we'll release the magma onto Sheridan, killing everyone there." Madelis monologued, breaking down into hysterical laughter.

"Y-You're a monster…" Aelita growled, wiping her tears away and regaining her composure, standing right back up.

"True…but what does that make you two?" Madelis taunted, angering Aelita to the point where she leapt down the balcony and confronted the Xen admin.

"Julius, take care of the generator. I've got some personal business with these two…" Aelita called out.

"It'll be my pleasure." Julius replied, making his way to the panel and started pressing away at buttons.

"Please, you can't just shut it off by pressing random buttons; it's a living generator, you'll have to kill it in order to stop it. Do you have the courage to kill a poor, defenseless creature, even after calling me a monster?" Madelis scoffed haughtily.

"Nope, I won't be murdering it. I'll be putting it out of it's misery." Julius retorted, his clicking alerting the Volcanion, who let out a weak roar, creating a Dimensional Rift that sucked up the young man.

 **Dimensional Rift**

"Ugggh…I don't think I'll ever get used to this." Julius groaned, wearily getting up off the floor and analyzing his surroundings. He appeared to be in a room similar to that of the generator room; indeed, he felt the all-too familiar heat in the air and saw several machines and pipes scattered throughout the room. Right by his feat, resting on a small bit of scrap was a small data chip, much like the other ones he's seen before. Inserting it into his CyberNav, he downloaded the file, titled Code: Statia and pocketed the small chip before walking down the small path and confronting the Volcanion, who had a pained expression on its face.

"Don't worry, I'll make this end as quickly as I can. Go, Yatagaryu!" The young man called out, sending his trusty starter to deal with the Dimensional Pokémon. The Volcanion charged up a ball of pulsating water before firing it at the Stormbringer Pokémon, who dodged it easily, though the ball did explode and shower over the magma, creating a thick blanket of steam in the air. With its visibility limited, Yatagaryu had no option but to hold back and wait for the steam to dissipate. However, the Volcanion took this opportunity to keep firing Water Pulses into the air so as to keep the cloak of steam in the air the young man was frustrated at the turn of events presented to him, until he was hit with a few drops of condensation coming from the pipes above him, his mind struck with a dose of inspiration.

"Keep dodging the attacks until its time; you'll know what to do then." Julius commented, with Yatagaryu known what its trainer intended to do. It flew around the arena, baiting the living generator to fire at it before dodging the incoming attacks. The air grew muggier and muggier as the rate of condensation intensified, water dripping down from the pipes in several areas, with Julius knowing that it was time. "Use Thunder!" He called out.

The Yatagaryu charged up a high amount of electricity in its body, before unleashing it towards the Volcanion, the water droplets getting charged with static electricity. The massive bolt struck the Dimensional Pokemon, causing it to cry out in pain as its body was racked with an insane amount of electricity, before giving in around half a minute later. The Volcanion shot Julius a weak look of gratitude, thanking the man for putting it out of its misery before closing its eyes for the last time, the Rift disappearing shortly afterwards.

 **0000**

Both Julius and Yatagaryu groaned to themselves, wearily getting up before being confronted by a Gothitelle, the young man recognizing who it belonged to. As Julius congratulated his companion and recalled it, he took the time to survey the result of his handiwork. All around them, they could hear the alarms blaring, an automated message ordering all personnel to evacuate the premises. Julius was about to get up and leave with Aelita, when the Gothitelle gestured him to look to where she was pointing and was treated to a sight most satisfying. The Shadow Mewtwo from before was pinning Madelis to the wall, a look of fury in its eyes.

"What have you done to me? What have you done to my body?!" The Mewtwo demanded, its hands grabbing Madelis' collar firmly, as a familiar girl tsked casually and walked up to Madelis.

"Heh, seems as if you underestimated me yet again." Crescent commented casually, with the Xen admin desperately trying to break free from Mewtwo's grip.

"What did you do to my Mewtwo?!" Madelis demanded an answer.

"Nothing. As you said so yourself, Mewtwo isn't finished. As you may know, the hearts of Shadow Pokémon open up the longer they remain Shadow. This process must've been sped up by Mewtwo's resistance." Crescent replied, shooting Madelis a malicious smirk. "And now you're paying the consequences."

"Look, I'm all for punishing her for her crimes, but shouldn't we be getting out of here now?" Julius called out, attracting Crescent's attention.

"You shouldn't be throwing yourself in other people's affairs, Julius. If you do, you'll end up like this girl here." Crescent retorted, gesturing to the unconscious body of Aelita, lying beside the wall. "Not to worry, she isn't dead, just unconscious. Still, you do raise a fair point about evacuation being mandatory. Gothitelle, get these two out of here." The graceful lady requested, with her Pokémon obeying the order, coating both trainers in a blue aura before teleporting them out of the area. As it did so, it let out a quiet chuckle, attracting Crescents' attention.

"What's with the laugh…Gothitelle, what did you do?" Crescent inquired, with the Astral Body Pokémon doing a quick curtsy, a bemused smile on its face.

 **Perfect place for a cliffhanger, don't you think? I figured it'll be best for me to do smaller chapters as it's not as draining on my focus and helps me brainstorm ideas for upcoming chapters. Anyway, the next chapter should have the true battle with Keta, and it's gonna be quite the thriller, so stay tuned for that exciting battle.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Well here you go, the next chapter of my Pokémon Rejuvenation fic, all nice and tidy for your liking. It'll have the battle I promised you at the end of the previous chapter, as well as some extra content for your liking. A shorter note than usual, but I don't wanna leave you all hanging.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Somewhere very distant…**

A group of three people were sitting back on their plush sofas pondering on what their next move would be, following the news of the destruction of the Mt Carotos base. Two of them, the purple-haired woman and the man with the black trench coat from the S.S Oceana incident had quiet, tranquil looks on their faces, but the third member was absolutely livid, his fists shaking with rage.

"What the hell is going on here, Nastasia?!" He snapped, leaping out of his seat and slamming his fist on the table, glaring at the purple-haired woman. The young man wore a neatly made, fancy red and black suit; his short black hair done up in a cowlick style and had a few red highlights in it. "We've been losing important assets left and right ever since the attack on the S.S. Oceana, one of them being Melia, the most important of them all! What are we supposed to do now that we've lost something so vital to our operations?! Furthermore, that buffoon Zetta has been captured by Crescent! Need I remind you he's the only one capable of creating the Dimensional Rifts?"

"Compose yourself, Geara." The man with the trench coat replied, his hand in the air. "There's no need to shout, we can hear you just fine."

"Don't shout?! Given our situation, I think I'm damn well entitled to shout as loud as I want, Neved! That complete mongoloid Madelis failed her mission as well. How are you two so calm about this?!" Geara hissed at the man, leaning over the table as the door opened and a fourth person entered the room, that being Madelis herself. "Speak of the devil…"

"Oh, sod off Gearea! I'm in no mood to deal with you right now." Madelis retorted, crossing her arms in frustration.

"Like you have any right to tell me to shut up!" Geara rebutted, eyeing the redhead dangerously.

"Geara, shut up, now." Nastasia sighed in annoyance, with the young obeying the order, gritting his teeth in frustration. Nastasia soon redirected her attention back at Madelis, the latter gulping quietly in fear of what could happen next. "It's great to see that you finally showed up after that embarrassing defeat you were dealt. Mind giving us a little insight?"

"Ugh. I need a drink. There, that's your insight." Madelis retorted coolly.

"Madelis, I think it would be beneficial for all of us if you answered Nastasia's enquiry." Neved suggested, with Madelis sighing heavily to herself before beginning her explanation.

"Very well…long story short, I got caught up with a traitor." She began, piquing the purple-haired woman's attention.

"A traitor you say? Who are they?" Nastasia inquired.

"Keta; he tried retaliating against me in the lab, but I disposed of him." Madelis answered, with Geara chuckling lightly to himself.

"Pffft, you let an old man get the best of you? Pathetic…" he snarked, a twisted, arrogant smirk on his face.

"Obviously not." Madelis retorted. "Anyway, after I dealt with him, I went after the children, but they inflicted too much damage to the system by the time I arrived at their location."

"…Are you telling me that children, CHILDREN are responsible for your failure?" Nastasia leant in closer, her tranquil face hiding a serious anger, with Geara laughing like a lunatic at the news, before a glare from the former shut the man up.

"No, not completely. Crescent showed up after I was about to get rid of them." Madelis concluded.

"Crescent…" Nastasia muttered, pondering what to do about Team Xen's most troublesome foe. "But what of the children? They must be rather powerful if they were able to take out a Dimensional Rift."

"Their names were Julius and Aelita, the former of which was responsible for interfering with Zetta's plan in Goldenwood Forest." Madelis answered.

"If that's the case, then we should dispose of them accordingly, preferably as soon as possible." Nastasia replied.

"They're troublesome foes; we should plot their movements—" Madelis began.

"Screw that!" Geara interrupted the redhead, causing her to huff in annoyance. "Nastasia, let me handle them! I'm bored being stuck in this room all the time."

"Very well, you may do as you wish." The purple-haired woman agreed, with the young man pumping his fist in victory.

"Agreed, we can't afford to anger Madame X any further." Neved agreed as well.

"Yeah, that'd be—" Geara began, before being cut off by the sudden appearance of a bright light, hovering right above the table. Once it died down, the four Xen admins were surprised to see Julius standing there, the young man looking all around him. "What the?!"

"Hey, I'm just as surprised to see you as well. Not that it matters, I'm just thankful to you all for being here. Saves me the trouble of searching this place to kick your asses." Julius chimed in, winking at Geara.

"T-That's him! That's Julius!" Madelis cried out, pointing directly at the young man.

"Oh, it's you, decided to cower back to you boss after getting your precious Mewtwo defeated?" Julius smirked, with the redhead gritting her teeth in anger.

"Geara, apprehend this man immediately!" Nastasia ordered, with the black-haired man rolling up his sleeves.

"Don't worry, I'll get him!" Geara replied, walking back before running towards the table. Julius soon warped right out of the room catching Geara off guard, as he proceeded to slide on the table and crash land on the floor, with the other admins surprised by the young man's sudden appearance and disappearance. "Fuck!" Geara roared, slamming his fist on the ground in anger.

 **Sheridan Village:**

The place was as serene as it usually was, as if there hadn't been a secret base hiding nearby the whole time, with the eldest keeping an eye on the young trainers practicing. Just then, Aelita ran up to her, a tired and confused look in her eyes. "Still nothing from Julius?" The eldest inquired.

"No…It's been a week since the incident, yet I haven't seen or heard from Julius." Aelita confided.

"I'm sure they'll turn up eventually—" The eldest began, before a bright light appeared over the arena, surprising Aelita as she moved closer to investigate it. When the light died, it revealed itself to be Julius, who looked around and sighed in relief upon being in familiar territory.

"Julius!" Aelita cried out, running up to the man and gave him a brief hug before backing off. "Where have you been? You were gone for a week…I was worried sick, you know?"

"M-My bad…I didn't intend for you to worry about me." Julius apologized, scratching the back of his head, before realizing what she just said. "Wait, did you just say I was gone for a week?!"

"Yeah, you were completely gone for a week, not a single word or sighting of you." Aelita answered.

"T-That can't be right…I remember warping to what appeared to be Team Xen's base of operations, before being warped right here, all in the space of a few minutes." Julius exclaimed, scratching his hair in confusion. "Ah what does it matter? I'm back here safe and sound, and that's all that matters right now. By the way, how are you coping with the loss of your father? Is there anything you need to get off your chest?"

"…I'm coping just fine, thank you very much." Aelita's voice took on a more somber tone. "I know he's done some terrible things, but I don't think he wanted to do them in the first place. Besides, if it weren't for him, I don't know what would've happened to us."

"Yeah, I owe him my thanks as well." Julius replied, a small smile on his face.

"Since he's not here anymore, I'll be strong and carry his legacy for him. I'm sure it's what he would've wanted." Aelita continued, her voice now coursing with renewed vigor. "That aside, I've spent the last week helping the Eldest find a way to purify Shadow Pokémon, and I think we found a solution!"

"Really? Well then lead the way." Julius replied, as the duo made their way to where the eldest was waiting. Granted, he wouldn't be able to capture them, since Melia had the Snag Machine and she…wasn't here so to speak. Still, it wouldn't hurt to see what they were talking about, just in case he finds an alternate way to capture them. A short while later, they arrived at the front of the village, at a small inlet of land where a statue of Celebi rested, with the eldest focusing her attention on the young duo.

"It was once said that Sheridan Village had the power to open one's heart and mind. Indeed, it is hidden somewhere in Sheridan, away from those who would seek to exploit it." The eldest began her gaze focusing on the Celebi statue.

"Ironic, a place meant to open oneself has been closed off." Aelita commented.

"I think I see where you're going with this; you believe that this power can open a Shadow Pokémon's heart, purifying them." Julius deduced.

"Precisely…" The eldest replied, gesturing the young trainers to come closer to the statue and touch the head. Upon doing so, the trio were warped to what looked like an isolated spring, a thin layer of fog in the air. To the sides were a few trees and other assorted plants, all withered with age. There was a path straight ahead, with several ruined columns lining the path, one of them having already fallen over to the ground, with another Celebi statue at the end.

"Woah…who would've thought a place like this was hidden somewhere in Sheridan?" Aelita cooed in awe, eying up the tranquil location with rapt attention.

"Considering how we've spent who knows how long in a stuffy volcano, this is a welcome relief." Julius added, his mind now at ease, possibly as a result from the air in this spring.

"I see you two are rather fond of this place…" The eldest smiled at them, before clearing her throat. "Welcome to the Spring of Purification. This is the sacred grove Sheridan Village has protected for hundreds of years. The spring may not be as powerful as it once was many years ago, however it should be capable of purifying Shadow Pokémon."

"Nice." Julius smiled back. "Is there anything we need to do before hand?"

"We'll need to bless this area by calling the Voice of the Forest, otherwise known as Celebi." The eldest answered. "It's a temporal being that shares its power to purify evil beings."

"How fascinating." Aelita chimed in. "So what do we have to do to call it?"

"Allow me to show you." The eldest replied, turning to face the Celebi statue and kneeled before it, praying quietly. The air grew eerily silent, yet still retained its welcoming aura as everyone waited for the Mythical Pokémon to arrive. Seconds turned to minutes, yet it remained elusive. Eventually, a small light shone in the area, as Celebi appeared before the trio.

"I-It's here!" Aelita exclaimed in shock, her eyes focusing on the small being before them. Julius was also surprised to see the small being, despite his encounters in Tandor all those years ago.

"Celebi, mighty Voice of the Forest. Please bless this shrine so that we may purify Shadow Pokemon." The eldest requested. Celebi took a few seconds to make its decision before chirping happily, its small body glowing brightly as the area was blessed with its powers, the withered plants restored to their full glory. "Thank you for your hard work and kindness, Celebi."

Celebi chirped happily once more, gazing momentarily at the young trainers before flying off to who knows where. "I-It's leaving just like that?" Aelita asked, a little confused.

"Celebi cannot stay in one place for too long. After all, it looks over all of Aevium and the other regions with its time-traveling powers." The eldest explained, turning to face Aelita once more. "Now Shadow Pokémon can be purified here, once their heart is completely open."

"Excellent!" Julius chimed in. "Of course, it'll be tricky getting them since my friend had the Snag Machine when she disappeared."

"Not to worry, there's a solution to your predicament." The eldest reassured the young man. "Seek out the next heir to the Blakeory Corporation, a young girl named Saki. From what I've heard she's a genius when it comes to designing and creating machines. I'm sure she'll be more than happy to help you out; she's visiting Akuwa Town for a few weeks."

"I see…in that case I'll have to make a detour to wherever she's residing." Julius replied.

"So, I guess that means you'll be leaving here and continuing your journey." Aelita turned to face Julius, the young man detecting a hint of sadness, before the young woman brushed it aside. "I just wanted to wish you the best, okay?" She beamed, a warm smile on her face.

"Not to worry Aelita, you're more than welcome to leave the village if you desire." The eldest informed her, noticing her brief moment of sadness as the lavender-haired maiden's ears perked upon hearing the news.

"Really?! Do you mean it?" Aelita cried out in joy, her eyes sparkling as the eldest gave her a slow nod. "Yay! Thank you eldest!"

"You're welcome; don't worry about Sheridan, I'll take care of it while you're gone." The eldest replied. "However, I must warn you two; to get to Akuwa Town, you must go through Goldenleaf Town. The people there are not too keen on visitors, which I'm sure Julius can attest to."

"Yeah, as a citizen of the town, I can't say I approve of their attitude towards outsiders." Julius admitted, crossing his arms under his chest. "Don't worry, I'll make sure nobody hurts Aelita."

"Thanks for the offer, but I can handle myself; I'll just have to plan my movements carefully. Anyway, gotta get ready for my trip, see you later!" Aelita smiled, waving at the duo before proceeding to leave the Spring.

"You're free to leave here as well, I feel like spending some time here on my own." The eldest informed Julius, who bowed in respect before proceeding to follow Aelita out the Spring. Shortly after exiting the spring, he walked off the small inlet, only to be confronted by a familiar figure.

"Impressive, you've done well so far, Julius. I wish to talk to you in Amethyst Grotto." Keta's soul commented, outstretching his arm towards the young man. "I can take you there if you wish."

"Well I don't have much planned for the rest of the day, so I guess it couldn't hurt." Julius accepted the offer, taking his hand as they soon warped back to the grotto. When they arrived, the first thing Julius noticed was that the altar was glowing faintly for some reason, though the stone pedestals were still bare as the day he first saw them.

"It's been a while, hasn't it?" Keta's soul quipped. "Though you couldn't see me, I was able to see what you were able to accomplish. Unfortunately, Keta was not able to walk out alive as you and Aelita did."

"I-I'm sorry, I tried to rescue him, but—" Julius began, with the spirits raising his hand to cut the young man off.

"No need to apologize, we were prepared for this outcome." He replied. "Having said that, his death means you cannot receive a badge from him, correct?"

"A badge—oh yeah, I completely forgot about that!" Julius exclaimed, mentally hitting himself for forgetting all about it, though given the circumstances, it was kinda understandable.

"I too wish to leave the realm of the living; if you can put my soul to rest with a battle, I shall create a new badge for you." Keta's soul offered. It was a most perplexing offer; after all, how would the badge be legally verified by the standards of the Aevium League? Still, it wouldn't hurt to try it out, just to see if it would work.

"Very well, I accept your challenge." Julius agreed, moving to the other side of the altar. "How does 4-on-4 sound?"

"I was just about to suggest that." Keta's soul replied, materializing a Pokéball out of thin air. "Hitmontop, stand by for battle!"

"Pajay, I choose you!" The young man called out, both trainers sending out their Pokémon. The Pajay was a large bird covered in red feathers, that had green and yellow plumes stemming from the white facial mask. Additionally, its feathers were coated in a flame-resistant substance that prevented the fire streamers trailing its body from burning it. It rested on a nearby branch and preened itself, as it watched the Hitmontop spin in place before hopping up onto its legs.

"Hitmontop, kick things off with a Rock Tomb!" Keta's spirit called out. The Handstand Pokemon picked up a nearby rock and threw it in the air, before proceeding to spin on its head at rapid speeds. The force of its legs shattered the rock, breaking it into dozens of smaller rocks that were picked up by the centrifugal force, before being launched towards the Pajay, who flew off the branch in time to avoid the rocks, though was scraped by a couple of the smaller ones. Once it took flight, the Pajay slashed the air with its wings, creating a blade of wind that struck the spinning Pokémon, causing it to lose concentration and stagger on the spot, with the Phoenix Pokémon diving straight towards it, crashing into the smaller Pokémon. The Hitmontop cried out in pain as it was flung back a few feet, but was able to pick itself off the ground and brushed the dust off its body.

"Impressive, but I'll take more than that to best me. Mach Punch, Hitmontop." Keta's soul ordered, with the Handstand Pokémon snapping back to focus, before launching a series of blindingly quick punches to the large bird, squawking in pain as its body was assaulted with several consistent, albeit weak punches. However, it soon brushed the punches aside and flew into the air, flapping its wings in a frantic enough manner to generate a stream of potent flames and directed them at the Hitmontop, landing a direct hit with the smaller Pokémon shielding its face from the flames. Shortly afterwards, the Pajay took flight, performing a quick loop before charging at the Hitmontop at impressive speeds, striking it head on as it crashed into a nearby boulder, the Handstand Pokémon knocked out from the one-two combo.

"Yeah, how'd you like that?" Julius grinned, with Keta's soul replied via a small smile.

"That was but the first of my Pokémon, but the second shall be your demise. Pangoro, ready yourself for battle!" Keta's soul retorted, recalling his fainted Pokémon, before sending out his next option, the bulky panda cracking its knuckles and started glaring at the large bird.

"Heh, this'll be easy. Pajay, use Air Slash once more!" Julius called out, with the large bird taking to the skies once more and swung its wings down in order to create a blade of wind, only for the Pangoro to predict the attack and deliver a swift but powerful punch, sending the Pajay hurtling towards the ground, crashing into a nearby flowerbed and got knocked out to the young man's surprise. "B-But how?"

"Caught you off guard, didn't I?" Keta's soul smirked casually, as a shocked Julius recalled his fainted Pokémon. "Normally, a Pangoro can't learn Sucker Punch. But as this is the Aevium League, a trainer must be able to expect the unexpected, if they are to succeed in their endeavors."

"Is that so? In that case, I guess I better repay the favor. Luxelong, I choose you!" The young man retorted, sending out his second Pokémon for this battle. It was a rather unique specimen, with a predominantly green and white body that ended in a curly tail. Its face and body resembled that of a small dog, a pair of yellow wings resting right above its forelegs, though they only served an aesthetic purpose. Its most notable features were the large green and yellow ears it had, that were able to pick up even the most minute of sounds. Keta's soul raised an eyebrow at the sight of the creature; while it looked gentle and peaceful, it probably has plenty of power under its visage. "Why don't we start things off with a Calm Mind?"

The Luxelong nodded slowly and closed its eyes, dispelling all troublesome thoughts from its mind. Pangoro knew that it'll be dangerous to let the enemy set up and opted to retaliate with a Karate Chop in order to break its focus. The attack landed, causing the Luxelong to wince momentarily, before shaking its head and getting right back to clearing its mind. This had got the Pangoro thinking on what exactly its typing was and what to do next, when a brilliant idea formed in its mind. It soon reared it's fist, which was now cloaked in a shiny silver aura, and punched the Fortune Pokémon at speeds faster than a speeding bullet, causing the small Pokémon to cry out in pain as it was flung back a few feet, before slowly getting back up on its feet.

"Not bad, you figured out Luxelong's typing. Too bad it won't do you any good, use Moonblast!" Julius called out, with the Fortune Pokémon standing on its hindlegs in response, the small dragon using its impressive ears to draw in lunar energy. The Pangoro panicked momentarily at the sight, charging up another Bullet Punch in the hopes of interrupting its attack. However, all that mental recuperation the Luxelong did paid off in the end, as it fired a blast of lunar energy from its mouth, striking Pangoro head on, the large panda roaring in pain as it was flung back several feet, crashing into a nearby tree and got knocked out as a result. "Alright! Now that's what I'm talking about."

"It seems I was right when I said you were a capable trainer. But how will you fare against my Hawlucha?" Keta's soul replied, recalling his fainted Pokémon and sending out his next combatant, the masked bird stretching its wings and getting into a combative stance. "Kick things off with a Flying Press!"

The Wrestling Pokémon agreed, quickly scrambling up the nearby tree and began running off the branch towards its opponent, leaping off of it and diving towards Luxelong. The small dragon dodged the attack in the nick of time, only for Hawlucha to rebound off a nearby rock and dive towards it once more, landing the attack this time as the Fortune Pokémon was pressed into the soft earth, barely managing to roll out from underneath its opponent. Upon regaining its footing, it stared directly at its foe and opted to go for a Dragon Pulse, arching its back to make itself look larger than it really was. The Hawlucha got up off the ground and shielded its body with its wings in an attempt to reduce the damage from the incoming attack, a tactic which was somewhat effective. Shortly afterwards, Luxelong took a moment to catch its breath, giving Hawlucha an opportunity to make a comeback, the nimble bird bolting towards it and delivering a powerful Aerial Ace, causing the small dragon to cry out as it was flung back a few feet, before barely managing to get back on its feet.

"Luxelong, use Moonblast to finish this fight!" Julius called out, knowing full well that it couldn't last longer and wanted to finish it as quickly as possible so that he can sub it out to give it a rest. Agreeing with the idea, it once more stood on its hindlegs and began drawing in lunar energy, albeit slower than last time. Hawlucha, knowing that a direct hit from a Moonblast would be devastating, opted to charge towards it, its wings glowing in a silver aura. The Wrestling Pokémon had gotten right up to Luxelong and was about to strike, when the latter finished charging its attack and fired it at the opponent, creating a large explosion that ensnared both Pokémon, sending them flying in opposite directions. They struggled to get up, shooting each other once last glance before collapsing to the floor, ending in a draw. "You went above and beyond in this battle, you've earnt a nice rest." The young man consoled his companion, with Keta's soul doing the same to his Hawlucha with the both of them recalling their Pokémon, the young man noticing that the spirit was starting to fade from reality, as if he was on the cusp of passing into the next life.

"I-I can feel it, I'm close to reuniting with her!" Keta soul chimed in, his voice filled with elation as he reached for his last Pokéball. "Come on Sawk, we can do this!"

The feisty blue Pokémon popped out its Pokéball, locking eyes with Julius and got into a combative stance, much like Hawlucha did. The young man knew that the best option would be to go tit for tat and send out a Fighting-type Pokémon, and he knew just the one for the job. "Luchabra, time to wrap things up!" Julius called out, the bulky Chupacabra emerging from its Pokéball and staring down the Karate Pokémon, eager for a good fight.

The Luchabra flexed its muscles, bulking itself up to boost the power of its attacks, with the Sawk standing there and biding its energy, waiting for the perfect opportunity. Once it has sufficiently bulked up, the Luchabra barreled towards its opponent, delivering a swift Poison Jab to the Sawk with the Karate Pokémon flinching in pain while keeping its ground. Shortly afterwards, the Sawk retaliated, grabbing Luchabra's arm and hoisting it into the air before throwing it to the ground, the large Pokémon hissing in pain before getting back on its feet. Letting out an enraged roar, the Chupacabra Pokémon tackled the Sawk, pinning it to the ground and punched it a few times, with the Karate Pokémon kicking its opponent off its body and retaliated with a sweeping kick, sending the large Pokémon staggering back a few feet.

"Follow up with a Thunder Punch!" Keta's soul suggested, the Karate Pokémon agreeing to the idea, cloaking its fists with static electricity and delivering a swift punch to its foe, damaging it but wasn't able to paralyze it, with Luchabra smirked in response. Picking up the Sawk with relative ease, the Chupacabra Pokémon ran for a short while before leaping into the air and slamming the slender combatant into the ground, creating a sizable impact crater with a cloud of dust blanketing the air. When the dust settled, it revealed to everyone present that the Sawk was knocked out, yet Keta's soul wasn't sad; in fact, he was pleased with the outcome. "I see…so this is how it would be." He smiled, recalling his fainted Pokémon.

"Yeah, now that's what I'm talking about!" Julius cheered, with Luchabra posing proudly in a victorious manner.

"Heh…finally, I can see the light, a warm light that engulfs my soul." Keta's soul commented, his spirit fading at a quicker pace than before. "I no longer have any regrets in this world, as a thank you for granting me my last wish, I shall give you this."

A small light briefly emanated from Julius' closed fist, before dying down a few seconds later. The young man opened his hand and saw a metal badge in the design of a crystal-clear diamond, adorned with a few orange streams at the bottom. "T-Thank you." Julius replied.

"No need to thank me; I am eternally grateful for all that you've done for me. However, the world is in peril; Team Xen must be stopped." Keta's soul informed the young man, the spirit disappearing from sight, with the wind carrying his last few words. "Because if you don't…everything will cease to exist."

"Don't worry Keta, I'll put a stop to them." Julius promised, walking away from the arena alongside his Luchabra, before a quick rumbling halted them in their spot. They turned around and noticed that a statue of Keta appeared out of nowhere, resting atop one of the empty pedestals. Additionally, one of the five orbs on the center altar was now glowing a vivid green. The duo gazed at the odd sight, stepping a few feet closer to get a better look; however, a sudden chill in the air gave them the idea that it was best left alone and opted to head back to Sheridan Village for a well-earned rest.

 **And that's two gym badges acquired thus far; a nice milestone for my fic. I will say that I am looking forward to the upcoming chapters, as it's one of my favorite parts in the game, so you know you're in for a treat. I'll catch you all next time, everyone.**


	11. Chapter 11

**So, after that exciting gym battle, I figured a nice, slow chapter should even things out and give everyone a break. Be warned that things will intensify in the chapters following this one, which will be a joy to write.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Following a well earnt rest, considering what he and his Pokémon went through the last few days, Julius resupplied at the local store and made his way through the gate to Route 3. It looked like every other gateway in the region, however there were a few posters on the wall, warning travelers to steer clear of Goldenleaf Town, the young man sighing quietly to himself before he heard someone come in from the Route 3 entrance.

"Well would you look at that, I spy a Julius with my little eye!" Amanda called out, waving briefly at the young man as he approached her.

"It's been a while since we last met, Amanda. How have things been going for you?" Julius inquired.

"Not very good actually; both Melia and Professor Jenner have disappeared for quite some time now, leaving poor little Jan swamped with angry letters. I do hope those two come back from their impromptu vacation." Amanda recalled, a tired, exasperated look on her face.

"About that…did you know that Professor Jenner was a member of Team Xen?" The young man informed the administrator, her weary face doing a complete 180 as she burst out in derisive laughter.

"Seriously!? If that was your attempt at a joke, then it falls pretty flat!" Amanda guffawed, clutching her sides as a few small tears of joy fell down her cheeks. Julius was somewhat surprised and a tad bit suspicious over how she reacted to the statement; no regional admin would treat a serious accusation like it was a cheap joke. A few seconds later, she seemed to have recovered from her bout of laughter, wiping the tears away. "Ah…I really needed that. Anyway, how many badges do you have so far?"

"Well I have two badges now; do you want to check their validity?" Julius answered somewhat hesitantly, concerned that she might not accept his latest badge due to the circumstances upon which he acquired it. But the intrigued look on Amanda's face told him that somehow, the badge was in fact, legitimate.

"I see you've taking to the Aevium League pretty well; I'd battle you, but I've got some other things I have to deal with back at Gearen Laboratory. I'm sure you'll finish the Aevium League by the end of the year, at the rate you're going. I will warn you though, most upcoming trainers give up by the time they reach Goldenleaf Town, before making their way to the leader nonetheless." Amanda complimented the young man.

"I hear you; not to worry though, as I was born there, I should have an easier time there." Julius reassured the admin.

"That's good to here! Here's hoping you find some success there. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get going." The redhead farewelled the young man, making her way towards Sheridan Village, possibly to confirm Keta's death. Though Julius appreciated her support, he was still put off slightly by her flippant attitude towards his statement regarding Jenner. She didn't ask for proof supporting his claim, she didn't snap at the young man for accusing the professor, she didn't even ring up Jan and inform him of the situation. As suspicious as it was, he thought it would be best if he ignored the incident and continued his journey.

As with all the other routes he's seen so far on his journey, Route 3 was a feast for the eyes. There were several large patches of grass situated besides a wide river, at around 3 meters wide. The trees that stood beside the branching dirt path stood tall, and were in the midst of blooming, as evident by the swarms of various Bug-type Pokémon pollinating the flowers. The young man knew that this only made up the first half of the route; the second half had trees with golden leaves, much like Goldenwood Forest, albeit a few shades darker. Both sides were separated by the river, making it a border of sorts between Goldenleaf territory and Sheridan territory, with a majority of the trainers staying on the latter side for obvious reasons.

Julius made the trek down the path, taking care not to bother any of the Bug Pokémon in the midst of pollinating the flower, when he soon stopped by what looked like a small encampment set up by a few travelling merchants. He questioned why they would set up here, even if it was temporarily; there was no way a Goldenleaf citizen would buy goods from an outsider. Still, it wouldn't hurt to check it out, the young man focusing on a cute young lady advertising various sweets.

"Ah, welcome, welcome. Care to buy anything today?" The lady called out, with the young man walking up to the stand. "We just got some Sweet Hearts imported from Unova."

"Do you? In that case, I'll take a few boxes of them." Julius replied, getting the necessary amount of money for the transaction.

"Sounds like someone's got feelings for a few lucky people." The vendor giggled, preparing the boxes and exchanging them for his money. "Thank you very much sir. Have a nice day!"

"You too!" Julius said his farewells, packing the sweets into his bag and leaving the temporary market. He continued his walk down the path, past a fork that branched towards the left, when he was soon distracted by the sound of someone dancing on the spot, turning his gaze and was met by a most unusual character. He was fairly tall and had rainbow-colored hair that reached his shoulders. His outfit consisted of a black long-sleeved shirt with a red stripe running down it, and a pair of neon purple tracksuit pants.

"Ah, have I finally met the one who will satiate my desire for a heart-pounding battle?" The man asked, walking up to Julius. "Oh I can tell that out battle will be one that would get every fiber, every muscle in my body to move to the beat."

"I don't know if I can satiate you, but I'm down for a quick battle." Julius agreed to the proposal.

"Marvelous! Your charisma, your devotion and your strength are all magnificent. Fitting for a champion as young as you. I am Rorrim B, and you, Julius, remind me of my son, so full of life!" Rorrim B introduced himself, striking a pose. "Now let us dance! Ludicolo, time to bust a move, baby."

Julius watched in mere amusement at the sight of the Carefree Pokémon dancing on the spot, a goofy grin on its face as he chose which Pokémon he'll start off with. "Harptera, why don't we show them some real moves?" The young man called out, sending out one of his oldest companions. It was a large dragonfly, with six wings and six legs attached to its thorax. Its head featured two yellow eyes, sharp mandibles, and what appeared to be two bolt shaped spikes above its eyes. It also had a long tail that ended in a sharp spike.

"Ah, what a marvellous specimen you've got there. But can it compare to my Ludicolo? Use Scald, darling." Rorrim B ordered, the bulky Pokémon rubbing its hands together briefly before firing a jet of boiling hot water from its mouth. Harptera nimbly dodged the attack and shot up into the air, diving towards its foe as its tail started to glow a light green. It slashed the Ludicolo, causing it to cry out in pain as it staggered back a few feet. However, its curled its hand into a fist, and punched the dragonfly at incredible speeds, the insect hissing in pain as it was dealt a surprising amount of damage, more than the damage Ludicolo was inflicted with.

"Wait, it gets Counter?" Julius inquired, the young man surprised by the potent counter attack.

"Why of course darling, it learns Counter. Not many trainers opt to teach their Ludicolo the move, but that's what makes me stand out from the crowd!" Rorrim B replied, his voice brimming with confidence. "Time to slow that pest, use Ice Beam!"

The Ludicolo rubbed its hands once more and fired a blast of bone-chilling energy at the dragonfly, who tried dodging it but had its tail struck by the beam, freezing it solid. Harptera got up in the air and started buzzing loudly, its body glowing as the ice on its tail shattered from the noise. A few seconds later, after it had finished charging up energy, it dove towards the Ludicolo, its body cloaked in a harsh white aura, and proceeded to crash into the Carefree Pokémon, sending it flying several feet back before landing right before its trainers' feet, knocked out from the attack.

"Oh my, your strength is rather admirable…" Rorrim B commented, recalling his fainted Pokémon before making his way towards Sheridan Village. "Though my heart was satisfied with this battle, I never want to see your face again as you have soiled my pride. And with that, I say adieu, Julius." He continued, waltzing down the path with a rhythm in his step, leaving the young man amused, yet mystified by the man.

Shrugging the encounter off, the young man walked over a wooden bridge and reached the Goldenleaf side of the route, the environment a lot different from the rest of the route. The grass was a vivid gold, the same shade as the leaves on the trees and the flower patches were more sparsely placed. A few trainers from that side soon confronted the young man, shooting him vicious glares as if telling him to leave, with Julius reaching into his pocket and showing them his identification card, as proof that he was a citizen of Goldenleaf Town.

"For a minute, I though you were some filthy outsider." One of the "guards" replied, moving aside. "You may pass."

Nodding in appreciation, the young man continued on his way, making sure not to bother the citizens any further as they appeared even more worked up than usual. Perhaps an outsider got by their ever-vigilant eyes; either way, it really wasn't his concern. He continued down the dirt path, crossing over another bridge and soon arrived at the gateway to Goldenleaf Town, the metal bars lowered into the ground, which surprised the young man. Even more surprising was that Aelita was relaxing by the entrance, seemingly unharmed by the patrolling citizens.

"Oh, Julius! You made it!" She called out, running over to the young man.

"Aelita, I know you can handle yourself, but I really think you should consider taking a detour; Goldenleaf Town is incredibly dangerous for an outsider." Julius warned her once more. "I know a way that goes around the town; it'll take longer but its less dangerous."

"No worries; I'll zip right through the town as quietly as possible. By the time you've had your happy reunions and whatever, I'll be all the way in Akuwa Town. See you there!" Aelita winked at the young man, speeding off through the gateway, narrowly missing a second young man, one who Julius knew all too well.

"Oh, Julius. It's been quite a while." Ren called out, walking up to his childhood friend.

"So it has Ren, how have things been going on your end?" Julius inquired.

"Not too well, mate. Not a day goes by where I don't kick myself for failing Melia back in Amethyst Cave." The raven-haired teen admitted, with Julius shooting him a sympathetic look.

"Yeah, I've spent quite some time wondering if there was anything we could've done differently that day." Julius added, keeping his hunch to himself so as to not instil a sense of false hope. "That aside, have you made any progress in your goal to change our towns way of thinking?"

"Negative; the only people I had some relative success in that area were my family, and even they seemed a little hesitant. The others either ignored me, or yelled some choice words at me." Ren continued, wincing upon mentioning the abuse hurled at him.

"I see…in that case, would you like me to lend a helping hand? I'm sure we can make some progress together." Julius offered, a warm smile on his face, only for Ren to shake his head at the offer.

"Nah. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate your offer, but I intend to save them myself, to prove that I'm not some weakling." Ren rejected the offer, as a bright idea formed in his mind. "There is something you can do for me that'll help; battle me. I wanna see the fruits of my labor."

"Alright, I have some time to spare." Julius agreed to the proposal. "If anything, this'll prepare me for the Goldenleaf Gym."

"O-Oh, yeah, I forgot about that." Ren stuttered momentarily, with the two trainers getting into position. "I already know that I won't have much luck against a League Champion, but I want to see how long I can last against you."

"Then allow me to make the first move, Harptera, standby for battle!" Julius called out, with the dragonfly making a second appearance. Though it was slightly tired from the previous battle, it still had more than enough energy to fight.

"Hmmm…in that case, I'll choose you, Sableye!" Ren called out in response, the short humanoid emerging from its Pokéball and wearily eyed up the large dragonfly. "Let's kick things off with Confuse Ray!"

The Sableye's crystalline eyes glowed ominously, a beam of light firing from them and struck the dragonfly, causing it to close its eyes as its body began to hover hap-hazardly over the ground, swaying side from side. The Harptera attempted to retaliate with a X-Scissor but knocked its head against a tree branch and staggered back a few feet, shaking the stinging sensation away. When it reopened its eyes, it saw the small creature running towards it, its claws cloaked in a shadowy aura. It slashed at the dragonfly, causing the large insect to hiss in pain as it flew back a few feet, and continued hovering over the ground.

"Perhaps we should try something different; how about a Drill Run?" Julius suggested. The Harptera agreed to the suggestion, and flew up into the air, wrapping its wings around its body before proceeding to spin its entire body at incredible speed, its tail pointed at the Sableye. The small humanoid tried to avoid the attack by running as fast as its small legs could allow it and though it tried its best, it wasn't able to get away in time, as Harptera crashed into it, sending it flying in the air. The large dragonfly ceased spinning and flew towards its foe, its tail glowing and proceeded to smack the Sableye with it, causing it to cry in pain before crashing into the dirt path, knocked out from the 1-2 combo.

"I see why you're the champion, mate." Ren cracked a smile, recalling his Pokémon and selecting his next combatant. "But perhaps my Houndoom can make a comeback." He continued, sending out the vicious canine who proceeded to snarl at the dragonfly. Harptera eyed the canine up wearily, knowing what it was capable of, but was still confident enough to challenge it, flying straight up in the air and attempting another Drill Run. The Houndoom stood patiently, waiting for the right moment to dodge the incoming attack with the Harptera getting closer and closer to its target. But just as it was about to hit the ground, Houndoom dodged to the left and fired a jet of searing hot flames, striking the insect head on as it crashed into the ground a few feet away, knocked out as a result of the super-effective hit, alongside the damage it took from the previous battle.

"Not bad Ren, he was one of my strongest companions." Julius praised the young man, recalling his fainted Pokemon and reached for a second one. "But allow me to show you the real Alpha of the pack. Go, Herolune!"

The bipedal dog emerged from its ball and let out a mighty howl, twirling its bone in the air and pointing it at the Houndoom, who growled back in response. In an instant, the latter lunged at its foe, firing another jet of fire at its foe, only for Herolune to twirl its bone a such high speeds, that it shielded itself from the attack and proceeded to throw the bone towards the Houndoom, striking it on the head as it staggered back a few feet and shook its head. Growling louder than before, it conjured up a ball of shadowy aura in its mouth, launching it at its foe with Herolune using its thick forearms to block the attack. Though the attack left some scuff marks on Herolune's arms, it was more than capable of continuing the match, lunging towards the Houndoom and punching it in the gut, causing the dark canine to howl in pain as Herolune recovered some energy from the attack.

"Guess we have to pull out the big guns then; use Solarbeam!" Ren called out, his Houndoom regaining its composure and stood rooted to the ground, drawing in sunlight and began charging up an attack. Julius, knowing that this next attack could decide the course of the battle, opted to had Herolune go for another Drain Punch, with the Vigilant Pokémon opting to do so. It got on all fours and bolted towards the Houndoom, who saw what was coming and tried charging up energy as quickly as possible in order to finish its foe off, but was struck by Herolune's fist a few seconds later, the dark canine howling in pain as it skidded on the grass besides the path for a few moments before stopping beside a tree, unable to continue fighting.

"Alright, guess we now know who the top dog is." Julius smirked, with Ren recalling his fainted Pokémon.

"True, but I was just getting started. Now it's time for me to get serious, Scrafty, teach this do-gooder a lesson!" Ren sent out his next Pokémon, the small hoodlum emerged from its Pokéball and shot a disinterested gaze at the Vigilant Pokémon. "A quick Bulk Up should be the most suitable course of action."

The Scrafty stretched its arms in the air and started doing a few warm-up exercises to strengthen its muscles, the Herolune watching cautiously. Once it had done its brief warm-up, the Scrafty shuffled towards the bipedal dog as fast as its stubby little legs could carry it, before leaping up into the air and landed a kick directly at Herolune's head, causing the large Pokémon to fall on its back, winching in pain from the attack. But the Herolone was able to recover from the attack and used its bone to trip Scrafty over, delivering a swift kick to follow-up its initial attack. Scrafty, now annoyed at this point got back up on its feet and dealt a swift punch to Herolune's torso, the large dog wincing in pain as it clutched its stomach, glaring at its cocky foe.

"It'll take more than that to best us; use Close Combat, Herolune!" Julius recommended, the Vigilant Pokémon recovering from the punch. It charged at the Scrafty at surprisingly quick speeds, launching a frenzied barrage of punches and kicks at its foe, the Hoodlum Pokémon doing everything in its power to withstand the relentless onslaught. Its perseverance paid off, as Herolune ceased its attack and took a few moments to catch its breath, giving Scrafty an opportunity to launch a counterattack. It stepped back a few feet and charged towards its foe, its head glowing a harsh orange; it leaped up off the ground and rammed its head into Herolune's snout, creating an explosion that sent both combatants flying backwards and crumpling on the ground, the both of them knocked out from the attack.

"Talk about an impressive way to finish that battle." Julius chimed in, both trainers recalling their Pokémon.

"Indeed, but I still have one last trick up my sleeve, and it'll be what will secure me my victory. Go, Greninja!" Ren called out, throwing his Pokéball. The nimble frog leapt out of its ball and got into position, awaiting Julius' first move.

"If you wanna play the speed game, I've got the perfect opponent for you. Go, Gellin!" Julius retorted, sending out what may be the most unique Pokémon, Ren has ever seen in his life. It had a squishy body, coated with a semi-permeable membrane and had six legs that looked rather nimble. It had horseshoe-shaped organelles on either side of its head, on each of its legs and on its tail. It also has large green mitochondriae on its forehead and back but lacked any facial features whatsoever. Its head turned to face Greninja, as if it was curious at the sight of the frog.

Ren was taken aback by the sight of this critter; just what type was it exactly? He figured that it'll be best to use his strongest moves and see where things go from there. "Use Scald, Greninja!" The raven-haired teen called out. The Greninja closed its webbed hands together, firing a blast of boiling hot water at its foe, who dodged the attack with such fluidity it was as if it were made out of water and proceeded to scuttle towards the frog at rather quick speeds. But it was the bolt of lightning that emanated from the organelles by its head that surprised Ren the most, the bolt striking his Greninja, who cried out in pain.

"Ack, it's an Electric type? In that case, we better try more evasive tactics. Use Smokescreen!" Ren called out, his companion breaking out of paralysis and emitted a thick blanket of fog from its more, temporarily blinding the amoeba. The Gellin lowered its head to the ground, sniffing to find out where its opponent was, before it was soon caught off guard by a barrage of Water Shurikens striking its body, sending it stumbling and falling to the side. It quickly got up and saw its foe perched atop a tree branch and began scuttling towards it, narrowly dodging any incoming shurikens and launched another bolt of lightning at the frog, striking it directly and paralysing it, giving the amoeba a chance to follow up with an Energy Ball, drawing in natures power and firing the green ball at the stunned Greninja, knocking it off its branch as it crashed onto the grass, knocked out from the series of attacks.

"And that's game, set and match!" Julius cheered, the Gellin waddling towards him and rubbing itself affectionately against his legs, the young man congratulating his companion before recalling it, as Ren recalled his fainted starter as well.

"Heh, you're still as strong as I remembered. At the very least, I managed to hold my own against a champion, so I should be able to defeat Narcissa after a little more training. I thank you for your assistance, but I must do this alone. After all, it's the main reason why I started out my Pokémon journey to begin with." Ren thanked the young man, walking back inside the gateway. Julius attempted to run up to him but was cut off by the metal gate rising up, preventing him from entering the town.

"Damn it!" Julius cursed, kicking up a bit of dust in frustration. He knew just how durable that gate was; not only did it stand strong even when a Machamp attacked it with full force, it was able to withstand a Flamethrower from a Magmortar on account of its fireproof coating. He started thinking up ways to deal with it, when an interesting thought popped into his mind; what if he were to use a potent acid to dissolve the metal? Liking the idea, he had a hunch on just who would know the most about acidic compounds and began the arduous journey back to Gearen City.

 **Gearen City**

The young man spent the next half hour searching for Venam in the vast city, knowing that if anyone would have an idea on what compounds can dissolve steel, it'll be Venam. He had checked out the gym, her house and even Gearen Laboratory but to no avail. It was then that Gellin started sniffing the pavement casually, rearing its foreleg and pointing over in the direction of the Abandoned Sewers entrance.

"Did you find a lead?" Julius inquired, with the amoeba nodding its head slowly. "Great work! Let's head on over there!" The duo proceeded to make their way to the factory, running down the stairway and into the sewers. Unfortunately, the scent Gellin was following was now masked by the various other aromas wafting about in the air, with Julius sighing to himself in slight annoyance.

"This may take a little longer than I hoped…" he muttered, gesturing for Gellin to follow him as they began their arduous quest in the sewers. They walked down several paths that twisted and turned in various directions, crossing over the sewer water a few times, only to wind up at a dead end of sorts, fairly far away from the main generator room. Julius was about to turn around, when he noticed that Gellin seemed transfixed on the wall for some odd reason. "Is everything alright?"

The Gellin raised its head, sniffing what looked like a rune in the shape of a distorted gear, a yellow glow emanating from the center. The young man moved closer to the rune, when he was soon struck with an uneasy feeling, as if he wasn't meant to touch it, lest he suffer severe consequences. Mustering up the courage to continue, he recalled Gellin and touched the rune, a surprised yelp emanating from his mouth as his body was enveloped in a yellow aura and was soon warped away from the area. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in some sort of lavish courtyard, far larger than any he's ever seen before. There was a very large mansion nearby, easily towering over the houses in Goldenleaf Town. He also noticed that it seemed to be raining fairly heavily, the dark grey clouds indicating that it'll keep raining for quite some time. A few feet away from him was the front gate, with three people taking a closer look at the gate, one of whom he recognised.

"What the…where the hell are we?! What's going on here?" Venam exclaimed, eying the gate up carefully.

"I don't know, but it seems that we're not in the Abandoned Sewers anymore." Luca replied. She was around Venam's age, had shoulder-length brown hair, and wore a simple black dress that reached just below her knees.

"Either way, I don't think we should be here anymore…" Lenny suggested, nervously looking side-to-side. He had short black hair, and wore a blue jacket, a black undershirt and black tracksuit pants.

"Oh, come on now Lenny, where's your sense of adventure? We could find some valuable loot in this place!" Luca chimed in, with Julius making his way to the trio. "See? Even he's interested in exploring this place."

"Sorry to interrupt your business, but may I speak with Venam?" Julius requested, the purple-haired girl turning around upon hearing her name.

"Julius, it's nice to see you again." Venam called out, a little less cheery than her usual self, though she seemed to have recovered from Melia's death pretty well, a part of her was still in mourning. "Good thing you came here when you did, we were about to inquire the owner of this place about their illegal residency, and having you act as back up would help us out a lot."

"I can work with that, after all I do have a favour to ask of you, but that can wait for later." Julius agreed to the terms. "But what's this about illegal residency?"

"The rules go that anyone who wants to live in Gearen City has to go through me first, especially when it's inside MY sewers!" Venam explained the point, adding emphasis to her argument.

"But I though Jan and Zumi were in charge of the city, and any residency issues." Lenny chimed in, only for Venam to hush the young man into silence.

"Details, details. Either way, we gotta get that gate open, but it's shut tighter than a miser's purse. Which is why we'll have Julius scout the area for any alternate openings." Venam retorted, looking at Julius in a comically pleading manner. Not wanting to can any unnecessary trouble, he agreed to the request and started exploring the area, before finding something that caught his attention; a small rock imbedded in the hedge with a small plaque that read _Password No.3: 8187_. Writing it down on his small notebook, he proceeded the move the rock out of the hedge, creating a hole that was just big enough for him to crawl through. He got on his knees and crawled under the hedge, wincing internally over his pants getting covered in wet grass and fallen leaves before emerging on the other side and made his way to the gate.

"You may enter, madam." Julius put on a posh accent and bowed before Venam, who chuckled a bit at the joke.

"Nice, that's one gate down…and another one to go. Great." She called out, narrowing her eyes at the second gate. "Julius, you're on recon duty again."

"Aye-aye, captain." Julius retorted, exploring the newly opened area for any possible entrances, his eyes focusing on a small building nestled right by the hedges. Upon entering the small building, his eyes started scanning the sole, empty room of the building for any possible hints, be it a password, or a key. He soon spotted a few cracks on the backwall, and went closer to inspect them, pressing lightly on the wall with his foot to see if it would give way, and it did. Taking in a deep breath, he kicked the wall a few times causing it to crumble as a new pathway was opened, one that lead through the hedge once again. "And here we go again…" He sighed, getting on his hands and knees again and crawling through the hole. Like before, the ground was littered with leaves and stray blades of grass, both of which stuck to his soaking wet pants, but eventually he made it to the other side and proceeded to try and open the gate, but it wouldn't budge an inch.

"Shit, the gate won't open." He muttered under his breath. "The gate's shut, you'll have to go the long way around. There's a small building to the right with a broken wall, go through the hedge and you'll arrive on the other side."

"Oh boy, the sneaky way! Sounds like fun!" Luca cheered, with Venam and Lenny sighing in annoyance before following her to the small building and entering it, reuniting with Julius a minute later.

"When we get inside, you better find the key to that damn gate, or else you'll be buying me dinner for a month, got it?!" Venam warned Julius, her once lovely outfit now covered in leaves and dirt, with the young man quickly nodding in compliance. "Good, glad we got that sorted." She smiled, her mood doing a 180.

"L-Let's just get inside and deal with this as soon as we can." Lenny called out, with the group making the short trek to the mansion's front entrance. Venam and Luca tried opening the doors to get inside, but soon found out they were locked as well.

"Great, another locked door. That makes it what, two keys we have to find now?" Venam commented, an annoyed look on her face as Luca's eyes soon lit up.

"Look over there, that window's wide open! We can get in from there." Luca exclaimed, pointing to a window to the left of the front door.

"I-I still think we shouldn't be here…" Lenny replied, the young man sporting a concerned expression on his face.

"Will you just chill out? Nothing bad's gonna happen, so stop worrying so much!" Luca retorted, the young girl going through the window and into the building, with Lenny sighing to himself in defeat before following her through the window.

"Well Julius, its just you and me. I'll see you inside once your ready." Venam smiled at him, hopping through the window to join her friends inside. The young man stepped closer to the window, when he was soon struck with an uneasy feeling, as if something seriously bad would happen if he trespassed. Figuring that he should warn the other three, he went through the window and right inside the mansion.

 **A bit of a cliffhanger, but this is where one of the game's highlights begins. Not only will it feature some intense action, but it'll be the debut of one of my favorite characters in the game. I know I'm looking forward to it, and I hope you are as well.**


	12. Chapter 12

**It's time everyone, for the epic exploration of Chrysalis Manor. It'll be quite a blast for everyone involved, be it me the writer, or you the reader. I know I had a fun time with this chapter, and I hope you had a good time reading it as well.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Upon entering the large mansion, the first thing Julius noticed was just how quiet it was inside. Asides from the faint pit-pattering of rain outside, there was nary a noise to be heard inside. The main lobby was devoid of life, save for the four adventurers who were eyeing up the vast area before them. The tiled floor was now soaking wet as a result of water dripping down from the young teenagers, creating quite the health and safety hazard, not that any of them cared about it.

"Good grief…this place is fancy. I wish my place was more like this, maybe then I wouldn't butt heads with my mom so often." Venam commented in awe, eyeing up the various paintings that hung off the walls.

"Who knows what valuables are lying around in here…" Luca chimed in, her eyes darting across the room in search of valuables.

"Come on now, we really shouldn't be looting anything here. It's bad enough that we trespassed here in the first place, but your plan will only make things worse." Lenny interjected.

"Why not? They're the ones who muscled here onto our turf to begin with, it's only fair we came to collect our rent." Luca snapped, glaring at the meek young man.

"Will you two cut it already?! You'll give us away with your incessant shouting!" Julius hissed quietly at the duo. "Besides, for all we know this could be the hideout for Team Xen or some other terrorist organization."

"Settle down everyone, I've got this under control. We just need to keep—" Venam began, her sentence being cut off by the sounds of loud footsteps making their way to the lobby, as the doors to the hallway slammed open with such force that the young man was surprised they didn't fly off.

"Who's there?!" A voice angrily demanded, as a middle-aged man with medium length blonde hair entered the lobby, eyeing up the group of intruders. He wore a white, long-sleeve button up dress shirt, and a pair of black, formal pants. "Tch…insolent pests."

The man walked up towards the group of four, with Julius gulping quietly to himself. This man gave off some serious red flags in his demeanor, putting aside his justifiable anger. Additionally, he had this nagging feeling that he's seen this guy before, but can't remember when or where. "And what exactly are you four doing in MY mansion?" The man demanded an answer.

"We're here to collect your rent, you bum. This is OUR turf you set your mansion upon." Luca retorted, outstretching her hand as if to demand compensation for the man's actions, only for the adult to chuckle in a mixture of amusement and contempt.

"Is that so? You lot deliberately passed through both LOCKED gates, invaded my personal space, and have the audacity to demand rent from me?!" The man replied, his anger rising with each word. "You blathering, entitled idiot. You can't just waltz into someone's home and demand money for no reason. I want the four of you out of this place, now!"

"As you wish sir, I apologize for my friends' earlier comments." Julius accepted the request, not wanting to further antagonize the man. He started making his way back through the window, only stopping when he noticed the other three weren't following him. "H-Hey, what's keeping you three?"

"Oh no, you are NOT backing out of this Julius." Venam dragged the young man back to the group and confronted the older man. "Listen old man, you're on my property, and I demand compensation for it!"

"Hmph, and I was willing to be merciful today…" The man grumbled to himself. "I gave you all a chance to leave, yet three of you spat on my generous offer, while keeping the fourth one from doing what he was told. The consequences are on you."

"I-I may not have wanted to break in here, but I'm willing to stand by my friends, even when facing harsh punishment." Lenny boldly declared, only to clam up when Julius shot him a terrifying glare.

"Whatever." Venam scoffed at Lenny's declaration, turning to face the older man once more. "What's your name, anyway?"

"My name is Indriad. Indriad Theolia." The man introduced himself. "Not that a worm like you has any right to ask such a thing.

"Ok, Mr. Theolia, we have a lot of things to discuss, such as your monthly rent for living on my turf." Venam informed him, a smirk appearing on Indriad's face.

"Ah, but we do. We certainly do." He replied, a cold yet calculated look on his face. "Tell me, have any of you children heard of the Dual Prophecies?"

"I think I've heard about it. Did it have to do with a prophecy of light, and one of darkness, where four lights and four darknesses clashing with each other for the sake of the worlds future?" Julius inquired, an interested look appearing on Indriad's face.

"Close, but not quite. There are two statues in my front yard, each one detailing a different prophecy; one of light, and one of darkness. Rather than clash against each other, they both go hand-in-hand. In the prophecy of light, the world is a paradise, but in the prophecy of darkness, the world is in utter despair." The man explained.

"Uhh…okay? Why are you telling us this?" Luna asked bluntly.

"…In the prophecies, eight people are mentioned. Four Lights, Four Darknesses, like what the young man said earlier." Indriad continued, ignoring Luca's rudeness.

"Pffft, what a terribly clichéd scenario. Let me guess, they're chosen heroes and villains?" Venam called out, muttering the first sentence under her breath.

"Not chosen, rather they're the ones who fit the description, though it doesn't necessarily mean one individual." Indriad continued once more, with Lenny shifting around impatiently.

"And this description is?" Lenny inquired, wanting this all over and done with as soon as possible.

"Irrelevant; I have nothing else to say to your four for now." The older man ignored the question and got back to his initial train of thought. "Since you all refuse to leave, I'm afraid that I've taken drastic measures to see that you all do not escape."

"No escape…? Great, thanks a lot you three…" Julius dryly retorted under his breath, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"Wait, what the hell do you mean?!" Venam demanded an answer, with Indriad chuckling ominously at the question.

"Exactly what I meant. My lovely servants locked the gates and blocked all passageways in between, while I talked about the Dual Prophecies." Indriad smirked, as a panicked expression appeared on Lenny's face.

"Y-You're trapping us here, after wanting us to leave?!" Lenny cried out.

"Trap? I never said anything about trapping you here. After all, you lot decided to stay here, well three of you at least; you did keep the last one from leaving, over some silly debt you felt I owed you."

' _Great, now I'm stuck here for the rest of my life, all because I couldn't wait for Ren to finish his business in Goldenleaf Town.'_ Julius thought bitterly to himself.

"If you think we're gonna give up, just because you locked the gates, then you're dead wrong!" Venam boldly declared, with Luca chiming in to voice her support. "If we have to use violence to get out of here, then so be it!"

"Charming, but I'm not that ignorant. If you wish to play the game that way, then I'll cheat." Indriad coolly retorted, snapping his fingers in the air, as four maids appeared right out of nowhere and firmly gripped their prisoners in their hands.

"What the hell are you playing at Mister?!" Venam demanded.

"Away with them, we'll need them later for our little ceremony." The older man ordered, the maids bowing in respect.

"C-Ceremony?" Lenny squeaked in fear, before he was soon teleported out of the room, with Luca and Venam following suit. But just as the fourth maid was about to do the same, Indriad raised his hand in the air, signaling her to stop.

"Is there a problem, Master Indriad?" The maid inquired.

"He's been the most respectful of the bunch. Additionally, he—" Indriad began, before stopping himself for some unknown reason. "Forget it, take him away."

"As you wish…" The maid replied, resuming what she had started and warped Julius out the room. Indriad had an intrigued look on his face; there was something special about that young man, this Julius as the purple-haired girl put it, and he intended to find out what it was.

 **0000**

"Ugggh…" Julius groaned in discomfort, slowly getting up off the floor and checking his immediate surroundings. It appeared to be someone's bedroom, and was empty for the most part, save for the bed, a bookshelf, and what looked like a white cube on the carpet. As he was about to take a closer look at the cube, a voice caught him off guard.

"H-Hey, are you feeling ok?" It called out, the young man turning to the left to find the source of the voice. Right beside the door was an adorable young girl, who could've been no older than 12, with medium length blonde hair that reached her back, bright blue eyes and had a fairly petite frame. Her outfit consisted of a long sleeve, button up black shirt that had a white bow on the collar, a black skirt and white stockings that were topped off with black loafers.

"I'm fine, thank you very much, sweetheart." Julius replied, his mind and heart already enamoured with the girl, though not in a romantic way. This young girl before him was the definition of innocence, causing a few emotions previously thought lost to resurface within the young man. Truth be told, he had always wanted a little sister, but opted to keep said feelings inside him, out of fear of looking like a deranged creep. If he had to stay by her side during whatever trial Indriad has in store for him, then he'd be more than happy to do so.

"I already completed your trial for you, mister. If you're smart, you'd leave now." The young girl told him.

"No can do, I've still got my friends to rescue." The young man admitted.

"I-I see…if my father found out that I rescued you…he'd do terrible things to me." The girl commented sadly, a new resolve building up inside Julius.

"Not to worry, I'll make sure he'll never harm you if push comes to shove." Julius declared, flashing a smile at the young girl, who was taken aback slightly by it, and gave a small smile back. For some reason, she felt something odd within the young man, as if he genuinely meant what he said.

"It's decided, I'll help you get your friends back. After all, we need each other if we are to succeed in our individual goals. I'm sure that's fine with you?"

"I'm more than fine with your proposal. By the way, the name's Julius. What's yours?" The young man introduced himself.

"My name is Maria…nette. Marianette, that's right." The young girl introduced herself, with Julius picking up on her slight hesitation. "As you may know, I'm Indriad's daughter. I'm only ten years old, but I'm very clever for my age. Therefore, we can help each other out."

"Alright, what do you need help with?" Julius inquired.

"My father's room is on the top floor of this mansion. All we have to do is speak to him, but I want to do the speaking, it'll be better for us in the long run." Marianette informed him, before she let out a small cheer. "Yay! Julius and Marianette, teaming up to take down the forces of evil!"

Julius could help but chuckle at her eager demeanour; for the first time in a long while, he felt genuinely happy, if only because of Marianette's influence. Though it may only be for a while, he was gonna enjoy his time with his "little sister", with the two of them exiting the room to begin their epic quest.

The walk to the upstairs floor was a lot quicker than the young man expected, merely a few flight of stairs they had to traverse up. They had arrived at an imposing set of double doors, a maid standing guard in front of them. "You aren't supposed to be up here…" she calmly reminded Julius, a casual yet serious look in her eye.

"Don't worry about him, right now I wish to speak to my father." Marianette requested, the maid furrowing her brow.

"Your father isn't seeing guests at the moment—" The maid began to speak.

"Guests? B-But I'm his daughter…" Marianette trailed off, her voice now filled with a tinge of sadness, as her feet started shifting unconsciously on the spot.

"—That extends for you too, Marianette, no matter how much you try the pity act." The maid finished her sentence from before, the young man caught off-guard by her cold demeanour.

"Isn't there anything we can do to let us through, anything?!" Marianette requested, if not pleaded with the maid eyeing up the duo, before sighing calmly to herself.

"There is one thing you can do, and that is completing my trial. There's a maid who's been slacking off recently. I want you two to find her and convince her to fix her act up." The maid informed them.

"Ugh, you maids are all the same with your trials, but if it will grant me an audience with my father, then so be it." Marianette huffed, turning around and gesturing Julius to follow her. "Listen, I don't know how to explain this, but the maids here share some similarities with my father, namely that he loves putting me through these trials, like they were simple mini-games. However sometimes these trials can get incredibly…dangerous."

"So he's willing to risk your life, all for his amusement? What a sick bastard…" Julius muttered under his breath, shivering slightly in disgust.

"It's not all for his amusement though, he likes testing my mind to see just how clever I am. That being said, if we want help from the maids, we'll have to complete a trial; a world full of neverending games…" Marianette replied, grumbling the last sentence under her breath, attracting the young man's attention.

"In that case, I'll be more than happy to lead the way." Julius told her, the young girl agreeing with the idea and followed the young man downstairs, the two of them making idle chatter while going through their trial. "You grumbled something under your breath earlier, is something the matter?"

"I'm just tired of all these trials and games that I have to do day in and day out. I want a normal life, like what you have." Marianette admitted, double checking to make sure nobody else heard her.

"I hear you, though I wouldn't call the last few weeks normal." Julius chucked lightly, the duo arriving downstairs and opted to check the right wing first. "Between my mother getting kidnapped, and getting caught up with Team Xen, it's been one heck of a ride."

"Ah, y-you still have a mommy…?" Marianette inquired, hiccupping faintly before lowering her gaze to the ground. "I-I lost my mommy a while ago…"

"I'm so sorry to hear that…" Julius expressed his condolences, subconsciously putting his arm around the young girl and embraced her, with Marianette accepting and returning the kind gesture, a little surprised by how warm the hug was.

"T-Thank you…" Marianette replied, wiping a tear away before regaining her gusto from before. "Come on, we've got a trial to solve, and I think I know where that troublesome maid is!"

"Well then lead the way, Maria—wait, are you ok with that?" Julius asked.

"Oh, yeah I'm fine with it." Marianette replied, the young girl liking her new nickname, though for some reason it felt…familiar to her. "Anyway, I believe she'll be in the pantry. It's fairly isolated from my fathers' study, so it'll be a suitable spot for slackers."

The young girl escorted her guest through the dining room, past the kitchen and towards a door in the northern half of the wing. Quietly, she opened the door and immediately spotted a different maid slumbering on the white couch in the room, showing not a single care in the world. "Huh, didn't realise your pantry was big enough to fit a couch in it." Julius commented.

"Surprised, aren't you?" Marianette giggled, walking up to the lazy maid, lightly nudging her on the shoulder, the maid stirring in response before waking up and sitting herself upright.

"Ugggh…what do you want now?" The maid inquired, slightly irritated from being woken up.

"The maid upstairs wants you to stop slacking and get back to work, so that we can speak to my father." Marianette explained the situation to the maid, who eyed them up wearily.

"Ah, a trial, is it? Teehee, trials are fun, aren't they?" The maid chuckled lightly. "Tell you what, I'll go back to my post, IF you complete a trial for me. Do we have a deal?"

"Another one?" Marianette asked incredulously, before huffing in annoyance. "Fine, we'll do your trial. What is it then?"

"I lost something in the courtyard; find it for me to complete my trial." The maid informed them, lying back down on the couch and drifted off to sleep almost immediately, denying the duo an opportunity to learn a bit more about the trial. The duo briefly looked at each other before they began making their way to the courtyard.

"I see what you mean now, Maria." Julius commented, trying to figure out what exactly they had to find. "Got any clues what to look for?"

"Heh, I already know the answer to that." Marianette smiled to herself, her gaze fixated on the maid's bare wrist. "We just need to find her bracelet, specifically the one each maid was given by my father upon the start of their employment."

"Impressive, you really are as clever as you say you are." Julius complimented her, a sense of pride coursing through the young girl's body. "So shall we begin searching the courtyard?"

"We'll need something to deal with the rain, like an umbrella. There's a couple in the small bin besides the front door, right over there in fact." Marianette informed the young man, upon the duo's arrival in the main lobby.

"Nice, this'll make things easier for the both of us." Julius borrowed an umbrella, opening the door and stepping out, as he opened the umbrella and held it in his hand, gesturing at Marianette to step under it.

"Thanks, but won't you get cold from the rainfall?" the young girl inquired respectfully.

"Nah, I'll be fine. I've dealt with worse weather in my journeys." Julius reassured her, as the duo began searching the spacious courtyard for the bracelet. They spent a good fifteen minutes scouring the courtyard, with Marianette, sticking close to the statue by the small pond, while Julius searched the various bushes in the area, until the young girl had a 'Eureka!' moment and went over to Julius with her discovery.

"The bracelet, I found it!" Marianette informed him, a sense of glee in her voice.

"Really, where is it?" The young man inquired, with Marianette pointing to the hedge near the right-side windows to the lobby, where a small bracelet was nestled on top of the shrubbery. "How did it…?"

"It doesn't matter right now, I need your help retrieving it." The young girl told him. Julius got up off his hands and knees and made his way to the hedge, standing on the tip of his toes momentarily so he can retrieve the bracelet.

"Gotcha!" Julius smirked, hopping back down and handing the bracelet to his companion. "Here you go; all thanks to those keen eyes of yours."

"Thanks, now let's get this back to her, pronto!" Marianette cheered, with the duo quickly making their way back to the pantry, their loud entrance awakening the slumbering maid, who groggily eyed them up.

"Oh my…that is the bracelet I lost. Thanks for getting it back for me." The lazy maid smiled, taking the bracelet from Marianette and putting it back on. "As promised, I'll get back to my post. Now if you'll excuse me…"

"Don't let me hold you." Julius said, stepping back so that the maid can hop up off the couch and make her leave. "Nice, we work well as a team."

"We do indeed." Marianette agreed with the sentiment, gesturing Julius to follow her. "Come on, we've got some business with my father to attend."

The duo took their leave as well and made the trek back up the stairs and to the entrance to Indriad's personal study and was confronted by the maid from before. Recognising that they completed her trial, she stood aside, allowing the duo to go through the doors, which lead to yet another flight of stairs, this one leading up to a small corridor, which had a lone door to the left. As Julius reached for the knob, Marianette lightly tapped him on the shoulder, gesturing him to stop.

"W-Wait a second!" She blurted, as she soon started shivering in fear. "I-I'm…scared."

"Is something the matter, Maria?" Julius asked the young girl, crouching down to her eyelevel.

"I'm afraid of the consequences…my father has a very volatile temper. Sometimes, when he gets angry, he—he—" Marianette tries to continue, but clams up out of fear. From the look of sheer terror in her eyes, Julius had a good idea on what kind of punishment Indriad dishes out.

"No need to worry, I'll stand by your side and keep you safe, just in case he tries anything funny." Julius pledged with sincerity, perking up the young girl's spirits. "He tries to hit you, I'll intervene and dish out a punishment so severe he'll end up regretting it."

"Ah, y-yeah." The young girl replied, not fully on board with Julius' idea of retribution. "Anyway, since it's the two of us, I'm confident that we'll come out of this alright. Well, I'm ready. Let's do this…together." She shot Julius a smile, with the young man returning one to her, as the dynamic duo entered the room together.

The private study stood out from the other rooms, its walls a bright crimson as opposed to the standard white Julius had gotten accustomed to. There were several candle holders, taller than the young man and were artistically placed around the extravagant carpet on the room, and a massive grey cupboard resting against the back wall, with Indriad facing it for some particular reason. As the door closed, the older man grunted under his breath, and turned to face the two newcomers, as Marianette tried to speak up, before clamming up at the sight of her father's intense gaze, and hid behind Julius' back.

"Honesty, Marianette? You came this far just to hide behind a prisoner?" Indriad asked incredulously, a hint of contempt in his voice. "This is horribly distasteful, even for your standards."

"Back off, Mister I'll do everything in my power to keep her safe from whatever you've got in stock!" Julius warned his elder, who chuckled lightly in response to the teen's bravado.

"How amusing. Regardless, there has to be a reason the two of you entered here, after I specifically stated that I am to expect NO visitors." Indriad replied, hoping for an answer. "Well, spit it out already!"

"W-We…" Marianette began, taking a few quick breaths before standing beside Julius, a newfound confidence in her body. "We wish to speak to you, regarding the status of Julius' friends, father."

"I gave those money hungry swine a chance to escape, but they chose the stubborn route. Or to be more accurate, they had that route chosen for themselves." Indriad answered casually, in a disinterested tone.

"We want you to free them, father. Surely they've already paid the price for their short-sighted greed?" The young girl politely requested, only for her father to laugh at the proposal.

"Free them? why should I free them? They're my property now, and I'll do whatever I want to them." Indriad replied coldly, walking menacingly towards his daughter, his frightening gaze burrowing into her. "You freed Julius from his prison, yet that isn't enough for you, you selfish little—"

"I'm warning you sir, back off, now!" Julius warned him once more, glaring at the older man, who turned to him with an intrigued look on his face.

"You seem awfully protective of my daughter; a mere stranger whom you've only known for an hour or so. Why are you so…fond of her?" Indriad mused, taking a few steps back to analyse the situation, a sudden burst on inspiration dawning on him. "Ah, I see now. You've been pining for a sibling, a little sister to ease the pain of being an only child. Which is why when Marianette came up to you, you were willing to play along with her in order to fulfil your secret fantasy. Am I on the right track?"

Julius' eyes widened upon hearing all this, with Marianette turning to face the young man with a look of surprise on her face. Somehow, Indriad had read him like an open book, carelessly revealing his secret to the young girl whom he grew fond of so quickly. "B-But how?!" He spluttered, fear coursing through his body as the older man smirked at him.

"I didn't, but your reaction gave it all away, just as I anticipated." Indriad replied, clearing his throat momentarily. "But back to the matter at hand, will you take the easy route and leave, or try in vain to rescue your "friends" even after denying you a chance to escape?"

"That's an easy question, I'm staying behind and rescuing everyone from whatever sick game you're playing, including Maria!" Julius declared, surprising the older man, his brow furrowing upon hearing the nickname he bestowed onto his daughter.

"Yeah, that's the spirit. As a matter of fact, I want you to play my OWN game, father." Marianette chimed in, piquing her father's interest.

"A game you say? How interesting…" Indriad began, eyeing up his daughter with a look of interest. "Tell me…what would this game entail?"

"If the two of us can find and rescue his friends, you'll let us go, including me. I'm sick and tired of you and your brutality so I plan on leaving this mansion." Marianette explained her terms to this game.

"I see…and what if you two were to lose this game?" Indriad inquired.

"You get to do whatever you wish to the both of us and get whatever you want." The young girl concluded the terms, a malicious smirk forming on her father's face.

"Your determination is quite admirable, like that of your mother. Unfortunately, she was snatched away from us, in an event which two of us in this room witnessed. Very well, I accept your terms." Indriad agreed to the terms, his deadly gaze eyeing up the duo. "I'll also bestow a hint onto you, as a token of my generosity. I have hidden three souls in plain sight, in all three corners of the mansion. They'll only emerge from their slumber when their trials are completed."

"Thank you, father." Marianette smiled, bowing before him and left the room, leaving Julius alone with the older man.

"You pull a fast one on us, I'll end you. Got it?" Julius warned the blonde man.

"Of course. Now have fun with your "little sister", young man." Indriad replied, in a mock whimsical tone as Julius left the room. Now on his own, he turned to face the large cupboard, a solemn look on his face.

"It's been quite some time…hasn't it?" He muttered, opening his cupboard as he eyed up a set of jet-black garments, perfectly suited for sacred events. "Quite some time since I've worn these garments. It'll all be over soon, Anathea…"

 **0000**

The duo had exited his room and began making their way downstairs, a smug grin plastered on Julius' face. "Alright, this is gonna be a piece of cake!" He smirked, confident that they'll emerge victorious from this twisted game.

"I doubt that, Julius…" Marianette replied quietly, a look of foreboding dread in her eyes.

"What makes you say that, Maria?" The young man inquired.

"That was just too easy convincing my father to play my game, probably because I gave him freedom to choose his reward should he win. But it's not just that; something about that conversation gave me the absolute chills…as if he wouldn't let us go even if we did win, as well as that little secret of yours." Marianette explained her case, catching the young man off-guard.

"A-About that…" Julius stammered, his mind racing in fear as Marianette shushed him.

"No need to explain, I sympathise with your plight, seeing as I'm an only child as well. Truth be told, I felt something when you hugged me before; it was warm…and was most comforting, not like the ones father gave me." The young girl admitted, before coming to a decision. "It's a deal; we get out of this alive and I'll stick by your side, like brother and sister. Is that fine with you?"

"I'd love that, Maria." Julius smiled at her, a determined expression on his face. "We'll win this game, no matter how long it takes."

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Marianette cheered, pumping herself up as well. "My father said that he hid your friends within the three corners of the mansion, ergo out destinations are the hedge garden to the left, the pool to the right, and the courtyard with the two statues to the south. May I suggest we go to the right first?"

"Certainly." Julius agreed, the dynamic duo smiling at each other as they began their new trial and made the trek to the poolside. In an unsurprising turn of events, it was still raining outside, though luckily they still had the umbrella with them with Julius holding it above Marianette.

*sigh* "There were so many fond memories I have of this place." Marianette sighed upon seeing the pool, now dirty from years of negligence. "Now days, it's a reminder that my reality no longer matches that of the past."

"Not to worry, we'll make plenty of great memories together once we leave this place." Julius promised, perking Marianette's spirit.

"Right, let's get cracking!" She smiled, eager to win this game of hers with the two beginning their search of the area. As the area was spares for the most part, save for the pool and a small shed in the northeastern corner, it didn't take the duo that much time to find where they were supposed to be.

"Huh…the shed door's locked, how odd." Marianette commented, with Julius walking up to check it out as well.

"My guess is that your father locked it in order to hamper us, as expected from that cheating bastard…" Julius grumbled under his breath. "Well where should we go now?"

"How about the hedge maze?" Marianette suggested, with Julius agreed to the idea as they began their small trek to the hedge maze, making sure not to attract the attention of the maids inside, just in case they were ordered to halt their progress. A few minutes later, they arrived at the entrance to the hedge maze, which seemed to spiral off into various directions. "This is the hedge maze. My father would frequently hide things here for me to find, he never handed anything to me directly; rather I'd always had to do some stupid trial before hand."

"Look on the plus side, once we're done here, you'll never have to do another trial again." Julius chimed in, with Marianette nodding in determination as the duo entered the sprawling maze. It was quite the chaotic affair, with the duo winding up in several dead ends in a desperate search for their ticket out of this hellhole, costing them precious time. Julius, in a fit of frustration, let out a low growl and kicked a small rock down a pathway, a quiet ' _clunk'_ alerting the young man. Peering down the pathway, he saw another one of those password plaques from before, this one reading _Password No.1: 7896_.

"I found something over here Maria!" Julius called out, jotting the number down in his notepad as Marianette walked up to him, her eyes moving away from the plaque.

"That's not the only thing you found!" She smiled giddily, making her way towards the small rock, inspecting the crack in it before breaking it open, a small key falling to her feet as she picked it up. "Here's the key to the poolside shed, well done Julius!"

"Happy to help, sweetheart." The young man smiled, with Marianette giggling politely, before gesturing the young man to follow her through the maze. The trek through the maze was a lot quicker now that they no longer had to search the entire area for the key, indeed they arrived at the end in a matter of minutes, stepping through what looked like an empty door inserted into the hedge. and entered a small room that had a white cube in the center, much like the one Julius saw before.

"Allow me to handle this..." Marianette chimed in, making her way to the cube and knelt beside it as she got to work solving the puzzle, a blue orb emanating from the cube a minute later. The orb hovered back a few feet before a bright light shone throughout the room, with Lenny standing where the orb was.

"Wh-Where am I? What happened to me?" Lenny asked, looking around the room in bewilderment.

"Your soul got trapped by that crazy bastard Indriad, so Maria and I worked together to save your hide." Julius answered, a sigh of relief coming from the black-haired man.

"Th-Thank you. I'm gonna leave this place immediately.!" Lenny exclaimed, quickly running out, only for Marianette to stop him in his tracks.

"Unfortunately, you can't leave until we've rescued all your friends. In the meantime, I suggest you stay in the mansion lobby." Marianette suggested, the young man giving her a quick nod of acceptance before exiting the small room, the young girl turning to face Julius. "Since we have the key, why don't we finish our business over by the poolside?"

"Fine by me." Julius agreed, with the young duo exiting the room and made the journey back to the poolside, through the hedge maze, through the mansion, and beside the pool and stopped by the shed doors, with Marianette inserting the key into the lock and opened the doors. When they stepped inside, they saw what looked like a large console, with hundreds of various keys on the front panel, with a flashing red key standing out from the crowd. Getting the all clear from the young girl, Julius went over to the key and pressed it, stepping back in surprise when the entire area started to shake. Though it only lasted for a few seconds, it was clear that Indriad must've caught onto what they were doing.

"Oh dear...that can't be good. Well whatever it was, we better check it out." Marianette suggested, with Julius agreeing with her, but not before halting her temporarily.

"Wait! Before we go, I want to give you something..." Julius called out, fishing into his pocket and handing her what looked like a badge bearing the insignia of the Tandor Pokémon Rangers, though it was a bit worn out from age. "That's a good luck charm I got a long time ago; I figured you need it more than I do."

"O-Oh, Thank you very much!" Marianette smiled, accepting the badge before she too, got her own idea. She fished out a small white bow from her pocket and gifted it to Julius. "I figured I should give you a good luck charm as well. I had this ever since I was five years old."

"Thanks Maria, I'll always keep this safe." Julius replied, carefully placing the bow in his pocket. Having finished their exchange, the duo walked outside to inspect the noise, only to see a set of stairs in the middle of the now drained pool, a small walkway leading down to them. They walked down the flight of stairs, stumbling into a small room like before, only this time, there's a small hole in the back wall instead of a cube.

"Oh, what's this nonsense now?" Marianette questioned, taking a closer look at the hole. "Hmmm...this isn't good. I'm the only one who can fit through here."

"I-Is it safe to go through there on your own?" Julius inquired, concerned about her safety.

"No need to worry Julius, I can handle this myself." Marianette reassured her companion, as she got on her knees and crawled through the hole, which was a bit of a squeeze, even for her petite frame. However, the cutie was able to persevere and wound up in large room, with lava all over the floor that created a thin blanket of steam. There were several small pillars scattered throughout the area, giving the young girl an idea on what to do.

"Hrm...this place seems dangerous. I better be careful not to slip." Marianette commented, glancing at the medal Julius gifted her, and clenched it tightly. Though he wasn't here with here right now, she knew he would keep her safe and mustered the courage to complete the puzzle. She started hopping from pillar to pillar, which had enough surface space to make things a bit easier on her end. Additionally, the gaps were manageable enough for her to get by without any major difficulties. Though she slipped a couple of times, she was able to recover before anything back could happen, and continue on her way, thankfully reaching the end a few moments later. "Yay, I did it!" She cheered, jumping up and down in joy, entering the doorway after finishing her celebration.

Like before, she wound up in a small room with a white cube in the center and knew what had to be done. But as she got to the cube, both her and it were enveloped in a ball of light, before warping out of the room and back into the previous room, catching Julius off-guard. "Maria! Oh thank goodness you're alright." Julius sighed in relief, embracing the young girl in a warm hug which she accepted.

"See? I told you I could do it!" She beamed proudly, as the cube started to shake and glow. "Now that's odd. I haven't even begun the puzzle on that cube."

The duo broke off their hug and continued watching the cube, a green orb emanating from it, before a bright light enveloped the room, with Luca standing where the orb was. "Wh-What just happened? Where am I?"

"Your soul was trapped by my father, but I rescued you from his clutches. Your friend is inside the mansion lobby, waiting for you. Rest assured, we will save your other friend." Marianette explained, making a solemn promise to Luca.

"Thank you so much! I'll wait where you told me to go, see you later." Luca bowed in respect, quickly exiting the room and walking up the stairs.

"This is it, only one more puzzle to solve, and we're out of here!" Julius exclaimed through bated breath, barely containing his excitement over the prospect of escaping with Marianette out of this hellhole.

"Yes, I can barely contain my excitement as well." Marianette smiled at the young man. "Now then, we'll need to check the front courtyard out. Follow me." She called out, the duo exiting the small room and making the trek through the mansion once more, before arriving at the front courtyard once more, where they soon noticed an opening on the front of the Absol statue. Entering through the small opening, they soon stumbled upon yet another small room, only this time there was naught but a tall mirror on the back wall, that didn't show any reflection for some odd reason.

"Hmmm? Is this one of those trick mirrors you usually find at a carnival?" Julius inquired, eyeing it cautiously, as a mysterious fog soon rolled into the room. "N-Now what?!"

"I don't know, let's get out of—" Marianette began, before a shadowy voice soon echoed throughout the room, catching them off-guard.

 _"What reflects in a mirror? What reflects can only be the truth."_ The mysterious voice began, as four spectral images of Venam suddenly appeared in the room. _"Let us see if the same can be said of you. Do you know the truth? Do you want to know, or are you too afraid to know?"_

"W-Who is this?" Marianette inquired, as each of the Venam's stepped forward and uttered a single line each.

"Who cares about anyone, I only care about myself. Everyone who gets in my way should just disappear!"

"If Julius were a better trainer, we could've done something at Amethyst Cave. But he wasn't...It's his fault Melia is dead. It's his fault that my life has turned to shit. I'll never forgive that bastard!"

"We all did our best to save our friend, but in the end, it wasn't enough. We were all too weak to do anything...we were all at fault. There wasn't anything we could've done to save her."

"I don't care what Julius thinks, I let him beat me because it was for Melia's sake. If I didn't hold back, we'd lose her...and we did. Ren and I should've dropped everything and left to find her the moment she was in trouble, but we were too late."

Marianette was surprised at what she just said, turning sideways and noticing the pained expression on the young man's face. It was evident that he still felt tremendous guilt over failing Melia that day. "Hey...I think I know how to solve this. You have to pinpoint the one that reflects the truth, or at least the one you feel is the truth. But that doesn't mean it's the real truth, you'll have to sort it out from the lies."

 _'The one I feel is the truth...'_ Julius mused to himself, carefully eyeing the spectral forms before him, figuring out which one was speaking the truth. As much as he wanted to pick the second one, given that it was what he felt to be the truth, his gut instinct insisted that he picked the third Venam, as the man walked over to her and spoke but one line. "You're the truthful one here."

"Heh, that's correct..." The Venam answered, as all four Venam's disappeared, and were subsequently replaced with four Rens, leading Julius to believe that he would have to answer this riddle as well, allowing each of the Rens to speak their piece.

"Heh, I couldn't care less about the people who call me their friend. Friendship is an ideal that's wasted on me; I couldn't care less about those fools. I have my own agenda."

"I was happy to know that Melia was on the run. I was sick of her weakness, she was only bringing me down. She deserved everything that happened to her."

"What am I doing anything for? Just to waste my time, that's what. Gearen City is just a whole bunch of bring tedium, a complete waste of time to think about moving there."

"I was devastated to hear about Melia's situation. I care about my friends a lot, and would do anything to help them, even if the results end up a bit skewed. I want to be there for everyone, a complete opposite of what my hometown is like."

Julius, knowing Ren for much longer than he knew Venam, immediately went towards the fourth one and said in a straight-to-the-point tone. "You're telling the truth."

"Thanks... I'm glad that you saw the real me." The Ren smiled, before all four of them were soon replaced with spectral Aelita's, who immediately began saying their line.

"No one ever tells me anything! I feel like I'm powerless most of the time...I just want to help everyone out, Okay? That's my ambition."

"I feel like my father never loved me...I know he just wanted me gone from the moment I was born. He didn't do anything to protect me, or anyone!"

"Sheridan Village is nothing without Sensei; we should all just give up and go our seperate ways. Hence why I was eager to leave with Julius, the place was just a lost cause."

"I found it really helpful that Julius fought for us at Carotos Mountain; I can just use his power to get things done from now on. Maybe I can convince him to live in Sheridan Village, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

It was at this stage that his mind was getting worn out from all the possible truths he was hearing, his body exhausted from all the effort he put in to get him and his friends out of here, as he put his faith into the first Aelita and told her. "You're telling the truth."

"A sad truth...but perhaps we can overcome it together." The Aelita replied, disappearing from the room and leaving the dynamic duo on their own once more.

"You did it!" Marianette complimented the young man, as a white cube mysteriously appeared in the room, causing the mirror to shatter into thousands of small pieces. "And here we go, the last of your friends is now safe and sound."

The cube started vibrating slightly a few seconds later, a purple orb emerging from it and hovering back a few feet, before a bright light enveloped the room, with Venam standing where the orb was.

"Ugh...where the hell am I?" The purple-haired girl inquired.

"We rescued you from Indriad's grasp, your friends are safe in the mansion lobby." Julius informed her.

"Heh...getting saved by you two. I'm always getting my ass saved by someone." Venam sighed, slightly annoyed with herself.

"But that's not a bad thing, right? It means that other people genuinely care for you." Marianette chimed in.

"True, but it isn't fair for them to constantly bail me out of sticky situations. I went too far this time, thinking only of myself without caring about the consequences." Venam admitted, crossing her arms. "Still, thanks for the save you two."

"Happy to help you out miss. Besides, you can use today's events as a learning experience. Don't be so rash all the time; think carefully about your next move." Marianette suggested, as Venam mulled it over in her head.

"I guess you're right...I'll meet up with my friends in the lobby." Venam replied, flashing a smile at the duo before exiting the small room.

"We did it Maria...we finally did it. We can escape this hellhole now!" Julius sighed in relief.

"Not yet...we need to inform my father of my success. I've got a bad feeling about this." Marianette told him, shivering in fear as Julius rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry...we can do this." Julius reassured her, making his way to the exit before she called for him to stop, the young man turning to face her.

"W-Wait a second! You see...everything that's happened is my fault. I was the one who created those pathways around the fences, including the holes you were able to crawl through. Had I not created those ways for me to escape...This would've never happened." Marianette apologised, sniffling to herself as a few tears fell down her soft cheeks.

"Don't blame yourself one bit. We were the ones who went through them and invaded your home in the first place." Julius told her.

"Thanks...it's just that I've tried many times to escape this place. I've come close on several occasions, but this unseen force kept holding me back, as if I wasn't meant to leave this place. And truth be told, I've...I've been using you as a final opportunity to escape this place." The young girl continued, as Julius pulled her into another hug.

"I don't care if you were using me to escape; I'll always stay by your side. Besides, it's not like I have any right to complain." The young man comforted her, before looking into her eyes. "Now come on, we've got a game to—"

"Not so fast!" A voiced echoed throughout the area, as a pair of maids suddenly appeared and grabbed Marianette by the arms. "Please forgive us, but Master Indriad has requires your presence."

"L-let go of me! We were just about to speak to him." Marianette cried out, trying to break free of their iron grip, but to no avail.

"You misunderstand...he needs you and only you for one final trial." The second maid replied, using their powers to teleport Marianette away from the courtyard as Julius tried in vain to rescue her.

"As for you, Julius. Master Indriad demands that you complete one final trial. Go through the locked doors on the first floor of the lobby; there, Master Indriad will be waiting there for you."

"Oh I'll complete your trials; I'll be more than happy ot teach that cheating bastard a lesson!" Julius vowed through gritted teeth, running through the courtyard and into the lobby as the maids watched the young man, a slight hint of intrigue in their eyes. He burst through the doors, storming through the hallways with not a single care in the world, as the walls started to look less like that of a mansion, and more of a desolate ruin. It was a long, exhausting run through the seemingly endless corridors, but eventually he wound up in some sort of arena...with Marianette on the opposite end. On one side of the arena, Julius noticed Venam, Luca and Lenny watching the events play out, while on the other side, Indriad was gazing at them with a cold expression on his face.

"Welcome, Julius..." Marianette began, the young man having a bewildered expression on his face.

"Maria? W-What's going on?!" The young man cried out in a mixture of surprise and fear.

"I've been instructed to be your final trial, after everything we've been through together. Something that I forgot to mention is that I am a very skilled battler, especially with Normal type Pokémon." Marianette continued.

" A skilled battler...don't you fucking dare lie to me! We're not some objects to be passed around!" Venam shouted at the young girl in anger, causing the latter to flinch in fear.

"Hey, go easy on her Venam. She's a victim just like us." Julius called out, with the purple-haired girl huffing in response.

"Enough with the bickering! You three put yourselves through all this in the first place. I will hear no more from the lot of you." Indriad barked at Venam, with Julius shooting him a glare.

"Of shut the hell up you twisted, fucking psychopath! I'm not the one who traps people in shitty trials, and forces my daughter to complete them, lest she gets a beating!" Julius snapped, having lost all patience with the lowlife lording over him. "When I'm done with this trial, I WILL make sure you get what's coming!"

"Hahaha! If you really were my son, I'd put you in your place for you indescribable rudeness, but alas, it's naught but the fantasy of some crippled mind, desperately seeking to cure his loneliness by latching on to some young girl and treating her as the sister he never had." Indriad smirked, turning to face his daughter. "Marianette."

"...yes father." The young girl replied, turning to face Julius. "Prepare yourself, Julius. I won't...I won't let this end badly." She continued, with the two of them selecting their first Pokémon. Marianette threw her first Pokéball, a Heliolisk emerging from it, while Julius sent out his trusty Vilucard to start things off, the feline Pokémon a little bewildered by the strange surroundings.

"I know we're in an unusual place, but we'll be away from this place in a few moments. Until then, we need to work together as a team." The young man encouraged his companion, who gave a quick nod and started at the enemy lizard with determination in its eyes.

"Oh, that's a cute little fellow you got there. Wonder how strong—" Marianette began, before her father shot her a cold, vicious glare, mentally ordering her to start the battle. "R-Right. Heliolisk, use Surf!"

The nimble lizard let out a shrill battlecry, as the sound of rapid waters slowly rose up from the pit beneath the arena, a large tidal wave appearing from behind the lizard as it leapt up on it and surfed straight into the Villainous Pokémon, who cried out in surprise as it was engulfed in the colossal wave. The cunning Heliolisk let out an amused chuckle, pleased with its efforts before a gurgling noise from beneath distracted it, with Vilucard lunging up from the depths and smacked the lizard with Poison Jab, the Generator Pokémon crying out in pain as it was flung towards one of the arena walls, with the water retracting back into the drain from whence it came. However, it seemed that both combatants were still able to continue fighting.

"Not bad, not bad at all. But allow me to show you just how capable I am. Go for Drain Life, Vilucard!" Julius called out. The feline Pokémon let out a sinister hiss, latching on to the Heliolisk and bit its neck, causing the lizard to cry out in pain as its energy was absorbed by the Villainous Pokémon, only for it to get a retaliatory smack to the head by Heliolisk's tail as it quickly charged up electricity in its frill and fired a bolt of lightning at the Vilucard, who yelped in pain as electricity coursed through its body. Managing to break free from the oppressive attack, it started dashing towards its opponent, dodging subsequent bolts of lightning from its foe and smacked it with Poison Jab once again, sending the lizard flying into a wall, as it slid down the wall and laid still on the floor, unable to continue battling.

"Tch…looks like you got lucky there." Indriad snorted, with Marianette recalling her Pokémon.

"Glad you haven't thrown in the towel yet, otherwise I'll make your remaining years a living hell." Venam cheered, in her own style.

"Looks like I'll have to try something a little different this time…go, Cinccino." Marianette sent out her next Pokémon, the fluffy little critter emerging from its ball and preened its fur. "Let's kick things off with a Tail Slap!"

The nimble chinchilla dashed towards the feline Pokémon, at a speed so impressive the Villainous Pokémon wasn't able to keep up with it. It dove right in-between its legs and started smacking the Vilucard with its firm yet slender tail, with the feline yelping in surprised as it was being pushed back by the relentless barrage, only for an especially powerful strike to sent it flying in the air. The Cinccino then started digging in its scarf, pulling out several small rocks and started hurling them at its helpless foe, scoring several quick hits in succession as Vilucard soon started plummeting towards the arena surface and crashed into it, leaving a small crater. When the dust died down, it showed that Vilucard had fainted from the barrage.

"Pretty slick moves, Maria." Julius shot her a smile, recalling his fainted Pokémon. "But how will you fare against my Vilucard?"

"A-Another one?" Marianette inquired, as Julius threw his second Pokéball, a second Vilucard emerging from it, and shot her Cinccino a smirk that looked a bit more malicious than the previous Vilucard. "This should be an easy win, use Tail Slap again!"

Cinccino agreed to the request, and began running towards its foe, who stood eerily still, the same malicious smirk on its face. The small chinchilla leapt up in the air and began smacking its tail around rapidly…only for the attack to phase through the Vilucard, whose eyes started glowing as it charged up a dark orange ball of mental energy. The Cinccino barely had anytime to react, before it was struck at close range by a Focus Blast, sending the poor critter flying back several feet, crumpling on the floor beside Marianette's feet and was deemed unable to continue battling.

"O-Oh no…I'm so sorry." Marianette cried out quietly, recalling her fainted Pokémon.

"B-But how? That attack did so much damage to the first Vilu—" Luca began.

"It's not a Vilucard that's on the field." Julius replied, a confident smirk on his face as he faced his companion. "Why don't we reveal the truth to them?"

"T-Truth?" Lenny inquired, as the "Vilucard" chuckled ominously, before it's body started morphing in various directions, before the beings true form was made clear to everyone else in the room.

"Allow me to introduce to you, Dramsama. Often regarded as one of the most mysterious and dangerous Pokémon of the Tandor region, it can transform itself into any living creature it sees, enabling it to hunt down its prey." Julius introduced his companion, with the Masquerade Pokémon preening its fuzzy body.

Marianette was in a tight position; from the way Tail Slap did nothing to it, it can be determined that it was at the very least, a Ghost type Pokémon. Though Ghost type Pokémon give her team some trouble, she has an idea that could work wonders. "Porygon2, take the stage!"

The digital bird emerged onto the field and let out a quick, static-y cry, with Julius noticing the Eviolite, worn around its neck as if it were a necklace, raising an appreciative eyebrow at the sight. "Clever girl…" He smiled. "But can it withstand a second Focus Blast, even with the boost?"

The Dramsama straightened its tail feathers out and began focusing its mental energy into a ball once more, firing it at the Porygon2 who was able to dodge the attack in time, the latter charging up an Ice Beam and fired it at the Masquerade Pokémon, who hissed in pain as the bone-chilling beam ruined its neat and tidy coat. Now enraged at the foe for its insolence, the Dramsama started at it and emitted a hypnotic beam from its eyes, striking the Virtual Pokemon, who soon fell into the world of dreams, a pained expression on its face as the Dramsama loomed over it with malicious intent.

"They say that anyone who sleeps right near a Dramsama will be plagued by terrible nightmares, much like the infamous Darkrai. Whether it serves the Pitch-Black Pokémon is still unknown, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case." Julius added, with Dramsama consuming the terrible nightmares to restore any energy it lost in the previous scuffle. It's impromptu feast was interrupted by Porygon2 waking up from its temporary slumber, tackling into its foe to push it back a few feet. The Masquerade Pokémon shook itself out of its stupor and attempted to use Focus Blast once again, charging up mental energy like before and firing at the Porygon2, who was still a little sluggish from waking up. The powerful attack collided with the digital bird, causing it to cry out in pain as it crashed into the wall near Venam and her friends, and slid down to the bottom, knocked out from the attack.

"Not good enough, Marianette." Indriad scolded her, only to get caught off-guard as Marianette shot a quick glare back it him.

"If anything, Julius is the exceptional one here." Marianette retorted, recalling her defeated Pokémon. "But my next friend will be more than capable of dealing with that troublesome Dramsama. Go, Pyroar!"

The noble lion emerged from its Pokéball, letting out an almighty roar that marginally impressed the Dramsama. Intrigued by this new foe, the Dramsama attempted to hypnotise its foe and feast on whatever dreams it may have, only for the lion to effortlessly dodge the attack and charge towards its foe, clamping down on is fuzzy body with its sharp fangs, causing the Masquerade Pokémon to shriek in pain, violently shaking its body in an attempt to get its foe off of it. However, the Pyroar persevered, flinging its foe up into the air and spewed a stream of hot flames from its mouth, engulfing the Dramsama in the relentless blaze as it crashed into the same crater that Vilucard created, a slight hint of irony that the young girl appreciated.

"Impressive, all three of you were impressive today." Julius complimented his Dramsama, as well as Marianette and her Pyroar, recalling his fainted Pokémon. "But I bet this fellow will be more than you can handle. Go, Daikatuna!"

The bipedal fish emerged from its ball and got into a fighting stance, ready to take on its next opponent. In an instant, it cloaked its body in water and charged at the lion at impressive speeds, landing a direct hit that pushed the feline back a few feet. The Pyroar, managing to shrug the attack off and spewed another stream of fire, managing to set the fish's horn alight, causing it to run around the arena in a blind panic, trying to douse the painful burn. In an act of desperation, it let out a mighty cry, as water once again emerged from the metal grates on the floor, with Pyroar leaping up to high ground as the fish dunked its horn under water, sighing in blissful relief as its burn was healed from the refreshingly cool water, before it subsided once again.

"Well that's one way to cure a burn." Luca chimed in, impressed by the clever tactic she just saw.

"That's a neat strategy you pulled off." Julius complimented, with Daikatuna polishing its bladelike horn. "Now how about we give the Pyroar a powerful Brick Break?"

Eager to dish out a bit of revenge, the fish cloaked its body in water once more and charged towards the lion, dodging the incoming bursts of fire from its for before breaking out of its Aqua Jet, and smacked Pyroars back with its horn, causing the Royal Pokémon to roar in pain, kicking Daikatuna off its feet in retaliation. However, the fish wasn't out for the count and hopped back up on its feet, its horn cloaked in a faint black aura as it slashed at the lion, the Pyroar crying out in pain as it was flung back a few feet and crumpled on the ground, knocked out from the Night Slash.

"Alright! Only two more to go and we're outta here!" Venam cheered, with Marianette recalling her fainted Pokémon.

"Hmmm…now that's quite the powerhouse I'm up against. In that case, I better send out Chatot for this one." Marianette mused to herself, sending out her penultimate Pokémon, the small parrot flying out of its Pokéball and eyed it's foe up. It opened its beak and let out a garbled cry, causing Daikatuna to wince in pain as it covered its earholes to block out the irritating noise. This gave the Chatot an opportunity to dive towards its foe at incredibly speeds, slashing the fish with is sharp wings and knocked it off its feet. Now annoyed by this insolent bird, it picked itself up and leapt into the air, smacking the parrot with its iron-hard horn which caused it to fly back a few feet.

"Guess I better pull out my trump card…use Heat Wave, Chatot!" The young girl called out, catching Julius off-guard as the Chatot started flapping its wings rapidly, creating a hot gust of wind that struck the bipedal fish, who hissed in pain as its slender body was assaulted by the relentless wind. It opted to go for Aqua Jet in the heat of the moment, the water providing some relief from the hot gust of wind, and charged straight towards the small parrot, who squawked in surprise at it was struck head on by the powerful fish and crashed into the arena floor, knocked out from the powerful attack.

"O-Oh my! That's one powerful fish." Lenny commented, with Marianette recalling her fainted Pokémon, ignoring the harsh glare that Indriad was giving her.

"So it all comes down to this…" The young girl spoke softly, gazing at her last Pokéball. "It's time for out last stand, Snuggles!"

The Daikatuna snickered under it's breath upon hearing the nickname, only for it to recoil on horror as it saw what it was up against. Snuggles, a very powerful Bewear glared at the now frightened fish, as if it knew that it was responsible for knocking out two of its friends. The fish stepped back a few feet and charged at its foe, cloaking its body in water like before. But just as it was about to make contact, Snuggles grabbed it by its legs and cancelled the attack. It then slammed the fish into the ground several times, before throwing it towards the wall behind Julius, creating a massive crack as the fish slid down the wall, too injured to continue fighting.

"A-Are you ok Daikatuna?" Julius inquired, a little shaken by what he just witnessed. The Daikatuna, gave a weak nod to indicate that it'll live to see another day, before Julius recalled it and started thinking about which Pokémon can best deal with a Bewear. After some time deliberating, he finally made his decision. "Alright Inflagetah, it's all up to you." The young man called out, sending out his next Pokémon into battle.

The spectators were intrigued by the sight of the newcomer; it was a sleek feline Pokémon, with a predominantly red and yellow body, strong yet slender legs and two gazelle-like horns on the back of its head. Its back had flames spewing from it, while its striped tail wagged side-to-side. Snuggles had an interested yet concerned look in its eyes; though it looked to be quite frail, the fact that it was a Fire type worried it.

"Inflagetah, why don't we start things off with a quick Swords Dance?" The young man suggested, with the cheetah giving a quick nod of approval as it started dancing on the spot to bolster its fighting spirit, its fancy footwork mesmerising Venam and her companions with the show.

"Don't let it get to powerful; use Drain Punch!" Marianette quickly blurted out, with Snuggles barrelling towards the Inflagetah, its fist reared into the air. But just as it was about to punch the cheetah, it dodged the attack at blindingly quick speeds, catching everyone off-guard, save for Julius. In fact, it was so fast that some of them were questioning if a Pokémon can even go that fast.

"D-Did you see that?!" Luca called out in awe, noticing that the Inflagetah was now on the opposite side of the arena. "I've seen some fast Pokémon in my life, but this is something else."

The nimble cheetah let out a quick chirp, alerting the Bewear of its position, as it proceeded to charge at it once more, only for the Inflagetah to dodge the attack and stop by its feet. Snuggles quickly turned around and attempted to use Drain Punch, only for it to miss once more, with Inflagetah, standing right behind it. Again and again, it tried to pummel the speedy feline, only for it to keep missing its mark. The process continued for approximately one minute, before the Inflagetah backed off from its foe, who was panting in exhaustion.

"Time to end this, use Flame Impact!" Julius called out, with Inflagetah letting out another chirp before cloaking its body in fire and running towards Snuggles at the same blink-and-you'll-miss-it speeds as before, ramming its body into the towering bear who was flung back several feet before crashing onto the floor, too exhausted to continue fighting.

"Unbelievable…" Indriad growled under his breath, before staring at Julius. "As all six of Marianette's Pokémon have been knocked out, Julius has been declared the winner."

"YES!" Julius cheered in ecstasy, with Inflagetah running over to the young man as he started petting its head. "We did it, we actually did it! Well done out there!" He praised his companion, recalling it a few seconds later.

"Yahoo! Now we can escape this crazy place!" Venam cheered as well, with Lenny and Luca giving each other a hi-five.

"Heh…" Marianette chuckled lightly to herself, recalling her fainted Pokémon and began making her way to Julius. "I'm…happy. You fought with such conviction, such strength. You deserve the Normality Badge, consider it a symbol of my gratitude."

The young girl handed Julius a predominantly white badge that had four black semi-squares facing each other diagonally, with the young man placing it alongside his other badges. "Thanks Maria, now we can get out of—"

"W-Wait, a badge? You meant to tell me that she's a Gym Leader?" Venam interrupted the young man, a confused look on her face.

"Well that was certainly one way to end things…" Indriad called out, clapping in a methodical matter. "The trial has been complete; as such, I'll allow the four of you to leave."

"Thank goodness for—wait, four? You said that all five of us get to leave once the trial's completed!" Julius snapped at the older man, who smirked and snapped his fingers once, as the five of them were warped onto the battlefield, all confused at what was happening.

"What's the meaning of this father?!" Marianette demanded, her father looking down on his prisoners.

"I'm doing what I said I would; I'm allowing all four of them to leave if you were to successfully complete my trial…." The older man answered, a sadistic grin on his face. "Though I never stated how exactly those four were going to leave, whether it be leaving this mansion alive, of leaving this realm entirely."

"That's bullshit! You cheated you hairy old bastard!" Julius growled, with Indriad chuckling in response.

"Heh…after that display you showed earlier, I think you'll make a most wonderful sacrifice." He replied calmly to the enraged young man.

"Y-You're going to sacrifice us?! After all me and Julius went through?!" Marianette exclaimed, a look of total fear appearing on her face.

"S-Sacrifice, what do you mean?!" Luca cried out, with Marianette turning to face the young woman.

"This battlefield…is just a giant altar." The young girl informed the former, who started to put the pieces together.

"It's about time you noticed; though I'm not surprised that it took you so long to do so, given how much of a dullard you are…" Indriad dryly retorted, with the young girl flinching upon hearing those words.

"I swear if one more word comes out of your—" Julius began.

"Oh just knock it off already! She's not your sister, she'll never be your sister, and the more you entertain this farce, the more pathetic you'll end up becoming." The older man snarked cruelly, with the young man stepping back and clammed up instantly. "Not that it matters in the end."

"You always do this to me…" Marianette regained her voice, walking slowly towards her father. "No matter what I do…it always ends up like this, one way or another…" At this stage, the young girl was about to resign to her fate, when a familiar voice from the past echoed through her head.

" _Maria, no matter what happens, don't you dare lose hope. Don't lose who you are and don't forget what's about to happen. You understand?"_

A surprised look appeared on Marianette's face, once that went unnoticed by her father. "Well I think you all suffered enough, let's get this over with, shall we?"

"Maria…I remember, it's Maria!" The young girl called out, catching her father off-guard.

"What the blazes are you going on about, Marianette?!" Indriad hissed at her. "Ugh, you annoy me even in your final moments. Shut your mouth and die with dignity—"

"No, you shut YOUR mouth!" Maria retorted, with Julius giving her a warm smile, proud of her for standing up to her batshit insane father.

"H-How dare you speak to me like that, you terrible child!" Indriad spluttered with rage, a bit of froth forming on the sides of his mouth.

"It's all clear to me now…I remember who I was…who I am!" Maria continued, confidence coursing through her body.

"Y-You remember…?" Indriad inquired hesitantly, fearing the worst-case scenario. "I-Impossible! This cannot be happening!"

"Julius…" Maria called out, the young man walking up to her. "I-I'm sorry…but I have to go back on my deal. I won't be going with you four. I still have many things to do here…"

"N-No! Not after we worked so hard to get to this point!" Julius cried out, the all too familiar feeling of despair setting into his heart.

"B-But you'll be trapped with this horrible, horrible man." Luca protested, with Maria giving her a sad smile.

"I know…but it's what I have to do." She replied, turning to face Julius, who was on the verge of tears. "Julius, the short time I spent with you was one of the best moments of my life so far. Even though we just met each other today, I feel as if I've known you for an eternity. Though we may be far apart, I'll always be by your side in spirit, big brother."

"M-Maria…" Julius choked back tears, getting on his knee and embracing her in a warm hug. "I-I'll never forgot you, my beloved sister…"

"Indeed, I won't ever forgot you, not again." Maria smiled make, holding back her own tears. "But now, I must set you all free!"

One by one, Julius, Venam, Luca and Lenny were turned into mysterious glowing orbs like before. Indriad, having recovered from his brief period of shock ran towards her, snarling like a wild animal in an attempt to stop her, but he was too late. The older man can only stand by and watch as the four orbs were teleported out of the arena, a pair of maids running in to check in on what was going on. "Marianette…how dare you…" He growled at her, in a non-human tone of voice.

However, he would get the surprise of a lifetime as Maria warped right in front of him, causing him to step back a few feet. "It looks like there's only you to deal with now, _father.'_ Maria smirked, putting heavy emphasis on the last word, her body coated by a mysterious aura. "How long has it been since that day, I wonder…"

Indriad was trying to come up with a scathing retort…but nothing would form in his mind. For the first time in a while, he was lost for words.

"Oh, a loss for words are we? Well that better change, because we've got a LOT to talk about; after all…there's a lot of catching up to do." Maria continued, eying up her father ominously.

 **0000**

The group of four reappeared right in front of the entrance to the Abandoned Sewers, with Venam, Luca and Lenny quickly checking their bodies to see if everything was alright, and breathed in relief when they had accounted for everything. Julius on the other hand, was deathly quietly, a forlorn expression on his face.

"Thank goodness we're away from that hellish place. I swear I ain't going treasure hunting for a long time." Luca cheered to herself.

"If only you two had listened to me in the first place, none of this would've happened!" Lenny snapped at the other two.

"Oh come on, we made it out in the end, all thanks to Julius!" Venam replied, turning to face the young man. "Thanks for bailing us out of that jam."

"…was it worth it though?" He mumbled under his breath.

"Come again?" The purple-haired girl asked, with the young man looking up at the trio before him.

"WAS IT WORTH IT IN THE END?!" Julius snapped, tears leaking out of his eyes as he stormed away from the area, leaving the trio mystified as to what had caused him to snap.

 **Wow…this would have to be the longest chapter I have written in my fanfiction career so far. It's a shame that Julius and Maria couldn't stick together since she's such a sweetheart, but that's how the game goes. Tune in next time for the beginning of the Goldenleaf sideplot, which will differ from the game a fair bit, due to Julius' backstory. Catch you all later.**


	13. Chapter 13

**I'll come up and say that this chapter won't be as long as the previous one, but it should still be an entertaining read for you all. Like I said before, this'll be different from in-game events, so a polite reminder for the readers. And with that out of the way, let's begin.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Julius had spent the last few days on his own, staying cooped up in his rented room for the majority of the time, wallowing in his own pit of misery. The young man was still mentally kicking himself for not doing enough to rescue Maria from the clutches of her psychopathic father, despite the former sacrificing her own freedom for his. The encounter has awoken feelings of longing deep inside the man, feelings that wouldn't go back down no matter how hard he tried to repress them once more. It got to the point where he ducked into a small build-a-bear shop and spent the day carefully crafting a small plush in Maria's likeness, the attention to detail a sight to behold. He tied the white ribbon she gifted him onto the doll and while it wasn't as good as the genuine girl, it would have to do in these circumstances.

Once he got out of his momentary fit of despair, he decided to resume his rescue mission and went over to Venam's gym to ask her for a small favor. Grateful for helping him rescue her and her friends, she was more than willing to fulfil the favor, asking him to meet her over at the gateway to Goldenleaf Town in an hour as she still had a few things to finish off. The young man took a taxi to Sheridan Village and walked the rest of the way, where he waited for Venam to arrive. Half an hour later, she arrived and spent a bit of time inspecting the metal gate.

"Hmmm…this isn't an ordinary gate. Whoever built this clearly wanted nobody to visit this place. Nothing an Acid Spray from my Muk can't handle." Venam called out, sending her Muk to do the job, with the Sludge Pokémon hurling up a ball of clear acid onto the metal bars, the corrosive fluid eating away at the gate much faster than the young man initially expected. A couple minutes later, the remnants of the bars collapsed onto the soft ground, with Venam congratulating her Pokémon before recalling it.

"Thanks for the assistance." Julius thanked her.

"No sweat, guess that makes us even then." Venam smiled back, her mind wandering elsewhere. "Though I do wonder what the point of blocking the entryway was."

"Simple, they probably made it to keep outsiders away from here, you know what my town's like." The young man answered. "That said, I'm just going through it to get to Akuwa Town; there's a famous mechanic visiting there, and she could help me build a Snag Machine in order to counter Team Xen's Shadow Pokémon."

"A mechanic visiting Akuwa Town? The only person I know of that fits the description is—" Venam began, before she started retching on the spot, though in a fake and exaggerated manner. "Ugh, sorry about that, but I can't help barfing everytime I hear about that loathsome Saki Blakeory."

"Did the two of you have some sort of argument a while ago?" Julius inquired.

"Yes, and you won't press me any further, or I'll do to you what my Muk did to that gate. Understand?" Venam warned him, her eyes glaring at the young man who nodded rapidly, clearly getting the message. "Good. I'll see you around Julius." She replied, her mood doing a 180 as she left the area to head back to Gearen City. The young man quickly mustered up the courage and stepped through the gateway, back into his hometown for the first time in years.

Goldenleaf Town, the Land of Restless Spirits. What was once a vibrant, welcoming community has been reduced to near-dystopic levels by the fear, anarchy and xenophobia. Though the trees were still as vibrant and full of life as they were back then, the buildings were a different story altogether. With the exception of the PokéCenter, the Gym and a couple houses, the buildings were in various states of disrepair. Taking his Maria plush out of his bag, he showed her the surrounding area. "Well Maria…this is where I grew up all those years ago." He spoke to his doll, putting her back in his bag and began to walk down the path, when a familiar voice called out to him.

"And just what do you think you're doing here, outsider?!" A young woman demanded, marching up to Julius and confronted him. She had short silver hair and wore a short-sleeved dress that reached her slender thighs.

"S-Sariah? Is that—" The young man began.

"How do you now my name? Have you been spying on me like you filthy outsiders like doing?!" The now named Sariah demanded even harder, her tone deathly serious.

"I-It's me, Julius—" He tried explaining.

"Save it! Julius and his family left here after outsiders like you constantly harassed them. I won't have some lowlife masquerade as him to take up residence here!" Sariah snapped, far angrier than she had been before, somehow. Taking a deep breath, Julius opened his right palm and showed her what looked like a scar of sorts.

"You remember the night I got this, right? Where I jumped back in fear from that cheesy horror film during class and stabbed my hand with a pair of scissors." The young man tried jogging her memory, the young woman hesitantly looking at the scar, before coming to the conclusion that he was indeed, the real deal.

"J-Julius!" Sariah cried out in joy, giving him a brief hug upon reuniting with her childhood friend, breaking it off a few seconds later. "It's been too long since we last met; I thought you were dead."

"I can't blame you for that; I'm really sorry that I didn't get to say my goodbyes before I left." Julius replied, sighing in relief on the inside, since traversing through here will now be made a lot easier. "On the flipside, I did get a lot stronger while I was out of town."

"Excellent! Between you, Narcissa and Ren, our town will no longer be plagued by the outsiders. Speaking of which, do you want to see me and my friends punish one?" Sariah eagerly prattled.

"Uh…sure." Julius replied hesitantly, doing his best to mask it from her. Though she did find it a bit odd, Sariah merely brushed it off as a case of homesickness and escorted the young man to the center of the town, where a massive stature of Giratina in its Altered Forme stood proud and tall. There were two guys around her age, who were busy trying to tie a noose around the neck of a young girl, who couldn't be any older than ten. The young girl had shoulder length blonde hair, and wore a dark grey beret, a grey long-sleeve t-shirt and grey trousers. It was clear to Julius that she was struggling for her life, rekindling memories of Maria from deep inside him.

"Ugh…L-Let go of me you bastards!" The young girl demanded, with the two men chuckling at her plight.

"Aww…what's the matter girly-poo, in a tough spot because you tried to steal from me?" The first guy said, his outfit consisting of an all blue tracksuit.

"I only stole from you because you decked me in the face when I asked for directions!" The girl snapped, spitting on the guys face.

"Tch, the insolence of this filthy outsider. No matter, we'll make sure you don't go stealing from us again." The second guy chimed in, his hair all scruffy and messy.

"Steve, Jimmy. Guess who came back to us." Sariah called out, the two men turning away from their prisoner.

"Julius! Oh, my man. How's it going?" Steve inquired, the two men giving Julius a 'welcome back' handshake.

"I'm fine…could be better though. Now what's going on here?" The young man inquired.

"This fuckin' outsider tried stealing some drinks from Steve, but we caught her in the act. Now she's gonna pay!" Jimmy informed the young man, with the young girl glaring at Julius.

"Oh, you're their head honcho right? You think your so tough, having your gang do the dirty work while acting like your Mr. King Dick? Why don't you fight me one-on-one?" The young girl snapped.

"There's no need for fighting around here, I come with an ultimatum. Return the goods you stole, and I'll let you leave." Julius proposed.

"You can't be serious! You plan on letting them go?!" Sariah asked incredulously.

"I've…been to Gearen City during my travels. Heard rumors of an upcoming militia that plans on dealing with the "Goldenleaf Menace' as they put it. Killing her would only cause them to retaliate. Besides…I already witnessed a young girl suffer firsthand, I don't want to see it again so soon." Julius recalled, flinching at the thoughts of his sister. "So…have we got a deal?"

"Sure, anything to get out of this town sooner." The young girl answered, hastily handing over all of Steve's loot that she stole.

"Tch, disappointing…" Steve replied, hoped to see someone hang today.

"I gotta bounce out of here, thanks for saving me bro." The girl answered, quickly running towards the town exit, as the three Goldenleaf citizens faced their childhood friend.

"Outside world must've made you weak, no way would you have turned a hanging down back then." Jimmy retorted.

"I wouldn't say it made me weak…after all its where I got my Pokémon from. At the very least, she now knows not to steal from you again." Julius replied.

"Yeah, and she'll tell this rabid militia you brought up earlier. Not the smartest decision in hindsight." Sariah reminded the young man. "Not that we have any reason to be afraid of them; Narcissa can deal with them easily."

"True, she is rather powerful, especially with her Ghost type Pokémon. Perhaps I should challenge her once Ren's finished with his business here." Julius commented, attracting their attention.

"Oh, that guy; he keeps going on about trying to change our way of life, says that defeating Narcissa would be the key to solving all our "problems". Honestly, it's getting irritating at this point." Steve answered, seemingly uninterested in the idea.

"I see…" Julius replied, a little taken aback by the sheer bluntness his friend displayed. "Anyway, I have to do a bit of business over in Akuwa Town. Shouldn't take too long—"

"You can't. Narcissa sealed the entrance to Route 4 back when she initiated her isolationist policy. Didn't you remember the history lesson back at school?" Jimmy shot the suggestion down.

"R-Right…I forgot about that…" the young man chuckled sheepishly. "Anyway, I might check in on Ren and his family, see how they've been doing."

"Suit yourself, we're heading back to patrol the area near the front gate just in case another outsider gets the idea to invade our town." Sariah replied, heading off towards the aforementioned gate, with Steve and Jimmy following right behind her, leaving the young man on his own. Opting to check in on his friend, he made the quick trek to Ren's place and knocked on the door.

"Ren, Reina? Is that you?" A voice called out from the other side of the door.

"No, it's me, Julius. Remember?" The young man replied. The door opened up slightly, with Ren's mother peering through the open crack

"Julius! It's been a long time since we've met. Come, come in." She welcomed the young man inside, as he stepped inside her house. As he expected, it was one of the houses that was still clean and in good shape.

"So how has Reina been? And Ren for that matter?" Julius inquired, with the older woman sighing sadly to herself.

"I knew this day would come…but I didn't anticipate it to be this soon. Reina ran away from home a few weeks ago to find her brother, which I'm sure you know about." Ranna answered.

"Yeah, I last saw him a few days ago. He seems intent on saving this town." Julius replied, catching Ranna off-guard. "Why so surprised? Didn't he tell you?"

"Well he did mention his dream to me a year ago, but I haven't seen him since that day. I guess he really wants to save our town." She told the young man. "I can't help but feel this is my fault somehow. Had I raised them better, this might not have happened…"

"Don't blame yourself, you did the best that you could in these circumstances." Julius consoled her, sympathizing with her plight. "Besides, I get those thoughts as well; how I could've saved so many lives had I done more on my behalf."

"You're too kind, but what do you mean when you say that?" Ranna inquired, putting Julius on the spot. He still wasn't quite ready yet to open up about the pain he went through in Ayrith…or the incident with Maria either.

"It's personal, I'm sorry to say…" The young man answered.

"It's fine, we've all got things we want to keep to ourselves for the moment." The older woman replied.

"Anyway, I'll leave the heroics to Ren. I wish to speak to Narcissa and see if she's able to open the path to Route 4 for me, I have some business over in Akuwa Town I need to deal with." Julius said, casually stretching his arms.

"She should be over by her gym." Ranna answered, the young man giving her a nod of appreciation. "It was nice seeing you again after so long. Have a good time over there!"

"Yeah, it was nice seeing you again. Tell Reina I said hi in case she comes back." Julius said his goodbyes to the older woman, exiting her house and making his way to the Goldenleaf Gym, the largest building in the town. It was tall, standing around 3-4 stories tall and was more than twice as wide as the Pokécenter. As he walked up the steps to the building, he was soon surprised by a Mimikyu leaping out from behind the bushes and confronted the trainer.

"Fret not…he is one of us." A familiar voice called out to the Mimikyu, the small Pokémon quickly shuffling over to it's trainers feet as a middle-aged woman exited the library. Though past her prime, she still retained her youthful grace and elegance, her shoulder-length purple hair neat and tidy. She wore a long, billowing purple dress that reached her ankles. "It's been a while, Julius."

"Indeed, it has, Narcissa. I assume this is your Mimikyu?" The young man inquired.

"Why yes she is; I've been training her up for some time now, she really likes battling other Pokémon." The older woman answered, gently scratching the Disguise Pokémon on it's 'head' with the small Pokémon purring in response. "That said, I assume you're here for a Gym Battle?"

"No actually, I was wondering if you can open up the path to Route 4 briefly, since I have business over in Akuwa Town." Julius politely requested, with Narcissa shaking her head in response.

"Unfortunately, I cannot allow such a thing to happen. The townsfolk would riot if such a thing were to happen, I assume you know of out sheltered history?" She replied.

"Yes, I do know about the towns tragic past, how so many people lost their lives in that fire, how it caused them to harden their hearts to the outside world." Julius answered.

"Very good, you haven't forgotten your home after all." Narcissa gave him a small smile. "However…I long for the hatchet to be buried. I want this town to be restored to the way it was before the martial law I imposed on the townsfolk."

"Well Ren's trying his best to save this town, I think he has what it takes to get the job done." The young man chimed in.

"Y-Yes…I have heard of his endeavors and feel that he can get the job done." Narcissa replied, a slight hint of hesitance in her tone. "That said, if you could do me a favor, it would be greatly appreciated."

"Alright, what's this favor?" Julius inquired.

"Some travelling outsiders have taken refuge in the Pokémon Center and have been causing a ruckus. Deal with them, and I'll think about letting you through to Route 4." Narcissa explained the situation. "Once you are done, you can meet me over at Wispy Tower. There, we shall remember those who have passed on from this world."

"Sure thing, I'll fix your problem." The young man accepted the deal.

"Wonderful. Try not to make too much of a mess; I'm in no mood for the Aevium League to come breathing down my neck." The older woman replied, making her way to Wispy Path with the young man going the opposite way to the PokéCenter, only to be confronted by Sariah and her gang.

"I saw you chatting to Narcissa back there. Care to explain?" Sariah inquired.

"She wanted me to deal with some outsiders causing a ruckus in the PokéCenter—" The young man began.

"Say, no more. We want in on this plan." The young girl interjected.

"Yeah, this oughta to make up for letting that young girl go." Steve psyched himself up for a fight.

"About time we dealt with those entitled vermin once and for all!" Jimmy grinned a sinister grin.

"Uh ok, you can join. Just don't make too much a mess. Those were her orders after all." Julius told them, the trio jumping for joy. "Well we better make this quick, I haven't got all day."

"Sure thing. With the four of us together, no outsider has a chance against us!" Sariah called out, extremely confident in her victory, the group of four heading off towards the Pokémon Center.

 **0000**

"I'm sick and tired of being pushed around in this town!" A young girl called out loud, slamming her fist on the table. "We ought to rally together and fend off the rabid loonies, get our damn badge and leave this hellhole."

"Aye-Aye! We should report Narcissa to the Aevium League for allowing this to go on; perhaps they'll close the gym down and move it elsewhere; like Oblitus Town. That ought to bring some new life into a place that actually deserves it." A boy around her age chimed in.

"With no gym, the people here would be left alone, just like they wanted. If that's the case, hopefully they'll die in peace so that we can reclaim it once the locals are gone." An Elite trainer expressed his sentiments, with the PokéCenter doors opening, with the people flinching back in shock.

"D-Don't fret! I mean no harm." Aelita called out, with the tablegoers sighing in relief at the sight of a friendly face. "Is everything alright?"

"N-No, young lady. The citizens here are incredibly hostile to outsiders. I'm sure you experienced it firsthand." The nurse answered, with Aelita making her way over to her in order to heal her Pokémon.

"I mean I got ganged up on by a few of them which resulted in my Pokémon getting hurt, so I see where you're coming from." The purple-haired girl replied, before the doors opened once more and a group of three stormed into the building.

"All right, we've had id up to here with all you outsiders!" Sariah called out, Steve and Jimmy flanking her sides, with the other trainers preparing themselves for battle. "Well, you heard our demand, get to it!"

"Buzz off! We'll leave this place once we get our damn badge!" A trainer snapped at the trio.

"Hahahahaha! You say that as if you maggots have a chance against Narcissa. There's no place for you here, so why not save yourself the humiliation and leave?" Jimmy retorted, crossing his arms.

"When I get out of here, I swear I'm filing a report to the Aevium League and shut that damn gym down!" The Elite trainer threatened.

"Oh no, the gym will shut down, thus depriving us of outsiders like you…" Steve replied sarcastically, snickering under his breath.

"This Pokémon Center is for everyone to use, whether they live here or not. If you don't like it, then you're more than welcome to leave." Aelita replied.

"You—who the hell do you think you are, demanding us to leave?!" Sariah snapped, glaring at the young woman. "That's it, we're bringing in the big guns! Julius…we need a hand here."

' _J-Julius?'_ Aelita thought to herself, with the familiar man entering the building.

"Alright everyone, listen here. I'm not in the mood for anymore hassles, so if you can all settle down and stop causing havoc, then I don't have to resort to drastic measures." Julius told the restless trainers.

"Settle down? These people want to kill us, yet you're telling us to settle down?!" A young trainer shouted at the young man, the latter sighing to himself.

"Keep that attitude up, and I'll make sure you're all barred from challenging the gym here. It's not something I want to do, but if I'm forced to do so, then so be it." The young man retorted, with the hostile trainer clamming up in response.

"Oh yeah? And what do you have to back your threats up?" Another trainer egged him on, hoping for a reaction. Julius grumbled to himself, taking out his Trainer ID and flashed it to them.

"As the Champion of the Tandor Region, I am more than capable of dealing with whatever you lot throw at me. I'll say this one, last time. Quiet down, or I'll have to kick you all out. Rest assured, this whole affair won't last much longer." Julius told them sternly, with the trainers grumbling to themselves before accepting the deal.

"Fine, we'll yield for now." The Elite trainer grumbled. "But rest assured, once I'm done reporting Narcissa to the Aevium League, you can expect the Tandor League to receive a very angry letter."

"Heh, I welcome it." Julius replied smugly, turning to face the other three trainers. "Seems we did our job as she told us to."

"Excellent. A shame that we didn't get to kick them out, but that's for another time. Now if you'll excuse us, we're off to check up on the gateway. Can't be too cautious when it comes to outsiders" Sariah chimed happily, the young lady leaving the building as Steve and Jimmy followed right behind her.

"Phew…thank god that messy business was dealt with. Could've been a lot worse had I not showed up." The young man sighed in relief, before Aelita went up to him and slugged him in the shoulder. "Ow! What was that for?!" He inquired.

"How could you stand by them and tell us to leave?!" She demanded an answer.

"You say that as if I actually agreed with them; I only did this so I can get to Akuwa Town quicker. Once Ren saves this town, then I'm sure everyone will be welcome here." Julius retorted, with Aelita eyeing him to see if he was telling the truth.

"Well you don't seem to be lying…" Aelita mulled it over in her head. "Alright then, I believe you, but I doubt the others here would be as trusting after that show you just pulled."

"I don't expect them to fold over immediately, which is why I'm hoping Ren manages to succeed in his endeavor." The young man replied.

"On another note, are you really the Tandor Champion?" Aelita inquired, with the young man nodding in confirmation. "Wow…that's totally amazing!"

"It is, but I doubt the rest of the league would be impressed with my little abuse of power back there." Julius told her, before what sounded like a scream came from outside the Pokémon Center. "…and on that note, I better check that out. Catch you later!"

"W-Wait!" The young woman called out, watching Julius run out the building before sighing to herself. "Guess I'll stay here to prevent any more people from attacking this place…"

The young man had just exited the building, only to see his friends run down the path. "AIIIIIEEEEEE! I'm not ready to die yet!" Steve cried out, flailing his arms in the air.

"G-Get outta here while you still can Jules, some Pangoro's gone crazy and started attacking us!" Jimmy warned the young man, as he and Sariah followed Steve in hot pursuit.

"Pangoro? Who here has a—" Julius inquired, before he heard a low growl from behind him. Turning around slowly, he saw the massive panda glaring down at him, eager to beat the young man up.

"Settle down there, he helped me outta a pinch earlier." A familiar voice called out to the large Pokémon, its glare lessening and stepped back from the trainer, as the young girl from before went up to her Pokémon. "Now that was very fun, perhaps that would teach them not to harass outsiders anymore."

"Uh…thanks for that, young lady." Julius replied, his heart racing like crazy.

"No problem, the name's Mosely. You seem nice when compared to the others." She smiled, flashing him a peace sign.

"Nice meeting you Mosely, the name's Julius. I'd love to stay and chat, but I gotta head on over to Wispy Path." Julius farewelled the young girl, making his way down the path that lead out of town.

 **0000**

Wispy Path, much like Goldenwood Forest was filled to the brim with golden trees, and lush gold grass. Fitting, since the two are right next to each other. the young man knew that this was the only way to Wispy Tower, the remains of the radio tower that a long time ago, put Goldenleaf Town on the maps. The path was long and had several twists and turns, with the river right beside the path, flowing as tranquil as ever. Eventually, the young man made it to the ruined tower and entered the damaged doorway, blackened by the soot and smoke. There, he saw Narcissa tending to the dozens upon dozens of graves that laid through out the area, paying particular attention to the one in the center. The older woman had heard the young man entering, but still maintained her focus on her duty.

"…No matter how many times I step in this lobby, the pain's always there." The older woman muttered. "All the painful memories of lives lost, the hopes and dreams that never got fulfilled lay at rest here."

"You have my sincerest condolences. I may not have been affected by the tragedy personally, but it affected us all." Julius expressed his sympathies, walking closer to the older woman.

"It's fitting that this place brings out my true feelings, considering how I was the one who started this ordinance of isolation." Narcissa replied, turning around and asked Julius a question he knew was coming. "Tell me…why should we change our ways?"

It took a short while for Julius to come up with an answer, after all this wasn't some ordinary question. It would take an extraordinary answer to satisfy her inquires. "Because the order of isolation goes against what this tower stood for. It was built to unify the outsider world, and Goldenleaf Town; separating the two would be an insult to those who perished in the fire."

"An interesting answer, once that I did not expect." Narcissa replied, intrigued by what she just heard. "You are right; this tower was built to unify us all as one. But our anger over the lives lost shall never die; it's been embedded into us and our children. Yet somehow you and your family were able to let go of the hate, as with Ren and his family."

"We felt that it wasn't fair to blame an entire group for the actions of one person. Call it naïve or whatever, but that's just how I feel." The young man replied.

"That's true, perhaps I let my anger get the best of me back then. To be truthful to you, my tears have run dry, my anger has subsided. I just want this isolation to end. As a woman of theatre and the opera, I yearn for the cheering crowd, the interactions with foreigners." Narcissa admitted.

"Well surely you can change the laws you set, you are the leader after all." The young man inquired.

"That may be so, but it's not as easy as you say. Were I to tell them to start opening up again, I'll wind up in the gallows' noose." The older woman told him.

"T-Then perhaps you can work with Ren to save this town. He's had plenty of experience with the outside world." Julius suggested.

"True, he has told me of his plans to save this town. But I haven't seen him in a while; perhaps you can work with him and me to save this place?" Narcissa inquired.

"O-Ok then, I-I'll see what I can do about it…" Julius nervously replied, a little concerned over how Ren would react to it. "Anyway, I've dealt with the rowdy outsiders in the Pokémon Center."

"Indeed. I heard about it from Sariah as she was passing my me; her face was unusually pale for some odd reason, and it looked as if she had been running for her life. In that case, I'll open the path to Route 4 as soon as I've done a few things on my end." The older woman held up her end of the deal.

"Thanks for that; I'll head back to town and relax for a bit, the last few days have been exhausting." Julius thanked the older woman, exiting the ruined building as she continued tending to the graves, neither of them aware that a hostile force was watching the both of them.

 **A bit of a cliffhanger here, but the next part is quite meaty and I didn't want to over saturate the chapter so I'll save it for the next one. I hope you like my alternate retelling of the Goldenleaf arc so far, or at least found it interesting. I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Well here you go everyone, the next installment of my Rejuvenation fic, where Julius storms the hidden Xen base under Wispy Tower and confronts a most powerful foe. I'm fairly confident that you'll all enjoy it, so let's begin already!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Julius had spent the last half-hour relaxing by the Giratina statue, coming to terms with what was happening so far, between Narcissa's desire for change and the stubborn adherence to tradition that his friends showed earlier. Truth be told, he didn't expect everyone to agree to the change immediately but figured that they'll come to terms and accept it over time. Still, he did question whether Ren would be strong enough to defeat Narcissa, given how skilled she is with her Ghost type Pokémon. He had just finished his drink and discarded it in a nearby bin when he heard what sounded like bickering coming from in front of the library, and opted to check it out.

"—I've got a few choice words I want to say about how you and your people treat outsiders who just want to complete the Aevium—" Aelita began her small rant, before noticing Julius arriving on scene and quietened down a bit. "Oh, hi Julius!"

"Hey, Aelita. Look I get where you're coming from, but your little rant won't exactly leave a positive impression on the town regarding outsiders." Julius politely chimed in.

"The young man raises a point, though I can see where you're coming from." Narcissa replied to Aelita. "Now, as I was just saying, I grew tired of this town's attitude. I yearn for change; back to when this town was thriving and prosperous with outsiders coming and going."

"Well if you grew tired of this isolation, then why create the policy in the first place?" Aelita inquired, with the older woman sighing to herself.

"Young one…the only way you could feel the anger I felt when I made the policy if you were there that night; the night where the radio tower was set alight." She answered.

"O-Oh…" Aelita quieted down in response, before getting back to her original point. "Since you're the leader here, wouldn't it be easy to change the policy?"

"It's not that simple Aelita; as you saw in the Pokémon Center, the townsfolk still hold onto their anger, their hate. They've become so blinded by it that they won't take the time to listen to Narcissa." Julius answered.

"Exactly." Narcissa commented, directing her attention to the young woman. "One thing you must know about being a leader is that your decisions will not always be met with unanimous agreement. To force my will onto them would turn me into a dictator."

"I guess you're right…" Aelita replied quietly, thinking to herself. "We have to think of something we can do in the meantime, an assembly perhaps?"

"Not a bad start, but they could easily start a riot, jeopardizing our safety." Narcissa shot down the suggestion. "Oh I'm more than capable of fending them off…but I don't have the heart to lash out against my own people."

"I still think that the best possible solution is to have Ren demonstrate his strength to Narcissa, proving to the people that the outside world isn't all doom and gloom." Julius insisted.

"And how long do you think it'll take for him to be sufficiently ready; a week, a month? What happens if he loses the battle? Or if he does win, but they don't change their attitude? You're banking all your money on this slim chance, perhaps overestimating his abilities." Aelita disagreed passionately with the idea. "If anything, you should be the one to challenge her, given that you've spent a large part of your life outside this town."

"I can't do that! I promised him that I wouldn't get in his way." Julius retorted. "I know him; I'm confident that he'll succeed in his endeavor. You just gotta trust him!"

"Look, we can discuss this at a later time. Right now, I promised Julius that I'll open the path to Route 4. Luckily for you, the switch is inside the library lobby—" Narcissa began, with the trio making their way to the library when they suddenly halted their tracks, an unfamiliar man watching them from on top of the library roof. "…what are you doing up there? Wait a second…you look strikingly familiar." The older woman asked the strange man.

"Shut up, you annoying woman!" Geara retorted rudely, sending out his Haunter. "Haunter, silence her."

The goofy ghost cackled maniacally, lunging towards Narcissa and gripped her neck with its hands, squeezing the life out of her.

"Narcissa!" Aelita cried out, running over to the older woman, only for a shadowy copy of the Haunter to emerge from its body and begen choking the life out of her as well.

"You better let them go this instant, Geara!" Julius demanded, with the older man chuckling sinisterly.

"Ah, so good that you remember me from your little trip in our office. You already know who I am, but allow me to make a formal introduction; The name's Geara, an Executive of Team Xen." He introduced himself. "I can't say we appreciated your escapades down at Carotos Mountain."

"Oh boo hoo, you lost your precious Shadow Pokemon…" Julius mocked the villainous man. "Now give me back my mother or I'll throw you to the townsfolk. They've been itching to punish an outsider like—"

"Tough luck, little shit. I lived in this shithole as an official citizen, which means I get to avoid a lynching today." Geara smirked, hiding the seething rage boiling inside of him. "You think you can just go about your merry little way, without worrying about the consequences. Yeah, that don't fly with us homie."

"If it's trouble you want then that's fine my me; I choose you Vilucard!" Julius sent out his trusty companion, the nimble cat-bat landing gracefully on the ground. "Deal with that troublesome Haunter, please."

The Villainous Pokémon snickered mischievously and lunged at the Haunter, the ghostly Pokémon moaning in pain as it was flung towards the library, its prisoners freed from its deadly grip as Narcissa started gasping for air, with Aelita being knocked unconscious.

"Damn it!" Geara growled, recalling his fainted Pokémon and leapt down to the ground, before making a beeline out of town. "Can't stay around here any longer, I promised Nastasia to remain unseen. The next time we meet, I'll even the score!" He hurled out cheap threats, with the young man checking up on the two women.

"Are you to ok?!" He inquired, crouching down to their level.

"I-I'm fine…but Aelita's in bad shape. She must have inadvertently breathed in some of Haunter's fumes." Narcissa replied, as she and Julius helped get the young girl's body off the ground, only for a familiar voice to run over to the duo.

"Narcissa! I heard a commotion going over by the gym, is everything alright?" Sariah called out, her attention directed to the unconscious Aelita. "W-What happened to her?!"

"Some crazy outsider tried to kill her and Narcissa with his Pokémon, and I intended to make them pay for what he did." Julius informed her, fabricating the story a little.

"Oh goddamn it! I'm sick of these outsiders thinking they can do whatever they want. You bring that asshole here, while me and the crew figure out what to do to him." Sariah ranted, demanding a solution to the problem.

"Retribution can wait…right now I need a hand if Julius is going off to find the perpetrator…" Narcissa requested, with Sariah lending her a hand to help Aelita, albeit it hesitantly.

"Don't worry, I'll see to it that justice is served!" Julius promised, with Vilucard hopping onto his shoulders as the duo ran off in the direction Geara went, unaware that Geara was watching the young man run off, his body invisible by some sort of mysterious force.

"And there goes the imbecile, running down the first path he sees. Oh my vengeance will be sweet…" Geara grinned ominously, his ears catching wind of Sariah's ranting.

"…when I get my hands on the vile outsider that hurt you, Narcissa, I'll bash his brains out with some debris from Wispy Tower. Oh boy, will it be fun." The young woman continued, with Narcissa choosing to remain silent as they duo made their way to her house.

"…that chick is nuts…" Geara commented, a look of genuine surprise etched on his face, before slapping his forehead in frustration. "Damn, how could I have forgotten about Wispy Tower?! Am I an idiot?" he asked himself.

The Xen Executive mulled over on how long it had been since he was here last, before a thought popped into his mind. "Is that thing still in Wispy Tower? If so, then looks like I'll be getting revenge quicker than I anticipated, and it'll be much, much sweeter than I said it would be. Hehehehehehe…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He laughed maniacally to himself, quickly making his way to Wispy Tower.

 **Wispy Path**

Julius had spent the last hour and a half searching the area for the fleeing Xen Administrator, but had no luck whatsoever. On top of his dedicated effort, he even had Vilucard's impressive hearing to help him out, which was able to pinpoint even the most minute of sounds within a 2-mile radius. Exhausted from his fruitless search, the young man sat down beside a tree, the cat-bat Pokémon slumping down besides its trainer and took a quick nap, with the young man plotting their next move. Just then, a familiar figure peeped out from behind the bushes, catching Julius by surprise.

"Hiya!" Mosely called out, emerging from the bushes and sat down besides Julius. "Something troubling you?"

"Yeah, I'm chasing after some asshole from Team Xen, but it's like he vanished into thin air; we searched this area thoroughly but weren't able to find a single trace of him." He answered, sighing to himself in exhaustion.

"Well if it helps, I did see someone heading towards Wispy Tower; fella had a real mean look in his eye." The young girl answered, Julius' eyes lighting up in response.

"Really?! Thanks for that Mosely!" The young man adamantly thanked the young girl. "But why help me out though, even after what my friends did to you?"

"You saved my hide by telling them to stand down, I figured it'll be impolite to not return the favor. Besides, it's not every day you get to help a stranger whoop some ass." Mosely grinned, eager to do a bit of exploring.

"Heh, some help would be appreciated." Julius appreciated the kind offer, something which was unusually rare for him to do. "Well that was a nice little break; wanna get started now?"

"Hell yeah, this'll do nicely on my resume!" The young girl cheered, eagerly running off in the direction of Wispy Tower. Julius tried calling out to her, but it fell on death ears, leaving the young man with no choice but to scoop his sleeping Pokémon and follow the young girl.

Julius had arrived at the ruined tower and noticed that Mosely was casually relaxing by the smoke-stained entrance, blowing her fingernails. "You took your time, mister." She commented.

"Well I wasn't the one who opted to run towards the tower as if they were being chased by a swarm of Beedrill." Julius playfully retorted. "So you found anything interesting while you waited?"

"You bet; there was this hidden entrance right where that big shrine was. You know the one I'm talking about, right?" Mosely reported.

"Yeah, I saw Narcissa tend to it earlier today. But there was nothing there that indicated the presence of a hidden entrance." The young man replied, recalled what had happened there earlier. "Now that we're together again, you want to check it out?"

"Obviously; I wouldn't have mentioned it otherwise." Mosely smirked, gesturing the young man to follow her inside. True to her word, there was a large, steel trap door on the floor, the stairway descending down to what ever lied below the tower. Mustering up the courage, the pair walked down the dark stairway, a meagre amount of light illuminating the pathway, holding a firm grip on the tattered railing to keep themselves from falling down. The descent lasted for a couple minutes before stumbling upon a most bewildering sight.

What they had stepped into was some sort of decimated, abandoned laboratory, with plantlife growing on the ground, as if nature herself wanted to reclaim this place. There were several tattered Xen flags plastered on the crumbling walls, as well as the remnants of machines that sported the Team Xen logo. There was no mistaking it; Team Xen had their hand in Goldenleaf Town, and Wispy Tower. Could it mean that they were responsible for starting the fire that scarred the town and its people?

"Woah…who would've thought this place would be here?" Mosely gasped in awe, intrigued by the ruins around her.

"Not me, that's for sure. Perhaps this might be a fruitful investigation—get down!" Julius called out, gesturing the young girl to hide behind one of the machines with him, footsteps echoing down the hallway. Julius gestured at the young girl to remain quiet, as the duo peeked from behind to eavesdrop on the third party.

"Goddamn…this place has seen better days, that's for sure. How long has it been since I last visited this place?" Geara asked himself, having explored deeper in the ruins. "At the very least that meddlesome brat hasn't followed me down here. Still I can't run the risk of him foiling my plans; thankfully I called for reinforcements earlier." He mused, reaching into his pocket and activated his walkie-talkie.

" _You called, sir?"_ Sharon inquired, wondering why she was called to some ruined dump of all places.

"Sharlene, I need you to reboot the security system and ensure that no meddlesome brats get in my way; I've still got some things I need to iron out." Geara ordered through the device, his voice louder than usual.

" _Ok, ok. I get it, you don't need to shout at me. And it's Sharon for crying out loud."_ The woman retorted, with Geara brushing her complaints aside.

"Details, details. Just close the damn gate behind me." He replied snidely, walking beyond the gates in the central pathway, which was closed soon after his order was made.

"Hmph, what a big fat loser that guy is…" Mosely commented to herself, the duo emerging from behind the machine. "That guy is the poster child for teenage angst and hostility. Hopefully I don't grow up to be like him."

"Here's some friendly advice; don't get caught up with villainous teams. That way you won't grow up to be like that asshole." Julius answered, with Mosely chuckling lightly in response. "Anyway, we better look around for a way to open these gates."

"Sounds like a plan!" The young girl smiled, with the duo heading down the hallway Geara had come from earlier. It was much longer then they had anticipated, the pathway spiraling off in various directions. The duo opted to pass the time by engaging in some small talk, as a means of getting to know each other better. "So…you got family back there?" Mosely inquired, referring to Goldenleaf Town.

"Not exactly…we left there years ago because my father got a new job over in Tandor, where he soon died in a workplace accident, or at least that's what the news described it as. Then when me and my mother came back to Aevium to start anew, she gets kidnapped by Team Xen for some unknown reason." Julius answered, turning to face the young girl. "How about you, do you have a family?"

"Kinda; see, I'm an orphan. There's a small orphanage ran by this nice lady named Maman; right by the path to Akuwa Town. And that's all I wish to say at the moment." She replied.

"As you wish." The young man concluded the discussion, the duo entering a small room at the end of the hallway. The room was empty for the most part, save for a couple bookshelves, a pool of water to the north, and a table that had the tattered remains of a journal on top. Mosely opted to investigate the bookshelves for any clues, while Julius directed his attention to the journal and began reading it. Apparently, it detailed the life of a worker over at Wispy Radio Tower, though what their position was is unclear. He talked about how he thought that he had the influence to change the world and expressed his interest in changing the minds of people. Additionally, he mentions a man named Sirius, who acted as the head of the tower and expressed that "one with a voice can change the mind of anyone who listened", a feat that can be achieved by using certain key words carefully strung together, though that was all he was able to ascertain from the tattered journal.

"Hmmmm…this may require further investigation on my end." The young man mused to himself. "Find anything interesting Mosely?"

"Nada. The books are too damaged to get a clear insight." She replied, resting her hand against a still functioning panel, the screen lighting up in response. "W-Woah! I did not intend to do that at all."

"Look on the bright side, you may have just found out ticket past those gates!" Julius responded confidently, filling the young girl up with a sense of accomplishment. "Still, I don't think that's the only one we need to activate. We better keep an eye out for any more suspicious panels."

"Sounds like a plan! Why don't we check the other corridor?" Mosely suggested. The young man agreed with the idea, thus the duo continued their exploration of the previously abandoned base.

Around half an hour later, the pair had arrived at another room, this one much larger than the first room they had found. Evidently it seemed as if the fire had barely affected this room, given how everything was in better condition than the stuff they found throughout the rest of the base. It was on the back wall that they spotted a second panel, right near a desk with another journal on it, however it seemed that the wiring was damaged as a result of the plant life growing within the room.

"This isn't good at all…we need a way to fix that wiring." Julius commented, gazing at the damaged wiring.

"Not a problem, I can handle this easi—woah, what is that?!" Mosely began, before being taken aback by a most unusual sight. Resting on a table in the center of the room was a device modelled after the 'ring' surrounding Arceus' torso. It gave off an eerie vibe, as if it spell disaster on any who would touch it. "What is this thing…?"

"Don't touch that! I'm getting seriously bad vibes from that thing." The young man called out, just as Mosely was about to touch the device.

"Yeah, on second thought you're right…anyway, I better fix those wires up." The young girl replied, sitting down beside the exposed wiring and took the time to prepare herself, before getting started on the repairs. Julius was impressed by how easily she was dealing with the difficult task, especially for one as young as her. Since it would take some time for her to be finished, he decided to read the tattered journal and see if he could gain a little more insight into this places' history.

Apparently, the writer was expressing his distaste for Sirius going around and performing experiments that weren't agreed upon, touching upon how he never explained with complete clarity on what his definition of a perfect world would be. However, he chooses to let Sirius do as he pleases, given that he seemed to know what he was doing, though the writer states that he wishes to know more about what exactly he's doing.

' _Hmm? Seems there's a few more pages that weren't damaged by the fire.'_ Julius thought to himself, carefully turning the journal page and continued reading. The writer goes on to explain how Sirius took him to the laboratory to show him something amazing, specifically the legendary Pokémon Giratina. A good portion of the page was dedicated to the writer's amazement over witnessing the legendary creature, how he never thought he would ever see a legendary Pokémon on his life, at least until that day. He then mentions how Sirius stated that their current influence wasn't enough, how it was impossible to change everyone with the radio tower in its current state with Sirius declaring how he wanted to destroy this world, to create a new one that is perfect in everyway possible. The writer notes that despite Sirius' delusional statement, he sounded completely sane, a bit hypnotic even. The writer ends the entry by stating that he chooses to stand by Sirius, to ensure that their dream world comes to fruition.

"Ahh…and done!" Mosely called out, having repaired the wires and getting up to stretch her arms.

"Ah, w-well done." Julius replied, still deep in thought over what he just read.

"I'm sure whatever's in that journal isn't all that interesting…" The young girl casually commented, with the young man handing her the open book, as if he wanted her to read what he just read. Mosely took the time to read the journal entry presented to her, her eyes widening in realization. "No way…they wanted to create a new world using Giratina's power?"

"That seems to be the case, but there's still a piece of the puzzle missing, namely what had caused the fire all those years ago?" Julius replied, making his way to the now activated panel and pressed it, the screen lighting up as a series of minor rumbles shook the area, though only for a brief period of time. "Well I guess that means the gates are open now. Come on, let's get going."

"Alright, this is getting good now!" Mosely cracked a grin, the duo making their way back towards the main lobby. It was while they were walking that an odd thought popped into Julius' mind; Geara had said that he had reinforcements supporting him, but the duo hasn't seen a single Xen grunt throughout their exploration. Were they all staging an ambush beyond the gates, knowing that the two of them would eventually make their way here? Whatever the case, Geara had to be stopped this instant, otherwise he would case a lot of damage with whatever was still hidden here. They had made it to the gates, walking past them and towards a flight of stairs down, when they saw someone who they didn't expect to see down here.

"Oh? I guess that explains why those gates opened just then…" Narcissa commented, with Mosely's face paling upon releasing who she was.

"A-Ah! Y-You're Narcissa!" Mosely cried out in a mixture of shock and fear.

"And you're the child who's been stealing from the residents of my town…Mosely, if I recall." The older woman replied calmly.

"W-Well yeah…I mean it's nothing personal but…" The young girl nervously confessed her trespasses, before quickly switching topics. "I-I heard that you were attacked recently. How are you feeling?"

"Correct. I was attacked alongside that girl, Aelita if I recall. She's seemed to have recovered rather well from the attack, but enough about that. What in the world is this place, and why is it underneath Wispy Tower?" Narcissa inquired.

"Well from what I've read, it was a laboratory owned by Team Xen. The tower was meant to influence and control peoples mind, but it wasn't powerful enough. Therefore, they were hoping to use Giratina's power in order to boost the building's signal, but that was all I found out so far." Julius explained. "However, I haven't discovered why and how this place burnt down to the ground.

"I see…perhaps we'll uncover the truth if we continued down these stairs." The older woman commented, walking down the stairs further into the depths of the former base.

"Aw man…Maman's gonna kill me if she finds out what I've been doing…oh well it's too late to turn back now." Mosely chimed in, following Narcissa down the stairs, with Julius walking down after her.

When he arrived down stairs, the young man was immediately caught off-guard by just how foggy the area was. It was so thick that he could barely see a foot ahead of him, let alone the opposite wall, the eerie silence not helping the situation one bit. "Hrm…this fog is most likely artificial in nature, possibly to keep their ambush hidden." The young man mused to himself, with Vilicard hopping up onto his shoulders. "You think you can find our way through this fog?"

Vilucard gave a quick nod and scanned the area, attempting to pick up the faintest of noises that it could hear. Its ears heard the sound of a door closing shut, originating from the opposite of the room; with the cat-bat pointing in the direction the sound came from. Giving a nod of appreciation, the duo quickly made their way through the oppressive fog, making sure not to trip over on any bits of debris scattered around the area. When they reached their destination, Julius spotted a familiar duo casually guarding a door with a red 'X' emblazoned on it.

"Oh look who it is, it's Julius…" Sharon said in an uninterested tone.

"Well if it isn't Sharon and Eli, I figured we'll see each other again after my actions in Carotos Mountain." The young man replied, a little surprised that they survived the bases' destruction.

"For the last time, it's—oh, you got it right…" The blonde woman complained, before realizing her mistake. "It's not like I wanted to be here; we're just stalling for time while Geara does whatever the hell his self-absorbed ass is doing."

"Hey! Is anyone out there?!" Another voiced called out, banging on the steel door from behind it.

"Mosely!" Julius cried out, glaring at the two Xen grunts. "What did you do to her and Narcissa?!"

"No get mad kid, we just follow orders." Eli called out in response, as he and Sharon brought out a Pokéball each. "That applies to you too, get ready for battle!"

"Since I've got no choice, I may as well deal with you as quickly as possible." The young man agreed, with Vilucard hopping off his shoulders and got into a combative stance, before selecting a second Pokéball and throwing it to the ground, a new Pokémon emerging from it. She was a bipedal creature, sharing similarities with sirens and mermaids from mythological folklore; her two arms ending in hand-like fins, and a tail ending in a golden trident-head. Her head sported a wave-like hairstyle, a golden trident-head hairpiece and two shiny black eyes. Additionally, she has a golden collar around her neck and two short fins for feet, with an additional fin on her back and tail. She is dark-blue in color, her whole body patterned like ocean waves, with seafoam patterning her wrists, hair and stomach, giving her a regal appearance. She stood proud and tall, if a bit haughty, with both Xen grunts mesmerised by the mysterious creature. "I see that you're drawn in by Syrentide's grace; understandable, she has a natural charm to her." Julius commented.

"In that case, we've got the perfect strategy to deal with you!" Sharon retorted confidently, as she and Eli sent out a Mismagius and Honchkrow respectively, catching the young man off-guard. In terms of typing, he had the clear advantage; perhaps they taught moves to them that countered their weaknesses. Or it could be that they're throwing the match in order to get out of here as soon as possible. Regardless, he could tell that it wouldn't be a total walk in the park.

"Alright; Vilucard, use Knock Off on Mismagius. Syrentide, use Sing to immobilise your opponents!" The young man called out. The Villainous Pokémon lunged towards Mismagius, smacking its Spell Tag off with a quick slap, annoying the ghost who retaliated with a swift Magical Leaf, sending the cat-bat back a foot or two. Meanwhile, Syrentide took in a deep breath and began singing a most enchanting melody, with both Mismagius and Honchkrow mesmerised by the tune. The two enemy Pokémon were soon struck by a bout of drowsiness, with Mismagius managing to retain consciousness and stay awake. Honchkrow on the other hand wasn't so lucky and drifted off into sleep, though how long it would last is not certain.

Realising that it was at a disadvantage, Mismagius unleashed a blast of repulsive wind that struck its foes for tolerable damage, with the Magical Pokémon gaining a surge of power from the ghostly gust of wind. "Nice, just what I was hoping for…" Sharon smirked, deciding her next move. "Now use Thunderbolt on Syrentide!"

The magical ghost let out a quick chirp of approval and charged up a ball of electricity, before launching a wicked bolt of lightning towards the Siren Pokémon, who winched in pain as electricity coursed through her body, yet she stood strong and broke free of it, before quickly charging up a Moonblast and fired the lunar energy at the Magical Pokémon, causing it to stagger on the spot. This gave Vilucard an opportunity to follow up with a second Knock Off, sending Mismagius hurtling towards the ground, kicking up a sizable amount of dust and small debris, the ghost knocked out from the attack, though the noise caused Honchkrow to wake up.

"Eh, you lost Sharleen?" Eli inquired, his partner recalling her fainted Pokémon.

"I've still got another Pokémon I can use." She retorted, ignoring her partner's obvious mistake. "Besides, I didn't expect that thing to tank a Thunderbolt that well."

"That can be attributed to Syrentide's amazing bulk; she can take several hits and dish out some pain in return." Julius smirked confidently, with Syrentide basking in the praise.

"Two can play the bulk game; I choose you, Rhydon!" Sharon retorted, the massive Drill Pokémon emerging from its ball, roaring to psyche itself up. "But first…that bat needs to be dealt with. Use Hammer Arm!"

The Rhydon snarled at Vilucard, barrelling towards it with it's large fist in the air. The cat-bat saw the incoming attack and attempted to fly to safety, only for Honchkrow to knock it down with a surprise Night Slash, crashing into the dusty ground. Vilicard looked up from the ground and squeaked in fear, with Rhydon slamming its fist down on it, kicking up a large amount of dust in the air.

"Urk…sorry Vilucard." Julius winced sympathetically, recalling his fainted Pokémon and making his next selection. "Brainoar, time to start things off with Rain Dance!" The young man called out, the oarfish emerging from its Pokéball and let out a low moan, as a heavy rain soon started pouring in the area, the two Water type Pokémon letting out cries of joy. Immediately after that, the Brainoar used the rain to generate a large wave and send it crashing towards the two hostile Pokémon, with Syrentide riding the wave at impressive speeds. Honchkrow was barely able to stay above the relentless waves, though Rhydon wasn't so lucky, the Drill Pokémon roaring in pain from the watery barrage and slipped beneath the waves. A few seconds later, Syrentide hopped off the wave and charged up lunar energy once more, firing it directly at the distressed Honchkrow, who squawked in pain as it plummeted towards the water and fell in. When the wave died down a few moments later, it revealed that both Honchkrow and Rhydon had fainted from the relentless barrage.

"Uh…this bad right?" Eli asked out loud, the duo recalling their defeated Pokémon.

"No kidding, the rainfall boosts his Pokémon's speed! And to top it off, I'm out of battle-capable Pokémon!" Sharon retorted, looking at Eli's second Pokéball. "You've still got one left, use it!"

"O-Ok…Tangrowth go." The man sent out his next Pokémon, the large Vine Pokémon stomping on the field, happily absorbing the rain with its body, with Julius sporting a small frown. He knew that Tangrowth were a tricky foe to deal with, despite their lacklustre speed; hoping that the rain would last enough for him to end this. Indeed, the rain was still going, albeit at a slower rate than before, the pool of water reaching up to the trainer's knees.

"Brainoar, use Ice Beam! Syrentide, go for another Sing!" Julius called out. Like before, Syrentide attempted to hypnotise her opponent with her mesmerising, though Tangrowth was able to withstand the hypnotic lullaby and swing its thick vine towards her, the siren narrowly dodging the powerful attack. Though unbeknownst to her, there was sleep-inducing pollen coated on its arms, a few spores landing on her body. Having noticed them, she quickly brushed them off in an attempt to resist their effects, but it was too late, with the Siren Pokémon proceeding to doze lightly on the spot. Realising that it was an even fight now, the Brainoar chilled some water in its mouth, before firing an icy cold beam of energy from its mouth, the Tangrowth groaning in pain as its body was assaulted by the chilly attack, it's stubby legs frozen on the spot.

Not ready to throw in the towel yet, Tangrowth raised its thick, viny arm once more and smacked Brainoar in the head, the oarfish groaning in pain as it was sent down below the waves. Though the attack dealt a large amount of damage, the subsequent submergence meant that the spores had been washed off its body, enabling a potential counterattack to happen. Swimming rapidly in the water, the Brainoar leapt out of it and charged up another Ice Beam, firing the chilly energy at the Vine Pokémon, striking it with impressive ferocity, as the large Pokémon broke free of its icy constraints and fell backwards to the ground, knocked out from the attack.

"Heh, guess the waves were too much for you two!" Julius smirked confidently, with Syrentide awakening and noticing her fallen foe, before celebrating alongside Brainoar as Eli recalled his fainted Pokémon.

"Oh no, we lost…whatever shall we do?" Sharon asked rhetorically, not caring at all that the two of them were defeated. "I guess we have no choice other than to bail, right? Better open the door for them since they earnt it."

"Yah, Sarah." Eli chirped, gingerly pressing a few keys on the keypad beside it.

"For the last time, it's Sharon. How hard can it be to remember such a simple name?!" She groaned in annoyance, with the metal door opening. "Anyway, the door's open, so let's beat it while we can."

Julius chose to let the two go free, after all it wasn't them he was here for. Having recalled his Pokémon, he soon directed his attention towards his fellow teammates, noticing the pale expression on Mosely's face.

"My, my. Those two were certainly interesting individuals…" Narcissa commented, watching the two fleeing figures.

"Interesting or not, they're jerks for locking us up in here. I hate small spaces!" Mosely exclaimed, with Julius taking notice of the alcove they were locked up in. Indeed, it seemed to be quite cramped; a troublesome spot for a person with claustrophobia to be stuck in.

"Regardless, it's still somewhat admirable that they were following orders, even if they personally opposed it." The older woman replied, offering some small comfort to the frightened child.

"That aside, these stairs must lead to Geara and whatever he's got cooking down there. Unfortunately, those two managed to buy some time for him, so we've got to prepare for the worst." Julius commented.

"Correct. Based on what you told me earlier, it can be deduced that Giratina must lurk below here. If Geara has finished with what he set out to do, then he could very well have Giratina under his command. Caution is highly advised." Narcissa added, maintaining her air of calm composure despite the terrifying scenario.

"No problems, the three of us can handle that chump, Narcy." Mosely replied confidently, the older woman intrigued by the pet name she had been bestowed. The trio walked down the flight of stairs, through one last hallway and beyond a small lobby before arriving at the final room in the underground lair. There, they saw the legendary Renegade Pokémon, in its Origin Forme, strapped to a machine of sorts, with the detestable Xen admin watching it with pride.

"Beautiful, isn't it…" Geara commented, turning around to face the trio, stunned out of their minds at the sight of the legendary Pokémon. Julius did have to admit something; that journal writer was spot on when describing Giratina's sheer majesty, despite the poor creature being strapped to those machines. "Behold, the so-called protector of Goldenleaf Town. Did you know that it's been propped down here for decades?"

"…I did not know about all this at all." Narcissa admitted.

"Heh, since you all managed to make it this far, why don't I reward you all with a little story?" Geara smirked, clearing his throat as he began the story. "Once, there was a prosperous, wealthy, and intelligent young man named Sirius."

"H-How do you know that name?!" The older woman blurted, demanding an answer.

"…This man was ambitious, knowing what exactly he wanted in life. He desired a world where he could create everything in his own image. A so-called perfect world, one without a god. One day, he learnt about the legendary Pokémon Giratina, discovering that it was named the protector of Goldenleaf Town. From there, he proceeded to MANIPULATE the leader of that village, marrying her to gain a substantial amount of power." The twisted man smirked, adding emphasis on 'manipulate', the icy cold word inflicting pain on the older woman.

"…Stop it, please…" Narcissa adamantly requested, not completely ready to hear the truth.

"Oh you want me to go on? Why I'm delighted to." Geara retorted nastily. "Anyway, he was able to convince his wife to let him build a radio tower, a place where he can conduct his studies without ever being suspected of wrongdoing, and he succeeded!"

"Hey, asshole! She asked you to cut it out." Mosely snapped at the older man.

"Yeah, you heard them. Shut your trap, or I'll do it for you." Julius threatened, though a small part of it figured it would be best if the truth came to light.

"Can it you two brats! I'm going out of my way to tell a story, and this is how you repay me?!" Geara hissed in anger, glaring at the duo.

"I don't understand; why are you telling me this?" Narcissa wanted an answer.

"Hmph, because I can." The man retorted. "As I was saying, he succeeded. He was able to capture Giratina and bring upon the start of a new era. Unfortunately, a mysterious fire set the tower ablaze, burning him and his research down with it, trapping Giratina in this dark shell of the past."

"M-My husband would never keep…how do you know this much?!" The older woman demanded answers once more.

"Heh, that doesn't matter anymore. The only thing I want is revenge; revenge on Julius for meddling in our affairs." Geara shot back, directing his gaze to Julius. "Imagine, being trapped in this tower for decades, without anyone knowing you existed in the first place. In a way, I can empathise with this Giratina behind me. I can feel it's rage, it's lust for destruction."

"Yeah, the emotions that you and your experiment forcefully injected into it." Julius retorted, crossing his arms.

"Shut up! I'm going to give it what I—it wants, staring with you—" Geara began.

"Just stop this already, Gregory!" Narcissa demanded, the Xen admin's ears pricking up upon hearing that name.

"Gregory?!" He snapped, his eyes blazing with fury. "Don't you dare call me by that name, you bitch! I haven't been called that for a long time, and there's no way in hell I'm going back there!"

"Pffft…Gregory…" Mosely giggled quietly under her breath.

"I heard that you little shit!" Geara snapped, turning back to face Giratina. "Giratina, lend me your awesome power. We can benefit from each other!"

The Renegade Pokémon let out an ear-splitting roar, the three heroes covering their ears as the massive Pokémon broke free of its restraints as Geara walked triumphantly to it's side. "Hehehehehehe…HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Together, we'll destroy everyone who would dare cross us!"

"Not on my watch!" Julius declared, selecting his first Pokémon. "Gararewl, I choose you!" He called out, the graceful Steel type emerging from its ball, flinching at the sight of the legendary Pokémon. "Look, I can empathise with you; its not everyday we fight a legendary Pokémon, especially one as powerful as Giratina. Know that we stand together, no matter the circumstances." The young man informed his Pokémon, a sense of valor coursing through the Iron Beast Pokémon.

"Aw, ain't that cute…" Geara mocked the young man, cringing at his motivational speech. "Annihilate that thing with Shadow Claw!"

The serpentine deity lunged towards its much smaller foe, swiping down at it with three of its streamers which resulted in a sizable amount of dust being kicked up. From within the dust cloud, Gararewl leapt out of it, smacking the massive Pokémon with its metal whip, tying up all six of its streamers up. Giratina screeched in anger, violently thrashing its body in order to break free, resulted in the giraffe getting flung onto its back, where it galloped towards the back of its head and began smacking it with its whip. But the attacks served to only anger the Renegade Pokémon even further, as it flung its head back to get Gararewl off its body, before turning around at quick speeds and proceeded to fire a barrage of Aura Spheres, without the need to charge energy. Julius could only watch in horror as the barrage of power assaulted his companion, who was sent hurtling towards a nearby wall and crashed into it, knocked out from the relentless assault.

"Sorry about that…" he apologised, recalling his fainted companion, though he was not going to throw in the towel yet. After all, he was able to deal some damage, however minute it might be to it, which is more than can be said for the fight against Shadow Mewtwo. "Alright…you may have won that round, but it's not over yet. I choose you, Alpico!"

Geara sneered at the sight of the nimble rabbit emerging from its Pokeball and freezing the floor with Ice Beam, enabling it to ski around much easier. "Your little Playboy bunny doesn't stand a chance against my Giratina." He bragged, oblivious to the glare that the Renegade Pokémon shot at the Xen admin.

"Oh we'll see about that. Alpico, start things off with Ice Beam!" Julius declared, the rabbit hopping on its tail and began skiing all over the place, twirling in the air and fired a beam of chilly energy at the serpentine dragon, causing it to shriek in pain as the cold air sent chills throughout its body.

"Brrrr! Nice strat, but now the air in here's all chilly." Mosely commented, shivering on the spot, while Narcissa seemed to be handling the cold much better than the young girl.

"Hmmm…something seems a little off about Giratina, but I can't put my finger on it yet." She mused to herself, maintaining her focus on her town's protector.

"Argh, a lucky hit. Use Dragon Pulse; I'm hunting rabbits tonight!" Geara grinned, eager to shed some blood tonight. The massive Pokemon charged up a ball of draconic energy and fired it at the Alpico, with the Xen admin smirking at the direct hit, only for his jaw to drop as he saw that it didn't affect the rabbit one bit.

"Sorry, forgot to mention that she's part Fairy, _Gregory._ " Julius taunted, the older man's blood reaching a boiling point at this stage. "Use Moonblast, please."

The nimble rabbit nodded, skiing around the area and charged up lunar energy from within, gracefully dodging Giratina's attacks as the icy terrain started cracking up from repeated blows. Eventually it leapt up into the air and fired its attack, striking Giratina head on as it crashed into the wall near Geara, the Renegade Pokémon moaning lowly in pain.

"Shit, shit! This isn't how I thought it would go!" Geara panicked to himself, knowing full well that the rest of his team had virtually no chance against the experienced trainer. "U-Use Shadow Force!"

Giratina wearily rose up from the ground and rose up in the air, its entire body turning black momentarily as it slipped out of this dimension, catching Alpico off-guard. She stopped moving a few seconds later, looking to her sides in an attempt to find her opponent once more. Then as if appearing out of nowhere, Giratina re-emerging into this dimension and struck Alpico hard with its gargantuan body, the rabbit squealing in pain as it was sent hurting towards a wall, knocked out in a single blow.

"See, I told you she wasn't a match!" Geara taunted, smirking confidently as the exhausted legend floated beside the man.

"She fought hard and valiantly against a most powerful foe; an admirable performance if I say so." Julius chimed in, recalling his fainted companion and reached for another Pokéball. "But as the saying goes; third time's the charm. I choose you, Fafninter!"

The young man sent out his next Pokémon, a large creature emerging from the small capsule. It was a quadrupedal dragon, it's rotund body covered in a layer of thick, white fur. It's legs were tall, thick and ended in black paws, its fluffy tail wagging lazily behind. Its snout had a tuft of white fur hanging down from its chin, while a pair of antlers rested on top of it's head. The Fafninter let out a low, roar as a gust of cold air soon repaired the cracks in the icy floor, with Geara spitting in disgust.

"Tch, another Ice type. You can't keep relying on type advantages, chump. Use Shadow Force again!" He ordered, with Giratina floating towards Fafninter before disappearing from this dimension once more. Rather than look around for its foe, the Snow Guardian Pokémon took the time to recollect its thoughts, tensing up the muscles in its body to prepare for an incoming attack. A few moments later, Giratina emerged from its realm and struck Fafninter full force, however the attack only send the gentle Pokémon sliding on the ice as it let out a quick bellow in response. "H-How?! How did it withstand a Shadow Force?!"

"Fafninter's fuzzy coat does more than keep it warm, it helps reduce incoming damage from physical attacks due to how thick it is." Julius answered, knowing that it was time to end things. "Why don't we repay the favour with a quick Ice Shard?"

The towering Snow Guardian stomped on the icy terrain, kicking up several chunks of ice before hurling them towards the Renegade Pokémon, the legendary being assaulted by the relentless barrage as the shards left several scratches all over its body. Fafninter then glared at its foe, its body coated in a harsh orangey-red aura as it charged at its foe, assaulting it with a barrage of powerful tackles which sent the Renegade Pokémon hurtling towards Geara and slumped down on the ground, too tired to continue fighting.

"T-That's impossible!" Geara screeched in anger, a wave of relief coursing through Julius.

"Well we did it, Fafninter! We defeated the legendary Giratina." Julius smiled at his friend, the Snow Guardian happy over its victory, though exhausted after its powerful assault. A mixture of horror and anger was etched on Geara's face, the man seething as he saw Julius recall his Pokémon and confront the man alongside his companions.

"T-There's no way an ordinary trainer can best a legendary Pokémon…" Geara commented in disbelief.

"Oh, I'm not some ordinary trainer; after all I'm sure Madelis and Zetta can attest to this, can they? Oh wait, I forgot, Zetta can't help you out now." Julius smirked confidently, with Narcissa talking a few steps towards the defeated Geara.

"Greagory…I haven't seen you since that day. To see you again this way only breaks my heart. You don't have to do this; you can still be loved by everyone." The older woman attempted to get him to see reason, with Julius wondering what relation the two had with each other.

"Shut up! I don't want your sympathy! I don't want anything from you!" Geara screamed at the older woman, stomping his foot on the ground. "All I want it to kill you all, slowly and painfully!"

*sigh* "I'm not sorry to say that no one will be killed today." Narcissa retorted calmly, looking him directly in the eye. "And that includes you. So please…come with us."

"…Giratina…kill Julius." Geara calmly ordered, the exhausted legendary Pokémon slowly rising up off the ground. However, Geara was soon hoisted up in the air, turning around and noticing a Dusknoir holding him up in the air.

"You always were so stubborn…" Narcissa commented, the Xen admin glaring at her. "Take him away Dusknoir, I don't want to look at him anymore…"

Geara, realising that he couldn't leave his most important tool behind, quickly recalled Giratina in its ball, shooting the three heroes a sinister smirk before being taken to whatever dimension Dusknoir chose to take him.

"Well that was something alright. Geara's gone, just like that." Mosely commented, turning to face Julius. "Talk about some serious skills you've got there."

"Yes, they were quite admirable." Narcissa chimed in, pondering something in her mind.

"But there's one thing I wanna know; did the two of you have some prior history with each other?" Mosely inquired.

"If you wanted to know, then why didn't you ask him before the battle?" The older woman asked a question, with Mosely taking the time to think up an answer.

"Well…it seemed that you two were having a moment, so I decided to suck up my pride for once and stay quiet." The young girl admitted.

"A most admirable choice you made, Mosely." Narcissa praised the girl's respectful decision, the latter blushing lightly in response. "Personally, I don't feel like being here any longer. Why don't we go to my house, didn't you mention something about missing dinner earlier?"

"A-Ah yeah, I might've mentioned something like that…" Mosely chuckled sheepishly. "Maman was supposed to cook tonight, but she got caught up in other affairs."

"In that case, why don't I lower her burden tonight, then?" The older woman offered, with Mosely's ears perking up in response, eagerly accepting the proposal. "Wonderful! Will you be joining us, Julius?"

"…no thank you." He solemnly rejected the kind offer, turning his back and began making his way back to town, leaving the young girl utterly confused.

"What's his problem? His mood did a complete 180 once he heard your offer." Mosely inquired.

"I'm not too sure myself, perhaps he's got an inner demon he wishes to deal with. Come on, let's head back together." Narcissa replied, the duo proceeding to follow Julius out of the underground ruins.

 **I was planning on putting the upcoming battle with Ren in this chapter, but I figured it would be best to save it for the next chapter. Anyway, I heard that the next episode of Rejuvenation is being made and is already halfway finished. Once it's released, I'll take a quick break from writing my fanfictions so that I can play it myself. Additionally, the last episode of Reborn is in the works, so you can expect another hiatus when that comes. Asides from those two periods of time, I should still be able to write regularly. I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Well it's time for chapter fifteen, which'll feature not one, but two amazing battles for your enjoyment. I will point out that there will be differences in the dialogue for this part, notable the parts said by Ren as I have this neat idea that I think will work wonders. So enough stalling, let's get to it!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

"More please!" Mosely called out, a goofy grin on her face as she began patting her stomach in satisfaction.

"My, my…for a young child you have an enormous appetite." Narcissa replied, an amused smile on her face as she placed a couple more plates on the table and sat beside the young girl.

"I'm a growing gal, I gotta keep my stomach satisfied!" Mosely chuckled, with the older woman chuckling alongside her before a confused look appeared on the former's face. "So what's with the third dish? I thought Julius wasn't coming over."

"Oh, that's for my other guest." The older woman replied, the sound of footsteps echoing down the stairs as a third figure arrived in the dining room. "Speaking of which, how are you feeling Aelita? If you want there's some leftovers you can have."

"Really? Thanks Narcissa!" Aelita smiled, sitting down beside Mosely and began digging into the leftovers. "Can't let small things like that keep me down; I gotta persevere, just as my father would've wanted me to."

"Ah, good morning Aelita." Mosely greeted.

"Good morning to you too, Mosely was it?" Aelita replied, the young girl nodding in confirmation. "By the way, have any of you seen Julius?"

"…he chose not to join us for dinner, as if he hated the idea. He always had issues accepting a generous offer from other people, unless he has absolutely no choice whatsoever. Perhaps he hates being in someone's debt?" Narcissa began, before brushing the issue aside. "That can be put aside for now; the companionship he showed me and Mosely back at Wispy Tower shows me that humanity is indeed capable of redemption."

"So does that mean you'll end your town's isolation from the outside world?" Aelita inquired.

"Indeed, but it presents us with one final problem. Normally, I would've dismissed your idea of an assembly as ludicrous, but it's so ludicrous that it may actually work." The older woman answered. "Don't worry about setting up anything though, my personal approach to the manner should be more than sufficient.

"Personal approach?" Mosely asked, intrigued by what she meant.

"You may not know this, but I used to be a famous actor when I was younger. I essentially spent my live in the theatre, yearning for the applause of the crowd once my performance was over. Unfortunately, that dream died a long time ago. But, that doesn't mean I can't try and persuade everyone with my acting." Narcissa informed the young girl.

"You want to convince your people with a play…?" Aelita double checked with her elder.

"Yes. As a matter of fact I've already planned everything out. And I was hoping Julius will play a vital role in the play." The older woman answered, confident that her plan would work. "But that in itself is a problem; Julius has already placed all his eggs with Ren, believing that he's the one who can save this town from itself."

"Yeah, he mentioned that to me a few times. What role were you hoping he'd play?" Aelita inquired.

"Simple, I will battle him in front of the crowd once the show ends, where he would hopefully defeat me. After all, I know about his achievements in foreign regions." Narcissa answered.

"Hey yeah, that sounds like a great idea now that I think about it more!" Aelita praised the plan, rummaging her pocket for her phone. "I'll shoot Julius a text to let him know about the plan—"

"Be careful with your wording, he'll refuse if you give away too much information." The older woman warned Aelita, quietly gazing at her message before editing it a little and pressed the 'send' button.

"Now all we gotta do is sit back and watch the fireworks. As much as I really want to watch the play, I better get back to Maman. She'd kill me if I didn't get back, and I like staying alive. Thanks again for dinner, Narcy!" Mosely informed the older woman, hopping up off the seat and made her way to the door.

"You're very welcome. Give my regards to Maman when you see her." Narcissa replied, handing the young girl a plastic container stuffed with food. "Consider this a peace offering from Goldenleaf Town; it'll be safe for her to visit us within a week or two."

The young girl accepted the container, bowing in gratitude before exiting the building, leaving Narcissa and Aelita on their own. "Well as they say, the show must go on. Hopefully, thinks will work out as I planned." The older woman replied, with the duo exiting the large house.

 **Goldenleaf Town Gym**

The massive gym was often praised by travelers despite the town's hostility towards them. Acting as a library and theatre outside of battling houses, it served to give the citizens a sense of comfort, despite their dislike for the travelers coming and going. Julius, having taken the time to rest his Pokémon, arrived at the large building, confused by the sudden text from Aelita that he received. Opting to bide his time, Julius sat down in the foyer, and was about to start reading when another person entered the large building, stepping boldly into the foyer.

"At long last, time to save my home—Julius?!" Ren called out, surprised by his friend's surprise appearance.

"Look Ren, I'm only in here because Narcissa wanted to see me for some reason, probably to grant me access to Route 4. I'll be out of your hair in no time whatsoever." Julius answered quickly, with the young man before him taking in the answer.

"Well if that's all it is, then I guess it's no harm done. Still, how'd you get past the fence?" Ren inquired.

"It's a long story, but I'll try to be quick. Basically, I asked Venam to help me out, however she and her friends found this mysterious rune in the Abandoned Sewers and ended up outside some creepy mansion. The four of us broke in to the place, only to find out that people still lived there. This of course displeased the lord of the manor, who was a psychopathic asshole who really needs a lesson in pain, so he used some power to trap the four of us in some room. Luckily, I was rescued by his daughter, my precious little sister Maria, and the two of us had a blast rescuing my friends from her father's grasp. Of course, the cheater couldn't stand losing, so he planned on sacrificing the five of us to whatever god he worshipped, but Maria stayed behind to help free the rest of us, despite my insistence of having her come with me…" Julius recalled the long tale, sniffling to himself occasionally.

"I see…" Ren replied, taking the time to digest the story he had just been told, with Julius wiping his eyes with his sleeve.

"All that aside, are you ready for the most important battle of your life?" The young man inquired.

"Hell yeah! I managed to put in enough training to put a member of the Elite 8 to shame!" Ren cheered, a set of footsteps echoing down the hallway and into the foyer. "N-Narcissa! I'm here!"

"Oh, well isn't this a plot twist. How are you doing Ren?" Narcissa greeted the young man. "I've heard it was you who last put up that barrier before its destruction. Ironic how you did the one thing you detested so much."

"Yeah…looking back on it, it was kinda foolish. But it gave me the time I needed to train, so it wasn't a completely worthless move. Anyway, I'm ready for our fated battle between us." The young man sheepishly replied, a little embarrassed over being caught red-handed.

"Ah yes, you seek to achieve your dream of defeating me to save our town. However, your actions cause me to question your true motive. Therefore, I have a proposal for the two of you. Whichever of you who can complete the course and defeat the other gets the honor of battling me." Narcissa explained her proposal, greatly surprising the two men.

"W-What?! You set me up to be your savior, after I promised Ren the honor?!" Julius exclaimed, internally appalled by the sudden deal forced upon him.

"Your attitude is why I kept this a secret from you; I know too well that you would rely upon your friend to save this town, despite having far more experience with the outside world. The two of you will enter from different sides; Ren from the right wing, and Julius from the left. The first person to complete the course will get to battle me, in a match to determine the town's fate.

"L-Look, I'm more than happy to—" the young man began stammering, only for Ren to rest his hand on his friends' shoulder.

"I appreciate your kindness, but I understand what she means. If anything, this is the perfect way to see if my training has been worth it, if I can finally best you after all these years, if it would've…impressed her…" Ren began, trailing off in the end. Just who was it he wanted to impress? His mother? His sister?

"I-If you're alright with it, then I'll accept the challenge." Julius finally agreed, though half-heartedly.

"We may be friends and all, but I will be the one to save this town. Nobody, not even those closest to me will get in the way of my dream!" Ren commented, clenching his fist tightly in determination.

"Well if you two are ready, then you may begin…now!" Narcissa called out, the two men running down their designated halls, through Ren had the edge in speed. The older woman watched the two go off, quietly thinking to herself. _'Please Julius, please be the one I end up facing in battle…'_

 **0000**

The citizens of Goldenleaf Town had all taken their seats, puzzled as to why they were asked to attend the theater after so many years since the last show took place. Most of the audience were intrigued by the idea, though a few remained skeptical over the purpose of this stunt. It was then that Narcissa stepped onto the stage, wearing a billowing lilac ballroom-gown, frolicking among a recreation of Wispy Path.

"Ah, what a beautiful day it is today! The trees are blooming, the Pokémon are happy, and the people are satisfied. How could one not appreciate today for that it is?" The older woman spoke to the crowd, the latter drawn in by her every word. "Goldenleaf Town is in a new age of prosperity, a new age of love, peace and hope for the future! An on this lovely stroll, I s—"

"Narcissa!" A female actor called out, running towards her in a state of panic.

"Ah yes, hello darling. Are you here to cherish this beautiful day with me?" Narcissa inquired, the young lady before her shaking her head fervently.

"Oh I really would adore that…but unfortunately I cannot do that. You see…" She began to speak, at a complete loss for words.

"What is it that hold your tongue? Could you perhaps have a message for the birds that sung?" Narcissa pressed further.

"Yes, that have given me a message, a dire warning that is." The girl answered, her tone deathly serious.

"A warning? On such a fine morning like this?" The older woman commented, bewildered by such a preposterous idea.

"Yes ma'am, they say to look out for Wipsy Tower." The girl explained.

"Wispy Tower? What could possibly be wrong at Wispy Tower? Surely it must be a mistake…" Narcissa replied, confused at what she just heard.

"Something evil may have awakened!" The girl began, before the stage started shaking violently, a thin trail of smoke appearing over the stage.

"What on earth was that quake?" Narcissa inquired.

"Who knows, but it's very presence made me shake…it seems to have originated in the direction towards Wispy Tower." The girl continued.

"And this smoke? It seems my streak of peaceful beginnings have broke." Narcissa commented, turning to face the left.

"Look! I see Wispy Tower burning to the seam!" The girl called out in surprise.

"Hurry, we must end this twisted scheme!" Narcissa declared, the duo running off as the curtain lowered to the ground. A few moments later, the curtain rose up once more, the stage depicting the Wispy Tower Fire using easily manageable pyrotechnics, preventing the possibility of an unfortunate accident.

"Oh the horror! How could this be? Wipsy Tower burning to its knees?" Narcissa cried out in fear and shock.

"Who could've done such a thing? What could something so evil even bring?" The girl cried out as well, the fake fire roaring loudly over her.

"My husband, my darling husband is trapped behind the beams…could that cry be his everlasting screams?" The older woman spoke to the crowd, walking over to the right side. "What am I to do without my darling husband?"

"We must find the one behind this!" The girl proposed.

"But who? Who would do such a thing?" Narcissa inquired, making her way to the girl. "The pride of this town lie within Wispy Tower. Our life ambition! And now here we lie in complete submission. But afar! I see a figure in the cloak!"

As if on cue, Aelita, donning the disguise of what could easily pass as a comic book villain emerged from the blazing inferno, chuckling right in front of the two women.

"Who are you? Could you be the one behind all this? Or have my judgement finally become amiss?" The older woman asked the stranger.

"Ah...but this is a face that is not quite clear." The young girl beside Narcissa spoke to her elder.

"Yet she gives off an aura that instills fear." Narcissa replied to her companion.

"Wispy Tower is no more!" Aelita boldly declared, outstretching her hands while flapping her cape. "Those who live here will no longer live with the beacon they so lovingly placed. Instead, they shall endure pain that no other person has faced, Heheheheh…"

"But why, I implore you?" Narcissa desperately wanted an answer for this act of senseless cruelty.

"No reason you need, for that would bore you. In fact, the most I will do is ignore you. Now I shall depart with my task successful, and leave a woman who is no longer forgetful." Aelita bowed before the duo, throwing a smoke bomb on the ground to mask her escape. "Remember me, the one who destroyed you. Let all of your rushing emotions continue to void through. For this isn't the end, but merely the beginning. I will be the last one who is grinning. Goodbye, Narcissa…" When the smoke died down, it showed that Aelita had, indeed disappeared, a dark look slowly forming over Narcissa's face.

"We welcomed outsiders with a loving gesture, but they hid their evil intentions with a kind smile vesture." She spoke calmly, her voiced filled with mock anger as she approached the crowd. "But no longer…This shall be the last time. For we shall purify our town of their grime. We shall enact an ordinance of isolation, one that will ward away any outsider who dares enter out town. Forever!"

The crowd applauded her like crazy, blissfully unaware that their leader was advocating against the isolation policy that they held so dearly to their hearts, the curtain lowering once more. A few moments later, the curtain was raised once more, showing Narcissa sitting idly in a mock-up of her residence.

"How long has it been since that day? The day that changed everything? I almost forgot myself…It was so long ago. Will you come back to dry my tears after a long night grief? Will you tell me I'll be okay for hours, or will you be brief? None can say…An ordinance of mistakes. That's all I enacted. Nothing more, nothing less." The older woman spoke to herself, as the young girl from before walked up to her.

"Narcissa, there's someone at the door." She informed her elder.

"What is it? A visitor you say? Bring them in. I'll deal with them accordingly." Narcissa sighed, resting on her couch as Aelita hopped on stage, wearing her normal outfit. "What have you come to bore me with today, outsider?"

"I came to stop you from acting this way." Aelita declared, with Narcissa scoffing at the young woman.

"And why should I listen to the likes of you? Perhaps you believe your values hold the weight of two? Nothing you say shall change my way, no matter what you say." The older woman stated, standing firm with her ideal.

"But why? Do you think you have the right to harm others as you see fit? Don't you think that's extreme? Not even a little bit?" Aelita replied, managing to stifle a giggle.

"Extreme as it may be, it is necessary for our survival." Narcissa justified her actions.

"There's nothing survival about it! I won't leave until you change your mind!" The young woman stood her ground, earning an interested gaze from the older woman.

"Is that how it is then? If you want to change my mind, then fight for it." Narcissa replied, hopping up off her couch and walked towards Aelita. "The final battle between Goldenleaf Town and the world. We will see who is victorious! We shall see who is right! Only then will we put this problem to rest. A sample of your strength to the test. But who will be your warrior? The one you hold so high? The one to make sure this way of thinking shall die."

"Oh I have a warrior…A warrior that will win. A warrior who will bash you down so hard that it will make shivers flow through your skin!" Aelita smirked casually. "Just wait, for they almost arrive! The one that will surely thrive!"

 **0000**

Julius had spent the last 10-15 minutes running through the backstage area, trying to find his way through the seemingly endless maze of rooms and corridors. Though he struggled at the beginning due to the seemingly random warp tiles, he soon got the hang of it once he figured out that he was supposed to follow the lit torches in a path of sorts. Part of him was hoping that his early missteps cost him the victory, but it was safe to assume that Ren would've had some troubles as well. Soon enough, he made it to the final room and was about to step towards the mirror, when he noticed Ren burst through his designated door, taking some time to catch his breath.

"I gotta admit, that was trickier than I anticipated…" he panted, resting his hands on his knees.

"Well you made it here, why don't you claim the prestigious honor and battle her? I'll come right back out and watch you from the crowd." Julius proposed, with Ren shaking his head.

"No can do…if you leave right now, then it wouldn't feel like I earnt the right to battle her. I've got to see if all my training has paid off in the end. The last time we battled, I was able to knock out two of your Pokémon before being bested; I'll will beat my record and defeat five of your Pokémon, and nothing's gonna stop me!" Ren declared, determined to fulfil his lifelong goal.

"A 5-on-5? Well since I won't be able to convince you otherwise, I guess I'll give you what you want so badly." Julius gave in, reaching for a Pokéball and threw it in the air. "Harptera, stand by for battle!"

Ren watched the giant dragonfly emerge from the ball, hovering on the spot and directed it's attention to its opponent. "Well if you're interested in a callback from our previous battle, I'll be happy to indulge you. Sableye, I choose you! Stand by for Mega Evolution!"

"M-Mega Evolution?!" Julius inquired, shocked over the sudden revolution and watched as his friend took out his Mega Ring and pressed the Keystone. The Sableye started glowing before a multi-colored ball enveloped it, shattering a few seconds later to reveal the small gremlin, using its gigantic crystal as a shield to protect itself, its crystalline eyes glowing a harsh purple. This sent shivers through Harptera's body, the dragonfly too terrified to leave the battlefield. "Mean Look…should've seen this coming. In that case, we better end this quickly. Use Acrobatics!"

The nimble dragonfly darted towards the stationary gremlin at impressive speeds, the latter sporting a casual, confident look in its as it braced itself for the incoming impact. Harptera struck the foe in a series of relentless strikes, with Sableye maintaining its ground, only for it's large crystal to emit a burst of silver light, pushing the dragonfly away from it with a moderately-sized explosion. This had piqued Julius' curiosity; Metal Burst was a decent way to deal with fragile sweepers like Harptera, especially for slow, bulky Pokémon like Mega-Sableye.

"We've got him on the ropes…use Toxic!" Ren called out, his teammate coughing up a ball of disgusting sludge towards its foe, slathering the insect with the viscous fluids as the poison started to seep into it's system. It was then that Julius knew what game Ren was playing at; Mean Look and Toxic to wear his Pokémon out, followed up by Metal Burst to punish any resistance. Furthermore, he couldn't try the same tactics against him due to Mega-Sableye's special ability. The only thing he could hope to do was try and take it out as soon as possible.

"Harptera, use Sky Attack!" The young man called out, resorting to drastic measures. The dragonfly's body started to glow harshly, its flapping gradually slowing down as the poison began taking its toll on its body, with Sableye watching it cautiously. A few seconds later, Harptera dove towards its foe, its body cloaked in a harsh aura as the gremlin braced itself like before. The two foes crashed into each other, creating an explosion that shook the room and kicked up some dust, only for a smaller, more refined explosion to rock the area shortly afterwards. When the dust died down, it showed Sableye taking the time to catch it's breath, with the knocked out Harptera resting before its feet.

"Haha! So far so good!" Ren smirked, with Julius recalling his fainted Pokémon.

"Gotta admit, your Mega-Sableye caught me off-guard. But my Harptera did it's scouting duties incredibly well, and now I can counter your devious plan. Go, Gararewl!" The young man called out, sending out his next Pokémon as Ren furrowed his brow in annoyance.

"You may've found a way to counter my strategy, but I've still got a trick up my sleeve. Use Shadow Ball!" He called out, with Sableye gathering the dark energy of the theatre into a dark ball and hurled it at the giraffe, who was pushed back slightly by the attack. Managing to brush it off, Gararewl extended its whip towards the gremlin and ensnared it with it, squeezing it tightly as Sableye hissed in pain. Rearing up on its hind legs, it began twirling its whip in the air, its foe growling in a nauseous manner as it was soon flung towards the nearby wall, crashing into it and leaving an impressive crack as the knocked out Sableye slid down to the ground, having reverted back to its baseform.

"Sorry about that…" Julius apologized sheepishly as Ren recalled his fainted Pokémon.

"Well at least I'm not the one who's gonna be footing the bill, so there's that small relief." Ren chuckled lightly, selecting his next Pokémon. "Since you chose to counter my strategy, I think it's time I repaid you for your kindness. Arcanine, go!"

The majestic canine emerged from the ball and let out an intimidating roar, sending chills down Gararewl's spine. Julius was surprised to see Ren have an Arcanine; perhaps he took the time to change his team for the upcoming battle. Whatever the case, he figured that this next battle will be rather sticky. "Use Rock Tomb to slow him down!" Julius called out, the giraffe kicking up some debris with its foreleg and crushed it into smaller pieces with its whip before hurling the rocks at its opponent. The Arcanine ran off towards its foes, dodging a majority of the rocks though a few of them struck its thick body. It fired a stream of incredibly potent flames from it's mouth, striking the giraffe dead-on as it whinnied in pain, before the large canine pummeled it with swift strikes using its paws, leaving no room for a possible counterattack. Even with its admirable defenses, Gararewl wasn't able to withstand the brutal assault and collapsed onto the ground, a confident smirk appearing on Ren's face.

"Well done, you've already reached your record against me, and in record time as well. However now it's time for me to put you through the wringer and make you fight for your glory; go, Syrentide!" Julius called out, recalling his Gararewl and sending out his next Pokemon, the regal siren running a fin through her hair as she began singing in an attempt to lull the Arcanine to sleep. The large dog, struggling to stay awake, lunged towards the siren and tackled her with full force, causing her to wince in pain as she was pushed back a few feet, quickly resuming her hypnotic song from where she left off. This time, she was able to lull the large dog to sleep, the siren making her way towards the slumbering beast before using her power to consume Arcanine's dreams, using them to restore her energy as the dog writhed in pain from the unpleasant experience. Once she had her fill, she jumped backwards and conjured a large wave of water, sending it towards her foe as he got caught up in the wave, abruptly waking him up from his sleep and began flailing its paws in the air in order to stay above the surface. However it soon slipped below, the waves crashing against the room for a few more seconds before subsiding once more, leaving Arcanine's fainted body lying on the ground.

"Now things are getting interesting, but I will regain the advantage. Go, Vibrava! Kick things off with an Ominous Wind!" Ren called out, sending out his own dragonfly who proceeded to attack Syrentide with a ghastly wind, sending chills down its spine on account of how cold the breeze was, though thankfully Vibrava didn't gain any boons from the attack. The siren was able to recover from the attack, and attempt to lull her new foe to sleep, only for Vibrava to drown out the song with the frantic beating of its wings. The Vibrava then proceeded to charge up draconic energy, launching the pulsating ball towards the siren, only for the latter to completely shrug off the attack like it was nothing. Angered by the sheer arrogance of the Fairy-type Pokemon before it, the Vibrava began fluttering its wings at ridiculous speeds, causing the ground below to quake and quiver as the Syrentide wasn't able to maintain her footing and fell on her face, causing the dragonfly to snicker under its breath. Now annoyed by this lowly critter ruining her performance, the Syrentide got back up on her fin-feet and began collecting lunar energy in a ball, determined to put the insolent pest in its place. A few seconds later, it fired the large ball of energy at its foe who didn't even have time to react before it was assaulted by the attack, the Vibrava screeching in pain as it was flung towards Ren, knocked out from the powerful attack.

"On hindsight, perhaps I shouldn't have sent my newest Pokémon against an experienced foe like that…" Ren chuckled lightly, recalling his Pokémon before selecting one he knew would be a sufficient choice against his foe. "Alright Cacturne, let's start things off with a Poison Jab!"

The menacing scarecrow lunged forward, pummeling the siren several times with its poison-coated fists, the latter raising its arms to protect its slender frame from the assault. Pushing its foe back, the Syrentide began charging up a Moonblast once more, hurling the ball of energy towards its foe, only for Cacturne to conjure up a shield bade out of its spines, shielding itself from the deadly attack, causing both trainers to protect their faces from any wayward spines strewn about by the sudden impact. Confident that it had this in the bag, the Cacturne lunged towards its foe, using its thorny arms to smack Syrentide, the siren crying out in pain as the thorns pricked her skin and left several scrapes and cuts. However just as Cacturne was about to deal a decisive blow, the Syrentide took a hold of its arm and in a swift maneuver, dodged to the side while slamming the scarecrow into the ground, its arm stuck in the wooden floor. There, she proceeded to charge up a Moonblast once more, while Cacturne desperately tried to break free and dodge the incoming attack. And though it was able to get its arm out of the floor, it simply didn't have the time to prepare for the incoming attack, its slender body struck from behind by lunar energy as it was flung towards the wall near Ren, crashing into the same crater that Sableye had crashed into before, the scarecrow sliding down to the ground before it too was rendered unable to continue battling.

"Unbelievable…" Ren exclaimed, recalling his Pokémon and stared at his foe, unable to comprehend what just happened. Several minutes ago, he had the clear advantage, but now he was down to his last Pokémon, all thanks to that unbelievably powerful Pokémon on his first. Luckily, it seems to be greatly exhausted from the battle, the young man confident that his ace Pokémon can salvage the situation. "Alright Greninja, It's all up to you!" The young man called out, the nimble frog emerging from its ball and coughed up a thick blanket of smoke.

Syrentide, exhausted from the triple knock-out it secured glanced side-to-side in a slow, calculating manner, having no idea where it's foe would strike from. A few seconds later, she would receive the surprise of a lifetime as a massive hunk of garbage and slime was hurled directly at her, sending her flying towards the wall near Julius as she cried out in pain, striking the hard surface and fell to the ground, too exhausted to continue fighting. "Whew…finally defeated that troublesome foe." Ren sighed in relief, watching Julius congratulate his fallen partner and recall her.

"I've got to praise you, very few people have ever bested Syrentide in battle. But my next Pokémon shall put you to the test; go, Coatlith!" The young man called out, sending his fourth Pokémon into battle. The Coatlith was a long, slender creature bearing a striking resemblance to a feathered serpent from mythology. It had short, fuzzy green fur on its back with a grasslike complex, yellow scales protecting its underside and a pair of short arms right near its chest. It's head sported two decorative wings near where its ears would be, a red crest right on top of its head, and a sharp beak that was used to crack open nuts and hard fruit. Its tail ended in what could pass as a set of bright red leaves, flowing aimlessly in the air as the creature hovered over the ground. "Now Coatlith, start things off with a nice and simple Nasty Plot."

The feathered serpent flew up in the air, stimulating its brain with a series of devious plots it can enact in order to end the battle quicker, its mental energy skyrocketing after the impromptu brainstorm. The frog knew what was incoming, and began formulating a counter strategy to deal with this new foe and fortified its blanket of smoke to further increase its evasiveness. However, Coatlith squawked in a humorous manner, amused at Greninja's attempt to hide from it and conjured up a sparkling wind, laced with shiny specks of pollen from its back and blew the blanket of smoke away, the now startled Greninja out in the open and vulnerable. The feathered serpent then proceeded to conjure up a massive gust of wind packed to the brim with leaves, the relentless wind circling the slender being before launching the attack at the frog, who was caught by the gust and tried to hold on to the wall with its sticky hands. However, it would all be in vain as Greninja was swept up by the gust, the frogs nimble body pelted by the multitude of leaves as Ren winced in pain for his companion. Soon enough, the attack died down, with Greninja landing in an open chest stuffed with unused costumes, the frog knocked out from the relentless barrage.

"I…I lost?" Ren called out weakly, recalling his fainted Pokémon before falling to his knees. "H-How?! After all that training, after that fantastic start I had, I still lost?!"

"Take it easy Ren; you did a fantastic job against me, an improvement from our previous encounter." Julius consoled his friend, recalling his victorious Coatlith. "Besides, the end result will be the same no matter who won the battle."

"R-Really…?" The young man inquired, getting back up off his feet.

"Yeah, I never wanted any part in this whatsoever and only came back her to get to Akuwa Town. You on the other hand have spent your live devoted to this one moment, and I will not take that away from you. There should be a machine outside this room for you to heal your Pokémon; make any last preparations you need, and step through the mirror to your destiny; I'll be watching you from the crowd." Julius reassured the young man, filling him with a sense of determination.

"Thanks mate…I promise not to let you, or anybody else down. I mean it!" He grinned, opting to use his on-hand medication instead of the machine and make his way to the mirror. But as he held onto the frame, something came over him. His body started shivering all of a sudden, as if he was struck by some unseen force.

"R-Ren…? Is everything alright?" Julius inquired, his friend ceased to shiver and tightened his grip on the frame.

"…There's no way you meant what you said…" Ren spoke quietly, turning around to glare at Julius, in a manner more vicious than anything he's seen before. "You think I'm some kind of joke, don't you?! Get real; I couldn't defeat you, so what makes you think I'd stand a chance against Narcissa?!"

"R-Ren, please. You and I both know that I'm a regional champion—" The young man tried to defend himself.

"Oh right, I forgot. You think you're so special just because you won some trivial league! Well I'm tired of being overshadowed by you, mate! I'm tired of you acting like the top dog just because you've got special Pokémon!" Ren continued, his angry words pouring out of his mouth endlessly.

"L-Look, I'm sorry if I've hurt you in anyway." Julius apologized.

"Save it! Do you have any idea why I wanted to do this, asides from saving our town?! I wanted to prove to Melia that I'm fully capable of getting the take done, capable of being totally independent, maybe even granting me the opportunity to share my love for her… but I guess I'll never be able to do that, all because of you." The young man recalled sadly, throwing a passive aggressive snipe at the young man.

"I—we all tried our best to save her, but Team Xen—" Julius began once more.

"Ha! That's the biggest lie I've heard all day; you 'tried' to save her. You're a damn champion for crying out loud! You could've saved her anytime you wanted, but you purposely held back for selfish reasons; you loved her, didn't you? DIDN'T YOU?!" Ren demanded, with Julius unable to answer that question. "Just as I expected, you did love her. But she rejected you during your little outing; causing you to grow jealous. After all, if you couldn't have her, then why should anyone else?! That's why you purposely held back in Amethyst Cave, to get revenge on her for rejecting your advances!"

"That's a complete lie; I never asked her out, and I never threw her to the wolves. I tried as hard as we can, just like you and Venam did, but we all failed in the end. Heck, for all I know she may not even be—" Julius replied, hoping to have his friend see reason.

"Enough! I'm tired of your piss poor excuses and inane ramblings! You can have the damn spotlight for all I care; it's the only thing you care about in the end. It's a good thing that your "sister" didn't come back with you, otherwise she would've been thrown to the wolves like you did with Melia. I hate you! I wish we never met in the first place!" Ren shouted at the young man, running out of the room in a fit of anger and misery, a part of his mind still unaware on what made him say those terrible words. Once he was all alone in the room, Julius sat down in a nearby corner and cried quietly, overcome with grief over what he just heard. All he ever wanted was to help his friend, and he ended up losing him over a simple misunderstanding. He no longer cared about the show, or anything right now; he just wanted some time alone.

 **0000**

The curtain rose up once more, revealing an elaborate decorated arena, with dozens of purple-leaved trees lining the arena. The crowd were intrigued, wondering who exactly Narcissa would be fighting against. A few seconds later, the leading lady herself stepped onto the field, enamored by its grace and beauty. "You know, there is something very funny about change. It's something we all want, but fear. Why is that I wonder? Is it because we fear what might no longer be the case? Do we fear the consequences it may have on us personally? Or maybe how our family and friends will be affected. But no matter how much we fear it, we cannot run away. In fact, we must embrace it, because that's when we will truly be free!"

The crowd applauded her like crazy, watching her step up to the arena as she bowed before the crowd. "Thank you, thank you. Now I do believe it's time for our warrior to appear now, hm? Reveal yourself, oh brave warrior. Show me your power! Show me your determination for change!"

A few moments later, after much bated breath, Julius appearing on his side of the field, having stepped into the mirror after some time deliberating. The crowd noticed that he had a forlorn expression on his face, puzzled as to what had happened behind the scenes.

"W-Wait, Julius is gonna be fighting Narcissa?! When the hell did, she get the time to talk to him?" Jimmy exclaimed, confused at what was happening.

"I heard Ren was hoping to fight her in his efforts to 'save' this town. Perhaps they had a falling out behind the scenes." Steve commented.

"Thank goodness Ren lost; I got tired of his insufferable babbling." Sariah admitted. "I don't know how strong Julius is, but I doubt he'd be able to best Narcissa."

"Oh I don't know, maybe he could defeat her effortlessly." Aelita commented whimsically, giggling to herself as the Goldenleaf trio shot her a series of glares.

"So you've finally arrived, oh brave warrior! The final stand between Goldenleaf Town and the world is about to begin. Show us all what you're capable of, because I will. Drifblim, stand by for battle!" Narcissa declared, the ghost blimp emerging from it's Pokeball and floated carelessly in the air. Julius quietly selected a Pokéball to initiate the battle, hoping to end it quickly so he can leave this godforsaken town, and sent out what could possibly be the most terrifying Pokémon the crowd has ever seen. The entity took on the form of a Substitute decoy, bound with a collar, padlock and straitjacket that was attacked to a spiky chain-and-ball resembling a Pokéball. The malicious, angry spirit inside had become so powerful that its head, arms and legs had burst from the dolls' mouth, hands and feet respectively, taking on the form of black tendrils of smoke. A vicious glare from the entity frightened the poor Drifblim, the once brave Ghost Pokémon now shivering on the spot in complete fear.

"W-What is that thing?!" Aelita cried out in fear, her face paling at the sight of the malevolent entity.

"That…thing is part of an old urban legend that was told to us as kids, probably to teach us not to talk to outsiders, but I digress." Sariah began, sighing upon seeing Jimmy and Steve cower at the sight of the entity. "See, when a Pokémon dies in its Pokéball, its spirit takes on the from of a Substitute decoy, since it forgot its original identity. In this form it's more commonly referred to as a Linkite, probably because it's permanently chained to the Pokéball it died in. Now what happens when you trade it away, due to how weak it is in its form? The vengeful spirit inside it becomes so angry, that it bursts out of its initial body, hence evolving into a being known as Chainite. Now those things are incredibly angry; feeding on their trainers negative emotions in order to gain the strength needed to enact revenge on the one who abandoned it. And considering Julius' mood at the moment…I sincerely hope it doesn't go ballistic and kill everyone here."

"S-Sariah!" Jimmy and Steve protested in fear.

"Pffft, what are you, a pair of outsiders? There's nothing to be afra—G-GAAHHH!" She retorted, jumping in fear when Chainite turned around and growled at her, with Julius gesturing for it to settle down.

"No need to snap at them, it's not their fault…" He reassured the entity, directing his gaze towards the Drifblim. "Shadow Claw."

The Chainite growled at its foe, extending its shadowy arms towards the blimp and began raking its claws over its body, causing it to cry out in pain as it was assaulted various times from the shadows. Drifblim eventually managed to break free of its tormentor and emitted a chilling wind from its mouth, its foe hissing from the cold as it wrapped its arms around it to provide it with some warmth, shooting a glare at the blimp as if to say that it made a very, very poor decision. The entity soon disappeared into the shadows once more, with Drifblim floating towards where it once stood, scanning the nearby area in the hopes of finding its foe. Unbeknownst to it, something started stirring from its shadow, a menacing arm emerging from it; Drifblim heard the stirring and looked down, barely having the time to react before its foe lunged from the shadows, letting out an ear-splitting hiss as it slashed at the blimp multiple times with its claws once more, before grabbing it by its feet and slamming it straight into the arena floor, kicking up a fair amount of dust. When the dust settled down, it showed that Drifblim was out for the count, leaving the audience members confused.

"That can't be right; how could Narcissa's Drifblim get taken out so easily?!" A young woman called out in shock.

"July-boy got lucky this time, but the next one's gonna destroy him!" A man at the back hollered.

"Now, now; take it easy. After all I do know that Julius is a most capable trainer." Narcissa addressed the audience, recalling her Pokémon and reaching for another one. "But this next one will cause him some issues; go, Mimikyu!"

The small spirit leapt out of it's Pokeball and confronted the vicious entity, chirping to psyche itself up, only for the Chainite to growl back at it in response, causing Mimikyu to shiver and shake in fright underneath its costume. Regardless, it decided to cast away its fear, charging directly at bit and began playing roughly with Chainite, assaulting the entity with various punches and kicks as it growled harshly in pain, flung back by an extra-powerful punch from Mimikyu, who waddled to its side of the field confident that it won that little scrap. But its victory would be short-lived, a low growl coming from Julius' side of the field, as Chainite got right back up and snarled at the small spirit, its beady eyes widening in shock and fright. Lunging at its opponent, the Chainite smacked Mimikyu to the ground, tearing at its costume and even going so far as break its neck. A faint sob could be heard from underneath the tattered rag, the small Pokémon greatly distressed over its precious costume getting destroyed. But its foe would not show mercy, reaching under its disguise and attacked its true body, assaulting it with various slashes and scratches before picking up what remained of its disguise and flung it towards the opposite side of the field, crashing into a nearby wall and knocked over a tree prop. It was evident to everybody that Mimikyu was in no condition to battle; both physically and emotionally, with Narcissa checking out her fallen comrade.

"There, there. You'll have your time to recuperate and repair your costume." She consoled her Pokémon, recalling it and turning to face the young man. "Look, I get that you want to leave as soon as possible, but mind toning it down a bit?" She requested.

"Whatever, I'll try and remember it." Julius spat bitterly; the older woman surprised by his now hostile attitude.

"I see…then it is my duty to teach you some manners then. Go, Spiritomb!" Narcissa replied, hoping her own malevolent entity would be a suitable match for the hostile Chainite. The two specters squared off against each other, waiting for the other to make a move first in order to counter it, with Chainite opting for the initiative. It dove into the shadows once more, the Spiritomb's eyes gleaming at the opportunity presented to itself. Standing firmly on the spot, it rotated its body at rapid speeds, with various spirits emerging from it to enter the shadows and strike its foe while vulnerable, the sudden growls and hisses indicating that its surprise attack was going according to plan. Soon enough, Chainites body re-emerged from the shadows, its hands planted on the floor as Spiritomb chuckled at the foe before it, its spirits reuniting within its body. However it's laughter soon ended as the malevolent entity got right back up and began making its way slowly towards the sentient keystone, who was now shivering in fear. The Chainite reached over towards the collection of spirits, snatching it by the top of its fog-like head and hoisted it over the ground as the latter tried shaking violently to break free from its grasp, but to no avail. From there, the Chainite proceeded to assault the Spiritomb with an assortment of slashes with its free hand, causing the latter to wail and cry in pain from the relentless barrage, before it too was flung towards another prop, crashing into it and sent it tumbling to the ground, the Spiritomb no longer able to battle.

"T-This is insane! That thing just took out half of Narcissa's team like they were nothing!" Jimmy cried out in shock, a look of terror etched on his face.

"It really does get a power boost from negative emotions; what the fuck happened to Julius that pissed him of this badly?!" Steve exclaimed, with several more audience members expressing their concerns over what was happening.

"The citizens raise a fair point; why are you so angry? It's terrifying the crowd." Narcissa inquired, recalling her Pokémon and demanded an explanation for his attitude.

"Oh, you really want to know why I'm pissed; how about the fact that I just lost my best friend, all because of this stupid stunt you pulled?! I bent over backwards to make sure he got what he wanted, to make sure everyone would benefit in the end, yet all I got was a knife in the back because I was just some stupid pawn in your game of chess! Why?! Why couldn't you let Ren have what he wanted? Why drag me into this when all I wanted was to get out of here?!" Julius ranted, chucking an empty bottle to his side. "These last few weeks have been a complete shitshow; my mother's been kidnapped, I failed to save a new friend I had just made, the closest person I had to a sister is gone, and now I just lost my best friend. This entire journey has been nothing but a complete joke, and I'm the shitty punchline!"

"I see…" Narcissa replied, realizing the error of her decision. "I apologize for not telling you the truth earlier, for putting you up to this against you will. But I did this all for our town's benefit, to ensure that we're no longer trapped in this cage of fear and hatred. I'm sure you and Ren will make amends with each other once this is all over, but for now I need you to put your anger aside, at least for now."

The young man shot her a look, before sighing to himself. "I'm sorry for losing my temper, and for allowing my emotions to affect this battle. This time, I will make sure my feelings don't go overboard." He replied, the crowd noticing an immediate change in his demeanor, and that of Chainites, the latter's hunger for anger and rage appeased for the moment.

"Thank you. I knew you'd understand eventually." The older woman commented, reaching for her next Pokéball. "Now Rotom, time for us to make a comeback!"

The small poltergeist emerged from its Pokéball, chuckling mischievously at its foe, the latter no longer emitting an aura of pure terror. Almost instantaneously, the Rotom emitted a weak electrical charge at the Chainite, the latter hissing in annoyance as its body was paralyzed by the bolt of electricity. This enabled Rotom to charge up a Hex without any issues, sending the cursed energy towards its foe and struck it head on, the entity screeching in pain as the energy used its ailment to deal even more damage to it's body, causing it to kneel on the ground. The Rotom, now ecstatic over the prospect of victory, began charging its body with nearby electricity for one final attack, unaware of the sinister gaze Chainite was giving Rotom, it's eyes glowing a reddish-purple. The poltergeist discharged electricity all over the arena, striking Chainite head on as the latter was flung back several feet and landed on its back, a shadowy clone of it emerging from its unconscious figure. The small spirit was dancing in the air in joy over its victory, before turning around and received the fright of a lifetime, as the shadowy specter of Chainite passed through it, draining Rotom of all it's energy before the small Pokémon fell to the ground and fainted, with both trainers opting to console their companions.

"I gotta give you some props Chainite, that last Destiny Bond was quite the way to end your total domination in this battle. You've more than earnt this rest." Julius complimented his fallen friend, recalling it in it's Pokéball before turning to face Narcissa. "I'm feeling a little batter now, thank you very much. Which is why I'll make sure to give the rest of this battle my all, and I have just the Pokémon for the job. Go, Vilucard!" The young man sent out his next Pokémon, the mischievous cat-bat bowing before the crowd in an act of sheer confidence.

"I don't doubt you'll give me your best, considering how you were able to defeat over half my team with just one Pokémon. As for your little friend over there…I've got the perfect stage partner for it. Chandelure, time to take the stage!" Narcissa declared, sending out her next Pokémon, the sentient chandelier bowing before the crowd as well.

Opting to take the initiative, Vilucard hopped up on one of the props and began hurling a barrage of sludge at the foe, who opted to flail its arms in the air, sending a barrage of fireballs to counteract the sludge. The two attacks collided in midair, creating a series of small explosions that resulted in the repugnant odor of burning garbage wafting in the air, to the audience's chagrin. Realizing that long range attacks were not viable for this battle, Vilucard began leaping from prop to prop in order to get closer to is foe, only to land on one a bit too hard, causing it to fall towards the floor as the cat-bat cried out in surprise, crashing into the ground as some dust was kicked up from the impact. Curious as to what happened, the Chandelure floated closer to the crash site, only for a figure to leapt out of the dust, clamping its fangs into the ghost's body as it cried out in pain.

"It'll take more than a mere crash to take Vilucard out!" Julius puffed his chest out in pride, his Pokémon doing the same. "Let's go for another Drain Life, with gusto!"

The Vilucard opted to do so, speeding off towards its foe who opted to wait patiently for the right time to strike, its calculating gaze focused on the nimble Pokémon. Right as the Vilucard was a stones' throw from it, the Chandelure moved its arm and emitted a searing stream of fire from it, striking its foe dead on with a powerful Flamethrower, the small Pokémon hissing in pain as it rolled around on the floor in an attempt to put the flames out. Eventually it succeeded, and performed a rolling dive towards the sentient chandelier, clamping down on it with its sharp fangs and spent some time draining it of its life essence. Once it had its fill, it jumped off and delivered a couple of swift Poison Jabs to its foe, before ending it with a finishing punch that sent it flying towards the wall, the Chandelure sliding to the floor before slumping at the base, knocked out from the finishing blow.

"Oh my, could I, and in essence Goldenleaf Town be on the verge of defeat?" Narcissa inquired, recalling her painted Pokémon and reached for her last Pokéball. "This last warrior of mine spends its time protecting the dead from any harm. Come, Dusknoir!"

The bulky reaper emerged from the Pokéball, eyeing up the cat-bat with its lone eye and had formulated a plan for it's victory. Gazing at its opponent, the Dusknoir's eye glowed an eerie purple, an odd ray of light striking the Vilucard, as it teetered aimlessly on the field in a state of confusion. This was soon followed by the large ghost floating towards it, firing a stream of spectral flames from its mouth to burn the foe, with Vilucard rolling on the floor without a care in the world, unaware that it's on fire. Once it had done its work, Dusknoir punched at the Vilucard, its shadowy fists pummeling the vulnerable cat-bat from the shadows at blinding speeds, sending it flying into the air, before slamming another fist down on it, sending it hurtling towards Julius, with the young man managing to catch his Pokémon before falling backwards onto the ground.

"Gah! Lucky catch, eh?" He inquired, cradling his fainted companion before recalling it, reaching over for another Pokéball. "Best way to fight a ghost, is with another ghost. Go, Navighast!" The young man called out, sending his third Pokémon out. The new entity bore a striking resemblance to a skeletal pirate captain, a red and white bone-mask over its face that bore a resemblance to the infamous Jolly Roger. It's purple cloak like body protected its exposed ribcage, from which the spectral blue flames that made up the rest of its body came from. It's bony left hand was adorned with a gauntlet that ended in three sharp claws, while it's spectral right arm ended in a sword-like appendage made from sharp, hardened bone.

"Don't worry everyone, this fella's very friendly despite his appearance." Julius reassured the crowd, the Navighast chuckling in a light-hearted manner.

"Thank goodness…for a moment I thought it was gonna eat our faces for dinner…" Sariah commented in a deadpan manner, with Steve and Jimmy sighing in relief.

"Not bad…it seems that the outside world has a vast array of Ghost Pokémon to discover. But I'll show you why the ones from Aevium make the others shiver in fear; use Confuse Ray!" Narcissa called out, her Dusknoir emitting another odd ray of light from its eye only for Navighast to shield its eyes with its gauntlet, sending the ray of light bouncing off to the nearby wall. Eying its foe carefully, the Dusknoir conjured up another stream of spectral flames and fired them at the foe, with Navighast dodging a majority of them and cleaved the rest of them with its sword. Opting to regain the initiative, the spectral pirate gathered shadowy energy with its sword, before swinging down on the Dusknoir, who moaned in pain as it was pushed back a few feet, the latter retaliating with a series of Shadow Punches that battered and pummeled the Navighast for a decent amount of damage. Now backed into a corner, the Dusknoir opted for its trump card, opening the mouth on its torso and started collecting all the ominous energy in its vicinity, hoping to take its foe out with this one big attack, with Navighast bracing itself for the incoming attack. Having charged up enough energy, it fired the massive ball of energy towards the spectral pirate, with the latter striking it with its sword, in an attempt to knock it back. Though it seemed like it would get overpowered eventually, the Navighast had a second wind course through it, gaining enough energy to push the large ball of energy back, surprising the Dusknoir as it was struck by its own attack, creating a large explosion that rocked the arena, causing the audience to shield their faces from the smoke and dust. Once the dust died down, it showed Dusknoir floating about the ground, weakly clutching his stomach before collapsing face first into the ground, with Navighast raising its sword in victory, chuckling with glee.

"You have shown yourself to be a worthy opponent and friend, Julius. Your experiences prove to us that we can all learn so much from the outside world." Narcissa congratulated the young man, recalling her Pokémon and walking up to him. "…And thus, it all comes to an end. Goldenleaf Town has fallen, and the world of peace, love, and happiness has won! The world has missed us; this ordinance of isolation is over!"

A majority of the crowd applauded the decision, thoroughly entertained by the battle despite the terrifying beginning, with stunned looks on the faces of Sariah and her crowd.

"Woo-hoo! I knew he could do it!" Aelita cheered, jumping right out her seat.

"I don't believe it…after all these years Narcissa lost?!" Jimmy gasped; his mind utterly stunned by this turn of events.

"And to little July-Boy as well; man who would've thought that he would end up defeating Narcissa after all these years?" Steve added, with Sariah bolting from her seat to comfort her leader.

"Narcissa! Are you okay?!" The young woman inquired, with the older woman reassuring her junior.

"At ease, young one. I'm perfectly fine thank you very much." She replied calmly.

"B-But think about what you're saying! Abandoning our ordinance of isolation? Do you remember what happened back then?!" Sariah protested; a look of fear evident on her face.

"I will never forget that tragic day; nor do I expect any of you to. But it occurred at a time before you were born, so there's no need to bear their grudge for any longer." Narcissa answered.

"Bu-Bu—" Sariah started stammering, before Julius fished something out of his bag and chucked it to her.

"Here, this should calm you down." He replied, the young woman opening it and inspected the chocolate inside. "It's a Sweet Heart, a common delicacy that the outsiders share with their friends. Why don't you give it a try?"

Taking a cautionary sniff, Sariah took a small bite from it and was pleasantly surprised from the taste. "Not bad…not bad at all. I guess the outsiders aren't all that bad if they can produce stuff like this." She admitted, with Julius bringing the rest of his Sweet Hearts out of his bag.

"See, I told you it wouldn't be that bad. Don't worry, I've got plenty for everyone here!" The young man called out, the audience eagerly making their way to the stage in order to try the treat, with Julius handing one over to Narcissa.

"I shall put this aside to have later. That said, I believe you've earnt this, the Phantasm Badge." The older woman commented, handing the young man a dark purple badge in the shape of a flower in full bloom.

"Nice, we did it!" Julius showed off his badge to Navighast, who chuckled heartily in glee.

"Once you've rested yourself in the Pokémon Center, meet me by the Giratina statue in the center of town, where I will fulfil a promise, I made to you earlier." Narcissa told the young man, who recalled his Pokémon and bowed before her in gratitude, before making his way outside the theater, feeling mixed emotions over the hollow victory he achieved. Yes, he did save the town from itself, including Sariah who he thought would resist the change in attitude, but was it worth losing Ren? It was a question he'd have to spend some time on when he got the chance.

 **0000**

"Argh! Geara roared to himself in frustration, aimlessly wandering the mysterious realm he was sent to. "I've been wandering this fucking place for hours, HOURS! Absolutely NOTHING has changed! It's like some endless loop or something. Augh…damn that Julius, damn that Narcissa, damn that little brat Mosely as well! I'll make them pay, I'll make those bastards pay for everything they've done to me!"

"…I don't think that will help. Perhaps we should try going backwards." A voice called out from the distance, attracting Geara's attention as he ran towards the source of the noise and spotted a familiar pair of men.

"Jenner, Zetta. How'd you two get here?" Geara inquired curiously, the two men turning to face their teammate.

"G-Geara! What are you doing here?" Zetta asked.

"That's what I was gonna ask you." The black-haired man retorted, crossing his arms. "You two were MIA for a long time, you know? Not even Madame X was able to detect you."

"See Jenner, I told you moving around was the best option." Zetta told his teammate in a matter-of-fact tone. "No one's coming to help is in here, and that's just it."

"Well if that's the case, then the three of us are royally screwed, aren't we?" Geara commented dryly. "There's nothing in here that will help us get out. Trust me, I've been wandering this dump for hours, with no results whatsoever."

"In that case, what do we do then?" Jenner inquired. "This space is an entirely different dimension. It's not like they just have a door to our world. We're practically locked up with no escape…"

"Well I'm sorry to say, but there's no way I'm gonna stay here with the likes of you two." Zetta admitted, distancing himself from the other two.

"None taken, the feeling is mutual." Jenner replied, with Geara growling to himself.

"I am not going to just sit here until something happens!" Geara hissed, before a crunching sound echoed throughout the area, alerting the three men. The ran towards the right and hid behind some rocks, peering carefully from behind.

"Man…these Gourmet Treats are great!" Nim smiled, sitting down on the ground and snacking on the treats. "Why sell them to Pokémon when I can eat them all for myself?"

"Gentlemen…we may have just found our ticket out of this place." Jenner whispered to his comrades; wicked grins etched on their faces.

 **0000**

"D-Damn it!" Ren roared, punching the exterior of the Goldenleaf Gym in a fit of rage. The young man had recovered from his previous episode and now learnt the consequences of his mistakes. "I-I don't know what got over me; it was like someone entirely different had taken over me and made me watch the nasty aftermath. I never meant to say all those horrible things to Julius; especially after he tried so hard to help me achieve my dream. Now not only have I have my dream be fulfilled by someone else, rendering all my work pointless, but I drove away my best friend. Why? Why did this have to happen to me?!"

"Anger is a most powerful motivation; it will take you far in life provided you know how to handle it…" A familiar voice spoke to him, the young man turning around and spotted the source right on the rooftop.

"Crescent!" Ren exclaimed. "So you were the one who manipulated me back there!"

"Not at all, young man. I'm here to offer you a way to improve your situation." Crescent offered, intriguing the young man. "A part of you seeks recognition and glory for your deeds, right? In that case I can help you get what you want, specifically by destroying Team Xen from within."

"From within…?" The young man inquired.

"Yes; do as I say and your name will become immortalized in the history books. Of course, I will offer you some much needed answers to any questions you may have. Come on a walk with me and I'll tell you all that you would ever want to know." The young woman offered, lowering herself to the ground and outstretched her hand. Ren spent some time deliberating on this, after all it could act as atonement for what happened with Julius back in the Gym, and help him gather the strength to finally surpass him. but the part about destroying Team Xen from within bothered him, just what did she mean exactly?

"A-Alright, but you better not pull a fast one on me." Ren agreed, they duo shaking hands on the deal.

"A wise decision, come with me…" Crescent smiled, the duo walking in the direction of Wispy Path.

 **This was one chapter I didn't expect to be so long, but here it is. I apologize if the first half of the Gym Battle was a bit of a curbstomp, but I figured it would be an effective way to show Julius' anger over the situation hoisted onto him. The next chapter will be shorter as it will be the lead up to one of the most dramatic, and epic moments of the game. I'll catch you all later.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A bit of a short introduction, but I figured that it would be a nice breather after the last chapter. Hopefully you'll enjoy it just as you did with the last chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Having finished helping out Narcissa with her plan to reform Goldenleaf Town, she had finally gotten around to opening the path to Route 4, the entrance hidden within the Giratina statue in the town square. The trio exchanged quick goodbyes and their gratitude for one another before Julius and Aelita stepped through the entrance and through the small tunnel, that was devoid of any life whatsoever, with not a single trainer in sight. This proved to be a suitable time for the duo to reflect on the events of the last few days, as the both of them had varying opinions on how things worked out in the end. But they would have to put their thoughts aside momentarily, as they exited the cave and stepped into the majestic area known simply as Route 4.

To call it beautiful would be an understatement; it was the definition of a utopia, with dozens of trees sporting multicolor leaves scattered throughout the area. The tiled path leading towards the town was brightly colored, decorated in various patterns depicting items such as flowers, clouds, birds and even the ocean waves, with the railway to Gearen City running between the path and the beach brimming with golden sands. The area's resident Pokémon were enjoying this perfect day, quietly eating the lush green grass while soaking in the sun's rays. Both trainers were memorized by the spectacular view.

"Wow…this place is something special, isn't it?" Aelita inquired, her eyes focusing on the multicolored trees. "I read in a book once that a woman from Grand Dream City named Flora came here and planted the trees in order to draw in tourists."

"Well if anything, it seems to be working better than she expected, more so now that the issue with Goldenleaf Town has been resolved." Julius commented, even though he didn't see all that many tourists exploring the route.

"Speaking of which, I'm sorry about keeping it quiet from you. Asides from being told not to tell you about it, I knew that if you were to find out, you'll refuse right away. Neither me nor Narcissa ever considered a possible argument between you and Ren." The young woman apologized, the young man beside her closing his eyes while mulling over the incident.

"…It's fine. I just wish I was told beforehand, though I can see why you were told not to." The young man replied. "It'll take some time before I'm fully over it, but I don't want to focus on it right now. We've got some business to do."

"Alright, I'm gonna head on over there as soon as possible. See you later, Jules!" Aelita chirped happily, jogging down the tiled path with the young man watching her go, before a playfully laughed echoed throughout the area.

"Tee hee hee…" The voice called out, as a present the size of a television appearing right before the young man's feet, catching him by surprise. "Do you know what kind of situation something is without me? A NIMpossible situation!" The voice called out, as the present exploded and the familiar young girl leapt out of it, posing proudly before the young man.

"Augh…that was painful…" Julius groaned at the bad pun, with the young girl pouting at the man.

"Aw come on, it was pretty decent. That aside, why don't you skip out on Akuwa Town and play with me?" Nim smiled, looking at him expectedly.

"I've got some urgent business to attend to, so I can't right now." Julius apologized, trying to make his way past her, only for Nim to block him off.

"Aw come on, it'll be quick." She pleaded, the young man letting out a quick sigh before yielding to her.

"Alright, but no battling. I'm a bit tuckered out in that area." He said, with Nim jumping for joy.

"Hooray! This is gonna be fun!" She cheered, before crouching on the ground. "Ready, set, go!" She called out, jumping in the air and disappeared instantly. The young man knew that he was in for a trip when it comes to Nim, so he figured it would help him get his mind off of his spat with Ren and began playing whatever game she had in store for him. He walked down the pathway, looking side-to-side in order to find Nim, when he heard what sounded like a battlecry to his right. Walking off the path and through the forest, the young man spotted Nim facing away from him, letting out a series of shouts as she kept punching the air in a repetitive fashion, as if she was sparing on her own. Julius turned around to greet the young girl, only for her to turn around, pointing her finger directly at him.

"One, two! Cross Impact!" She declared, punching the ground before disappearing in the blink of an eye, as if she were but an illusion. Rubbing his eyes, he diverted his attention to the path, and saw Nim talking to a punk right in the middle of the crossroads, with the young man jumping off the ledge and walked up to her. "Hey, you know what I like more than the bae? The Bayleaf!" She replied, chuckling to herself before disappearing once more, leaving the punk bewildered at what he saw.

"Dude…the hell was that?" He inquired, a wide-eyed expression on his face.

"Just another one of her games. You'll get used to it eventually." Julius answered, making his way down the left path and continued his trek through the forest. A few minutes later, he spotted Nim spying on a young lady planting some flowers in a spare patch of soil off the path.

"Pssst, hey, we tech those…" Nim ushered to the young man, pointing to the flowers as she raised her hands to clap them together. "Punishment!"

Within the blink of an eye, she disappeared once more, leaving the young man more confused than he was at the start of this game. "Is there an endgame to this…what do I even do?" He muttered under his breath, his eyes spotting a figure darting across the path towards the right, quickly following behind it. Julius quickly sprinted through the forest, making sure to avoid any wild Pokémon that happened to be in his path, before grinding to a halt right by a ledge a foot or two above the path, with the figure standing before the edge, revealing themselves to be Nim.

"Light a man a fire, he'll be warm for a day. Light a man ON fire and he'll be warm for the 30 or so seconds he has left." Nim quoted, disappearing in a puff of smoke which had caused Julius to start coughing for a few moments, yelling out in surprise as he walked backwards off the ledge and fell on his backside.

"Argh…" Julius winced in pain, getting up and rubbed his backside before realizing that he was a stone's throw away from the beach and decided to investigate it. Upon arriving at the beach, he was surprised to see nobody frolicking around in the water, but he did see Nim dip her feet into the shallow water and gaze out to the horizon.

"Ah, Julius. Tell me, why did the farmer say moo?" Nim inquired, turning around to face the young man.

"I have no idea…just tell me the punchline." The young man replied, with Nim shrugging her shoulders in response.

"I dunno, I was asking you." She admitted, before disappearing once more, leaving the young man more confused than before. Surely, there was a point to all the random quotes she was spouting…was there? Whatever the case, the only way forward was to continue down the path and head to Akuwa Town, where she was probably hiding knowing her. Leaving the beach, Julius made his way back to the path and went north, only for a blur to speed past him, nearly knocking him over as it continued speeding of towards the north.

"You're too slow!" Nim briefly stopped to taunt him, giggling to herself before running off once more, with Julius growling under his breath and opted to run after her. The path started twisting and turning, as if he had stepped into some sort of maze by accident, only for the path to branch off to the right, with Julius running down the path and stopped at a train platform, with Nim looking towards the distance.

"Heh, not so slow, am I?" Julius retorted, a small smirk on his face as he walked up to her.

"Oh, Julius. You must be wondering what I'm doing here? I'm simply waiting for my husband to come back home, back from the war." Nim replied, focusing her attention on the horizon.

"The war…what war? Are the folk over at Ransei at it again?" The young man inquired.

"War is so devastating. If he were to not return—no, silly Nim. I shouldn't say such things. He shall return!" She spoke to herself, ignoring the question completely, until a sudden realization hit her. "Wait…I don't have a husband. F-Forget everything I just said!"

"Don't worry, I plan to." Julius stated, watching Nim disappear and hopped off the station, returning to the path and opting to go north once more. Thankfully, the remainder of the path wasn't too long, taking Julius a mere five minutes to traverse before ending up at the entrance to Akuwa Town, a pair of Milotic statues resting in small pools of water near the front entrance. Standing right in between the pools was Nim herself, a concerned look on her face.

"Look, I get that you need to go to Akuwa Town, but it's a really bad idea right now. The entire place is a ghost town!" She called out, attracting the young man's attention.

"A ghost town? I find that hard to believe. This is all some game you set up; you say a bunch of random phrases; I repeat them back to you and you let me pass." Julius answered, crossing his arms. "Am I on the right track?"

"I'm being serious, it's virtually devoid of life. The Pokémon Center, the Marine Biology Headquarters, even the houses are completely empty! I have no idea who or what is behind these disappearances, but whatever the case, they must be incredibly powerful, more so than I." Nim insisted.

"Wait…you mean to tell me that you didn't see a single person?" Julius inquired, with Nim nodding in confirmation, a frustrated look appearing on his face. "Shit! Aelita might be in trouble; I gotta go in there and find her!"

"Well I can't stop you from trying to find her, just be care—Urgh!" Nim cried out in pain, falling to her knees and clutched her head in pain.

"Nim!" Julius called out, running over to check up on her. "Are you alright?!"

"I-I'm fine…just a headache. Must be from over-exerting myself back there…" She answered, getting back up on her feet. Julius seemed to accept the answer but wondered if there was more to it than she's letting on. "A-As I was saying; be careful, once you find her you book it out of there, understand?"

"I hear you." The young man replied, with Nim stepping aside as she allowed her friend to enter the town, the young lady knowing that something was seriously wrong with Akuwa Town at the moment.

 **0000**

Akuwa Town, often considered to be the third largest settlement in the Aevium Region was eerily quiet, if not devoid of life all together. Though the young man scanned the area in his immediate vicinity, he couldn't see a single person in the area, something that was most mystifying to the young man. After all, the entire population of a town doesn't just get up and leave on a whim without packing their belongings, nor does it seem like there was a disaster in the area worth fleeing from. Whatever had happened here, it did a really good job of spiriting the citizens elsewhere, but for what purpose?

"I guess Nim wasn't kidding around when she said that it wasn't a ghost town…" Julius muttered, taking a few steps forwards and glancing to the right, noticing a familiar figure crouching on the ground. "A-Aelita. Hey, Aelita!" He shouted, running over to here and soon realized what she was focusing her attention on.

Lying before the duo was an elderly gentleman; unconscious and was perfectly still, as if he were a statue. The fact that he wasn't breathing at all was a concern to the young duo. "Glad you arrived Julius. I arrived here just a few minutes ago and found this old man laying on the ground here…" Aelita turned to face the young man, informing him of the situation.

"I don't think we can find anyone to help us; this place is a ghost town." Julius muttered, pacing up and down while trying to think of a way to fix the situation. "Got any ideas?"

"Well I do have one idea; back at the Sheridan Pokémon Center, there's a few defibrillators that we used in the most serious of cases. By my logic, there should be one here as well; perhaps we can use it to revitalize the old man." The young woman suggested.

"In that case I'll go find it; perhaps I can find a few more answers while I do so." Julius offered, with Aelita agreeing with the idea as the young man ran off towards the east in order to find the Pokémon Center. Though the town was very large, the fact that all the buildings were neatly arranged made finding things a lot easier than the young man initially believed, with his destination located south-east of the massive building at the back of the settlement. Upon entering the Pokémon Center, the first thing that Julius noticed was the floor, namely that it was made of hard, solid glass and had a pool of crystal-clear water underneath.

"Even this place is empty; something's definitely wrong here…" The young man muttered, scanning the area for the defibrillator, his eyes widening in joy upon seeing the machine sitting idly on the counter next to the healing machine. Picking it up gingerly, Julius exited the building and took off in a quick walk, making sure that the life-saving device doesn't fall out of his hands. Soon enough, he arrived back to where Aelita was, the young lady sighing in relief upon seeing the familiar device.

"Thank goodness there was one left." She sighed in relief, Julius placing it gently on the ground as Aelita opened it and switched it on. "This may not be the appropriate time for it, but I've always wanted to say this…CLEAR!" Aelita called out, placing the paddles over the man's chest and pressed them down, sending a jolt through his body as he started spluttering and coughing, before recovering from the sudden shock a few seconds later.

*Cough* "hrpbtfth…" The old man coughed one more, before slowly getting up off the floor. "Thanks for saving me, young ones."

"No problem mister." Aelita smiled at her elder. "But why were you knocked out on the floor?"

"Oh that…er…truth be told, I can't say I remembered." The old man replied, staring off into the distance as if he were daydreaming.

"In that case, what was the last thing you do remember?" Julius inquired.

"The last thing…? Oh yes, I remember seeing a ruckus over by the aquarium; that's the big building at the back of the town if I recall…" The old man replied, sitting back down besides a flower bed. "Now I need my afternoon nap, so you young'uns better keep quiet."

"Uh…as you wish mister." The young man replied, turning to face Aelita. "He said something about the aquarium; shall we go their together?"

"Yes, but I want to check out the beach first. It was the only area I didn't get to check out during my initial investigation of the town." Aelita replied, heading off to the east with Julius following suit. Hoping that everyone was hiding over at the beach and this was all some sort of sick prank pulled upon the young man, Julius was disappointed to discover that like with the rest of the town, the beach was devoid of life. There was no one splashing in the water, no one relaxing on the sand, not even anyone selling cheap knick-knacks and souvenirs. On the northern part of the beach rested a large building, a fenced off mine beside it as Aelita made her way to the building and knocked on the door.

"Helloooooo?" She called out, peering through the glass window on the door for over a minute, before turning to face Julius. "Nothin'. There's nobody in this town; where is everyone?!"

"If I had the answer, I'd gladly tell you, but I don't." Julius answered, scratching the back of his head. "Maybe, just maybe there all at the aquarium. The old man did bring it up after all."

"Hmmm…that does seem plausible. I've heard they do weekly performances, but even during those times, this place is usually packed. Anyway, we better get their as soon as possible." Aelita mulled it over, coming to a decision.

"In that case, allow me to lead the way. I saw it while I was searching for the Pokémon Center." The young man offered, heading of towards the building, with Aelita following behind in hot pursuit. A few minutes later, they arrived at the building and stepped inside; the music was still playing through the loudspeakers, but that was the only normal thing about it. Not only was the reception area completely empty, but even the water tanks where the Pokémon lived were empty. "So much for the aquarium being packed…" Julius sighed in disappointment.

"Well there has to be a clue here that can shed some light on the situation. Perhaps the back room has some security footage we could go over?" Aelita offered, heading off into the main room, with Julius following suit. As they had expected, the massive room was devoid of life; not a single person in the seats, not a single person in the large pool whatsoever, the only other option being the back room across the pool. Making their way towards the open room, the duo stepped inside and found what appeared to be a large machine in the back of the room, a faint beeping sound echoing throughout the area.

"This is unbelievable, everyone from Akuwa Town has disappeared! And what the hell is with this beeping noise?!" Julius complained, covering his ears as Aelita made her way to the large machine and began fiddling with a few of the buttons.

"I may be no computer whiz, but I know the basics at least." The young lady stated, investigating any and all possible files she could find. "Let's see here…there doesn't appear to be any footage from the security cameras, but there does seem to be a playable audio file here. Well it's worth a shot, so let's play it." She continued, clicking on the file as she and Julius sat down to hear what was on the file.

" _Hello…? Hello, can you hear me?!"_ The voice of an older woman spoke through the file, the background filled with the panicked cries of what they assumed were the townspeople. _"This is Valarie Kersey, Gym Leader of Town and the Marine Biologist here at the Akuwa Aquarium. We request backup immediately; do you hear me?! This is not a drill! We require backup immediately!"_

" _Val! There's too many of them! They already took Braixen and Adam!"_ Another voice called out, this one coming from a teenage girl, the fear and weariness in her voice evident to the two listeners. _"I…I can't hold them back any longer…"_

" _Oh god, no! Saki, don't worry—"_ Valarie called out, before being interrupted by the sound of figures crashing down from the ceiling. _"W-What?! Where'd you all come from? L-Let go of me this inst—"_ The recording abruptly stopped there, leaving bot Aelita and Julius mystified as to what the hell happened.

"What did we just listen to, Julius?" Aelita inquired, a pale look of fear on her face.

"I don't know, but whatever it was, it must've been what caused the people to disappear—" Julius began, before the light's started flickering momentarily, the main power shutting off soon afterwards. A few moments later, a faint red light shone in the area, indicating that the backup generator had just been activated. "—and they're still here…oh boy…" The young man continued, his face just as fear-stricken as Aelita's.

"Look, we better get out of here and back to Sheridan. Surely the Eldest will know what to do about this!" The young lady inquired, with Julius eagerly agreeing to the proposal. The duo began making their way out of the room, when all of a sudden, the door was kicked down, a menacing figure standing in the open doorway. It was a Team Xen grunt, only this one was wearing what looked like a pair of robotic wings on his back.

"Surprise!" The grunt sneered, reaching over and grabbing Aelita by her arm.

"L-Let go of me you creep!" She demanded, struggling to break free before opting to stomp on his foot, the grunt crying out in pain before Aelita delivered a swift blow to his nose, knocking him backwards.

"Huh, not bad…" Julius commented, impressed by her hand-to-hand combat skills. "All that being said, at least we know who's behind the disappearances here."

"In that case, we should skip Sheridan and head directly to Gearen; they'll have the resources to deal with them!" Aelita suggested, the duo exiting the room hastily, only to gulp at the terrifying sight in front of them. There were dozens upon dozens of Team Xen grunts, some of them sporting wings like the other grunt had, and all of them were directing their attention towards the vulnerable duo. "Looks like we'll have to fight our way out of this scenario, and I don't mean a Pokémon battle."

"…I guess we have no cho—Gah!" Julius began, narrowly ducking a swoop from a winged-grunt before punching him in the back, sending the goon flying into the nearby wall. A couple of land-grunts brought out stun batons and charged at Aelita, only for her to dodge the incoming the attack, sweeping a grunt off her feet before using the fallen stun baton to shock the other grunt.

"C-Come on, the water, Julius!" Aelita called out, throwing the baton at another winged-grunt before they dove into the water, desperately swimming to the opposite side in order to escape the clutched of the winged-grunts. However, upon their emergence from the pool, they were confronted by more grunts, sinister grins on their faces given that their prey are extra vulnerable to the stun batons since they're soaking wet.

"You shouldn't have resisted us…now you're gonna pay!" A Xen grunt sneered, lunging towards Julius, only for the young man to grab his arm and spin the grunt in circles before pushing him towards a few more grunts and bowled them over. Meanwhile, a winged-grunt attempted to swoop at Aelita, only for the nimble fighter to kick his wings off, the grunt hollering in fear as he crash landed into the pool, giving the heroes a chance to exit the building.

"Finally, we're free and—oh you've got to be kidding me!" Julius called out, his elation quickly turning to anger as they had walked straight into a massive ambush, consisting of well over a hundred Xen grunts, including more of those flying grunts. The duo quickly noticed that several of them had stun guns in their hands, and they were all aimed at the two trainers.

"Nobody move a muscle! If I so much as think you're reaching for your Pokémon, I'll stun you into the next dimension!" One of the winged-grunts yelled out, her index finger hovering close to the trigger.

"T-There's too many of them…t-there's nothing we can do but comply…" Aelita weakly replied, slowly raising her arms in the air. "This can't be how it ends…can it…?"

Seeing the peppy, confident girl admit defeat was a crushing blow to Julius; after all his efforts in finding his mother, it had been for nothing. The sacrifice that both she and the piano lady had made back on the S.S Oceana only bought him what, a few weeks at most? And what did he achieve in those weeks? His best friend hates him, he lost a newly made friend, and he failed to save his sister. If this was karma for what happened in Ayrith, then he had no choice but to surrender as well. "I yield; I don't care what you do to me, just don't hurt Aelita, she's innocent." The young man complied, a tear of defeat streaming down his face.

"I'm not gonna stand by while you take the bullet for me!" Aelita shot at him, turning to face what she assumed was the head of the squad. "Look, we surrendered peacefully, so there's no need for any extreme actions, right?"

"Ohohohoho, where you two are going, you're gonna wish we shot you right on this spot." The winged-grunt sneered, ordering a pair of grunts to restrain the young trainers. "We got what we came here for, move out!"

"Aye-Aye, captain!" The grunts called out, dragging their newest prisoners away, right towards the beach where a couple medium-sized were bobbing in the water, bearing the symbol for Team Xen. Wherever they were going, the two trainers knew that they would be in for the roughest period of their short lives.

 **I apologize if this chapter was a lot shorter than my usual fair, but the next chapter will more than make up with it, as it's another favorite segment of mine. May you all enjoy the long weekend everyone!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Welcome one and all, to the start of the Blacksteeple Castle arc. It's gonna be one wild ride from beginning to end, and I'm highly confident that you'll all enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

The young trainers were escorted by a small contingent of armed guards, out of the boat and towards a small gate like structure, acting as a lobby of sorts in order to pat down the prisoners. The floor was decorated in a variety of black and grey tiles, a long red carpet laying on the floor and lead towards the main courtyard door. Additionally, there were two banners to either side of the door that sported the Team Xen logo, erasing what little doubt the prisoners had as to who were behind this twisted scheme. Soon enough, an officer entered the lobby, with the guards saluting his presence.

"Welcome to Blacksteeple Castle. As of today, you'll be taken under the ownership of the warden, Neved. You are to do whatever he asks you to do, be it fixing up the castle to make it look presentable, or excavate various relics and treasures from the various rocks scattered around the area." The officer informed the prisoners, a small smirk on his face.

"What the hell is your problem?! You can't just go around and abduct people!" Aelita snapped at the older man, the guards reaching for their weapons to discipline her, only for the officer to order them to stand down. "Why are you all even doing this?!"

"As of this moment, that information is unknown to me. Besides, even if I did know I don't have any obligation to tell you." He retorted.

"Sounds like you're feigning ignorance so that when the officials come and shut this operation down, you can pull the whole 'I was just following orders' act. Am I right?" Julius inquired, the officer eying him up with curiosity.

"An interesting theory, but I maintain my lack of knowledge regarding the motive for your imprisonment." The officer answered, the tone in his voice indicating that he was being truthful.

"So that's it then, you really don't know?" Aelita replied. "Man, you guys are idiots."

"…take them to their cells, I tire of this incessant chatter." The officer ordered the guards, who proceeded to escort the trainers out of the lobby, the duo shooting the officer one last glance before turning away from him. Around five or so minutes later, after going through the expansive courtyard, they arrived to the cell block where they were soon pushed into the cell at the end, the guards locking the door after closing it.

"Ugh…someone needs to explain what's going on her and fast!" Aelita commented, slouching down on the lone chair in the room while Julius took the time to inspect the bookcase, hoping to pass the time in any way possible.

"As much as I don't want to admit it, the best thing to do is to wait for the authorities to find out about this and bust us out of here." The young man replied, choosing a book and began reading it.

"But this is madness; we've done nothing wrong!" Aelita protested, her hands going down to her waist as she soon felt the familiar sensation of her Pokéballs. "Hey…they didn't even take our Pokémon away. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" She continued, a devious plan forming in her mind.

"Don't even bother; it won't work." A voice coming from the cell next door called out, surprising the two trainers.

"What do you mean, they won't work?!" The purple-haired girl demanded an answer, the voice chuckling to herself.

"If you hadn't been kicking and screaming like a baby, perhaps you would've heard it. The staff here rendered out Pokéballs useless, via a radio wave transmitted all over the island via several radar dishes. I should know, I'm an expert when it comes to various machines and gadgetry." She replied, making her way closer to the wall separating the trio. "So if you could stop whining like an entitled child, that'll be greatly appreciated."

"Heh, you talk really big for someone who's stuck behind bars." Aelita retorted.

"Well you know what they say, you gotta talk to a baby in a special way, otherwise they won't listen to you." The girl giggled in a mocking manner, with Aelita growling under her breath.

"Look, I don't care what animosity you two have, but I'm in no mood for this fight to continue. So if you two could simmer down, that'll be appreciated." Julius chimed in, diverting his attention away from the novel he was reading. "That said, who exactly are you?"

"My name? Hehe, I'm flattered that you asked~ The name's Saki. Saki Blakeory to be precise; I'm sure you've heard of me." The girl introduced herself.

"Yeah, I've heard of you. You're the prodigy genius said to inherit the Blakeory Foundation once your grandfather retires. Funnily enough, the two of us were looking for you." The young man replied. "Ah but where are my manners? I'm Julius, and the young lady with me is Aelita."

"Ayy, you found me! I'd give you a prize, but the game was Where's Waldo, not Where's Saki." Saki chimed back; her attitude more pleasant than it was a few moments ago.

"…Witty banter aside, we've got something important business we wish to conduct with you." Aelita inquired.

"Important you say? Now you've piqued my curiosity…" Saki replied, before a guard walked up to the cell door, his attention directed at Aelita.

"You there, girl. Your name is Aelita, correct?" He demanded an answer.

"Yes, that is my name." She replied.

"Alright, where did you reside before arriving at Blacksteeple Castle?" The guard pressed further, with both Aelita and Julius eying up the guard in suspicion.

"How about you stop asking me these questions and open this damn cell?!" Aelita snapped back, with Saki sighing to herself quietly.

"Just answer the question and stop acting like an idiot…" She replied.

"I didn't ask for your input, Miss Blakeory." The guard retorted, directing his gaze right back at Aelita. "Now answer the question, now!"

"…I lived in Sheridan Village my entire life. There, you happy?" Aelita spat out, a sinister smirk forming on the guard's face.

"In that case, you're gonna have to come with me, ma'am." He told her, opening the cell door and advancing towards her.

"Back off mister, else you'll have to deal with me!" Julius threatened the man, who chuckled in response to the threat.

"Unwarranted aggression against an officer is a serious offence, punishable by extra work shifts, a decrease in rations, and many more punishments." The guard curtly replied.

"Don't worry Julius, I'm sure I'll be fine." Aelita reassured the young man, turning to face the guard. "So where would I be going exactly?"

"We're taking you to the Warden. He wants to ask you a few questions." He answered, opening the cell door as Aelita stepped out of the confined space, seemingly accepting her fate.

"Goodbye Julius…" Was all Aelita said, the officer escorting her out of the cell block as a puzzled expression formed on Saki's face.

"Now that's really odd. The Warden doesn't usually ask prisoners questions out of the blue like that; opting to leave us to our own devices all the way down here. That aside, I'm sure she'll be fine, the guards only punish those who disobey their orders." Saki commented, as a voice over the intercom informed everyone that break time was over, and that all prisoners should resume their designated duties.

"Well looks like my time of doing nothing has ended…Oh wait, it hasn't." The young woman chimed to herself, as she and Julius got out of their respective cells and got a good look at each other. The young man had to admit; Saki was quite the pretty young lady, with her shiny brown eyes, and silky black hair that reached her back. Her outfit consists of a greyish-black long-sleeved shirt and matching coloured skirt. She also wears red loafers and white socks, as well as a red scarf. "Ah, so that's what you look like. I gotta say, you're kinda handsome."

"Thanks, you're rather pretty yourself." Julius replied, the duo lightly chuckling in order to ease their tension. "That said, I don't understand what that message was about, especially regarding the designated job."

"It's pretty simple, everyone here has a designated task to do. Get caught slacking and they'll discipline you, with emphasis on the caught part. Nothing for me to worry about, since I get away with it all the time. don't worry, I'll give you a few pointers here and there since I can tell we're gonna be great friends with each other!" Saki smiled at the young man. "Since you're a newcomer, you won't get a designated job until the following day, giving us ample time to hang out together. I'll even introduce you to my other friends."

"I'd be honoured to meet your friends." Julius replied, with Saki giggling once more.

"There's no need for that fancy formal talk around me, despite my appreciation for it. My group usually hangs out by the quarry, it's at the easternmost side of the island, don't take too long!" She told him, briskly walking outside the cell block with Julius opting to follow her. After all, if he was to break out of this place with Aelita, they would need all the allies they could get in order to succeed.

 **0000**

The young man stepped into the main courtyard once more, opting to pay a bit more attention to his surroundings since he'll most likely be here for a while. It had started to snow that day, with several patches of snow coating the grass and trees, as well as the dark grey walls surrounding the facility. To his left, there was a tourist pacing up and down the spot in frustration, right beside a weird tower of sorts.

"I'm sick and tired of being trapped in this hellhole!" He growled to himself, an idea forming in his head. "Aha! There must be a way to escape in the Blacksteeple Fields. Better check it out."

As the walked to the west, passing the tower beside the entrance, an alarm started blaring out as the light on its surface started glowing a vivid red. "PRISONER #342D, YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO ACCESS BLACKSTEEPLE FIELDS AT THIS TIME. STEP BACK NOW, OR FACE THE CONSEQUENCES." A voice spoke out from the tower, the tourist turning to face the machine.

"Piss off! I'm not taking orders from you!" The tourist taunted, continuing his way to the entrance only for a quick bolt of lightning to be emitted from the tower, striking the tourist who soon fell unconscious from the attack. Almost immediately, a pair of guards exited the main building and scooped up the prisoner, one of them directing his attention to Julius.

"I guess you got a good look at what happens to those who disobey our towers, eh newcomer?" He commented with a slight hint of malice, the duo carrying the fallen prisoner back inside the building. Now understanding a bit more about the rules of this place, Julius opted to head towards the east, mentally sighing in relief that the tower near that exit didn't start blaring at him.

The quarry was exactly what Julius had expected it to look like; several holes were littered around the place, with trainers digging through rocks using those Explorer's Kits that were incredibly popular in the Sinnoh region. Within each individual pit were a pair of baskets, where the prisoners were expected to deposit any valuables they dug up from the rocks, though the young man suspected that the guards beside the entrance would pat down the trainers for anything they might be smuggling out. There were also a couple of those towers from before that were scattered all over the area, presumably to punish those who were shirking their duty. On the eastern most end of the quarry was a small beach, populated by a couple of figures, whom he deduced to be Saki and her friends. The young man walked quickly towards the beach, not wanting to get spotted by one of those large towers, and was able to make his way there, before noticing that the two of them were staring beyond the water's edge.

"And thus, a lonely Adam waits for his beautiful friend, Valarie to come back from war." Saki chimed in, a small frown on Adam's face. He was quite the handsome young man, around 5-10 years older than Julius, and had short blue hair with a lone spike sticking out, brown eyes and a fairly muscular body. His outfit consisted of a long-sleeved orange shirt, matching long pants and a dark blue sleeveless jacket worn on top of his shirt.

"She really shouldn't be swimming today, it's bloody freezing out here! Just imagine how cold the water would be." He commented.

"Implying that below zero waters would stop Val from swimming—" Saki chimed in, turning around and noticing that Julius had arrived. "Ah, you've made it! Adam, this is Julius. Julius, this is Adam. Just a heads up, but Adam can get grumpy at times."

"H-Hey, I only get grumpy when people do unreasonable things, such as swimming in icy cold water!" The older man retorted, directing his attention to Julius. "Sorry about that, it's nice to meet you mate."

"Same here." Julius replied. "So I take it you're waiting for this Valarie person to come back from her…daily swim?"

"Yep, she decided to go for a swim in freezing cold water, but we choose not to question her decisions in life. There aren't any of those turrets around the water because no one expects anybody to swim away from this place." The young girl replied.

"You mean the ones that fire a bolt of electricity at people? Yeah, just saw one of those zap a guy attempting to enter the fields to the west." Julius commented.

"Ah, you know about those? All I'm gonna say is that Valarie's lucky they don't have any of those around the water, otherwise she's a goner. I swear, she can be crazy at times…" Adam chimed in, crossing his arms as the sound of splashing alerted the trio, causing them to face the water.

"Honestly, are you two really painting me out as the crazy lady who swims in freezing waters, in front of our guest?" A voice called out from a few meters away, a figure swimming over to the beach and stepping out of the water, with Julius letting out nothing but a stunned gasp. Standing right before him was arguably one of the most beautiful women the young man has ever seen, who was roughly around the same age as Adam, and had silky blue hair that was soaking wet from her swim, shiny blue eyes and a very curvaceous figure. Her outfit consisted of a short-sleeved blue shirt that showed off her navel, a matching pair of blue shorts that reached her thighs, and a grey bandana of sorts on top of her head. "Ah but where are my manners, my name's Valarie."

"N-Nice to meet you Valarie, the name's Julius." The young man managed to get out, amusing Saki with his behaviour.

"Oh, now this is sweet, I think he's fallen for you!" She joked around, the trio chuckling out loud while Julius sheepishly scratched the back of his head, a fierce blush appearing on his cheeks.

"Well if it helps his case, he's rather cute truth be told." Valarie smiled, stretching her arms in the air. "Ahhh…now that helped with my anxiety regarding the situation, however nonsensical it may be."

"Well if it helped you out, then who am I to judge you? After all, I opt to go on quiet walks at night whenever I get stressed out." Julius chimed in.

"See? I told you both that cold air helps open the mind." Valarie told her companions in a haughty tone.

"Oh I'm sure all that thinking will help you out when you get hypothermia…" Adam retorted sarcastically, before remembering something else. "Oh yeah, I remember Saki mentioning to me earlier how Julius is new around here."

"Yeah, he came here with his friend Aelita. She's a bit of a Whitney Whiner, but I suppose she's nice." Saki answered.

"Oh, where is she then?" Valarie inquired, a curious expression on her face.

"She's with the warden. He wanted to ask her a few questions, but I'm not 100% sure what he wants to ask her." Julius answered, surprising the older woman.

"What?! The warden never brings a newcomer to his office!" She protested adamantly. "Why would he do such a thing?"

"Well I do have a theory, but it's best if I keep quiet, otherwise who knows what'll happen to us." The young man commented, not wanting the prison staff to find out about his involvement in the destruction of the Carotos Base.

"Theory aside, it obviously can't be good. If something bad happens to her, we can't wreck the place and look for her." Adam said, his body tensing up a bit from the cold air.

"That's right, our Pokéballs can't function in the prison grounds. Heck, I couldn't even use them while I was out swimming. Whatever they have that's blocking the signal, it's got quite the area-of-effect." Valarie added.

"In that case, perhaps we should inspect those antennas scattered around the castle? After all, they seem like the most probable cause of the signal."

"Why tell us this ag—" Adam started, before Saki shot him a glare, causing the older man to sigh under his breath. "Fine, why do you think the antennas are causing our Pokéballs to not work properly?"

"Because I've worked on and created Pokéballs in my spare time!" She smiled proudly to herself, thoroughly enjoying the opportunity to show off her technological prowess. "Now then, a Pokéball works via signals. If you press the button in the circle, the Pokéball will expand. From that point, you can call out the Pokémon inside the Pokéball. But if the signal were to be interrupted by an outside source, then the Pokéball wouldn't expand, preventing you from calling out your Pokémon. Did you get all that, Julius?" Saki asked him, nudging his shoulder.

"Yes, I've got it. You wish to dispose of the antennas so that the signal won't jam our Pokéballs, correct?" The young man answered.

"Yepparino bambino, you are correct!" Saki smiled at him. "Thankfully you haven't spent this whole time daydreaming about Val, young man."

"Oh come on, is this gonna be a running joke from now on…?" Julius inquired in an embarrassed tone.

"Yep, so get used to it!" The young girl replied cheerfully.

"Having thought about it, that does sound like a plan. The problem stems from the fact that they'll most likely be guarded." Valarie pointed out. "It'll seem foolish of them to leave such an important device unattended."

"True, but considering how many prisoners are in this place, I don't think they can safely divert guards to protect these antennas without risking a sudden uprising." Adam replied. "Well what are we waiting for, let's go find one already?"

"As a matter of fact, I already did the other day. Come, I'll show you three." Saki made her way off the beach and back on the grass, the other three looking at each other before opting to follow her. When they had arrived to the north-eastern part of the quarry, they noticed Saki resting smugly by a tree, a small antenna beside the trunk.

"Would'ja look at that! A sneaky antenna was hiding back here. Too bad it couldn't escape from me, I smelt it from a mile away!" The young girl chimed with pride.

"I bet it smelt nice…" Julius quipped, crouching down to get a better look at it. The antenna resembled a small radar dish, a red light in the center constantly flashing on and off.

"Now this thing's using a repeat signal, given that it's too small to emit the main signal." Saki informed her friends. "Which means that there should be more of them around these parts."

"So what should we do with it?" Valarie inquired, eying up the device with curiosity.

"Simple, we pull this sucker up and send it to Poseidon as a gift of appreciation. Now stand back everyone, allow me to impress you all…" Saki declared, rolling up her sleeved and crouching down beside the antenna, holding onto it with both hands. After a bit of struggling, Saki let out a cry of inspiration to bolster her spirit, giving her the energy needed to send the machine flying up into the area, stunning everyone nearby.

"Well then…" Was all Adam could say.

"I guess you're a lot stronger than I thought…" Valarie replied, slightly impressed with her friend's strength.

"I don't think that was the smartest course of action to take." Julius commented.

"Oh come on, nothing bad happened. Don't be such a—" Saki began, before the alarm started blaring in the area, informing security about the displaced antenna. "S-Scatter!" She cried out, with Saki, Valarie and Adam quickly ducking into a nearby quarry. Just as Julius was about to flee the area, he was soon confronted by half a dozen guards, armed with stun batons.

"First day at Blacksteeple, and you're already causing trouble. Perhaps a meeting with the warden will teach you a lesson." One of the guards sneered, his co-workers chuckling to themselves.

"…Shit!" Julius snapped in anger, as two of the guards grabbing him by his hands, the group escorting him out of the area, as Saki and her friends watched the scene from the quarry they hid in, horrified expressions on their faces.

 **Warden's Office**

The young man was forcefully shoved into the room by the guards, with two of them staying beside him while the rest returned to their posts. Contrary to the rest of the prison, the office was extravagantly decorated, with various luxuries and necessities decorating the room alongside several valuable relics that must've been dug up by the prisoners. Reclining on one of the plush couches was Neved, a calm, calculated look in his eyes.

"Well, well. If it isn't Julius. I've been expecting you…have a seat." The older man offered, the two guards nudging Julius before he accepted the offer and took a seat right before the warden.

"I-It's been a while. Hey, is that a new tattoo you got there?" The young man inquired, his gaze focusing on a mark right above Neved's left eye.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Neved quickly shot down the question, sipping some coffee from the warm mug in his hand. "I must say Julius, not even a day here and already you're causing trouble? That has to a record around these parts."

"Considering how you worked with Nastasia to kidnap my mother back on the S.S Oceana, you should've expected something like this." The young man retorted, opting to keep his newly made friends safe from whatever probable punishment the twisted warden has in stock for him.

"I can't say I'm surprised given what we did, but I'd really appreciate it if you were a bit more...co-operative." The older man requested, with Julius laughing dryly in response.

"Ha, that's rich. You kidnap my mother, take me hostage and expect me to be a good boy? Well I've got two words for you; Fuck. Off." Julius retorted, with Neved furrowing his brow in frustration.

"This isn't going anywhere, so I may as well change topics. You were abducted in Akuwa Town by Deaths Wings, correct?" The warden inquired.

"Those flying grunts? Yeah, that's them. Can't say I'm all that fond of the name though." The young man answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

"The Death Wings are extremely high-ranking grunts of Team Xen, just a bit below the administrators like myself. We initially ordered them to kidnap you at a later date, but you just so happened to walk into Akuwa Town; thanks for saving us the trouble by the way." Neved explained, the guards chuckling at his last sentence. "Do you have any idea what you're up against?"

"Yeah; a bunch of megalomaniacal psychopaths who wish to cause untold chaos throughout the region. I already dealt with a mad scientist, a harbinger of a nuclear apocalypse, a team of cutthroat thieves and a pair of siblings with a series of unimaginable powers. Trust me, you're not the first, and I doubt you'll be the last." Julius answered, with Neved raising an eyebrow in response.

"I see…you must've had an interesting career as a trainer." The warden answered, putting down his cup and picking up a small folder that contained some information about Julius and what items he had on him when he was initially arrested. "There's something I wish to ask you about, namely this doll you had on you when we went through your things. When the guards picked it up, you lashed out at them, forcing them to stun you with their guns in order to knock you out. Is there a reason for your actions back then…?"

"…I rather not talk about it." Julius bluntly replied, the two guards laughing like crazy before a sharp glare from the young man promptly silenced them. "Now that I've answered your questions, I want some answers. Why are you abducting people left and right?!"

"Hahaha, why that's all thanks to you, Julius." Neved smirked, putting the folder down and took another sip from his mug. "Because of your actions in Carotos Mountain, Madame X has been on edge. You had interfered with our plans too much; initially she wanted to hunt you down but decided against it for unknown reasons. Soon afterwards, she said this to me; "Make sure to keep pests locked up. Make sure powerful trainers are contained."

"So you locked up all the trainers in Akuwa Town to secure any potential threats to your operations?" The young man deduced.

"Precisely." Neved replied, putting his empty mug on the table. "Personally, I would've gotten rid of you right now truth be told. Had you not been such an annoyance, all our plans would've been completed as of now. But you know that whole thing with Melia, don't you…?"

"Yeah, and I don't need you rubbing the salt in the wound…" The young man bitterly retorted, instantly recalling the painful memory.

"Listen here, you have no goddamn idea what happened at HQ when Madame X found out Melia was dead. Let me tell you, that was the first time I truly felt fear; we lost a whole lot of good men that day." The warden recalled a painful memory as well, shivering at the thought of his superior's violent outburst. "I must say that despite your hostile demeanour, you're a lot more docile than your friend, Aelita. Maybe she'd be in a better spot had she just behaved…"

"What did you do to her you bastard?!" Julius growled, standing right up on the spot and glared at the warden, the two guards bringing out their batons in quick response.

"I asked her some questions, and she refused to give me the answers I wanted. So I blasted her with electricity." Neved smirked, a sick sense of satisfaction in his tone of voice.

"Oh that's it!" The young man snapped, lunging across the table to grab at the man, only for the guards to restrain him with the young man struggling to break free. "When I'm done with you, you're gonna wish Madame X killed you that day!"

"And here I thought you were gonna be a good boy…" The older man muttered, standing up and looking down at the young man. "Between your destruction of the antenna, your threats of violence against me, and your repeated meddling of our affairs, I think you're long overdue for a punishment."

"Heh, it'll take more than a jolt of elec—H-Hey, what are you doing?!" Julius began, as the guards began to take his shirt and jacket off, leaving him bare-chested and slightly embarrassed, the older man walking over to one of the cupboards and brought out a small leather case, opening it and revealed a cat o' nine tails to him. "Y-You can't be serious, that thing was outlawed years ago!"

"Hahaha! You say that as if you don't know who we are!" Neved retorted, gesturing the guards to flip him over the couch so that he was staring directly at his back. "No considering all your past offences, I think 50 lashes sounds fair…"

"Well personally, I'd prefer zero lashes but—G-GAAAHHH!" The young man began, only to cry out as a burning, intense pain emanated from his back, an unimaginable sense of fear coursing through the young man. The warden continued to lash his prisoner's back again and again with the tool, a faint hint of hesitance and regret in his heart as he noticed the young man tearing up from the utter agony he was experiencing. The brutal torture lasted around five minutes, the young man's back covered in dozens upon dozens of cuts with blood slowly oozing out of them. Neved soon ordered the guards to clean up and disinfect the wounds, the young man sighing weakly as the guards tended to him.

"Truth be told, I didn't want to do this, but if I let you get off scot free for your crimes, it would encourage the other prisoners to revolt against us." Neved responded, watching the young man put his clothes back on. "You may go now but be warned. The next time you get sent here, you'll be coming out in a body bag. Got it?"

The young man shot him a glare, wiping the tears from his eyes before storming out of the room, with Neved sighing to himself before muttering under his breath. "The things I'll do for you…my darling…"

Julius walked slowly through the halls of the castle, pain coursing through his wounds as he sought to find Saki and his friends, a few choice words formulating in his mind. A few minutes later, he found the trio lounging about casually in the throne room; Adam was sleeping in one of the corners, Saki was scribbling something on a sheet of paper, with Valarie sitting on the throne itself as she directed her attention to the young man.

"You don't look so good…what happened in there with the Warden?" She inquired, an irate expression on the young man's face.

"Oh you wanna know what happened back there?! Allow me to show you!" He hissed, turning around and scrambling to remove his shirt and jacket.

"Wow I didn't know you were this forward Julius—Oh my word!" Saki joked around, only to recoil in shock upon seeing the grievous wounds on his back.

"I'm in no mood for your goddamn jokes Saki, I got whipped by a fucking cat o' nine tails!" Julius snapped, a mortified expression appearing on Valarie's face as the young man started to redress himself.

"My word…I don't know if it helps much, but I'm so sorry for what you went through." The older woman replied, turning to face Saki. "This wouldn't have happened if you didn't pull the antenna out in the first place."

"Hey, I did not expect Julius to get disciplined like that at all!" The young girl retorted, an apologetic look in her eye. "I'm sorry for getting you in trouble."

"…It's fine, I don't want to hold any grudges against anybody while I'm in here. Besides, most of the lashes were for some past grievances against the organisation he works for." Julius accepted the apology, turning around and saw the slip of paper Saki was scribbling on. "Hey, what are you working on?"

"Details for my next invention; not too sure on the name but at the very least I want it to contain 'Rose' in it. Hopefully it can get us all out of here." She answered, keeping it close to her so that none of the others can get a look at it. "So what else happened with the Warden, asides from the lashes?"

"Aelita's being tortured by Neved; he's electrocuting her in order to get answers from her, but that was all he said regarding that situation." Julius answered, shocking both women with his answer.

"What?!" Valarie called out, with Adam being awoken from his slumber.

"H-Huh, huh. What's going on?" Adam inquired woozily, walking up to the trio.

"Aelita's being tortured by Neved." The older woman answered, shocking the older man as Saki started to feel queasy all of a sudden.

"I-I don't feel so good, Val…" Saki replied, mentally regretting her semi-hostile attitude towards the young woman earlier that day.

"If anything, this means that we can't just wait for an opportunity to strike. We have to actively start our efforts in finding a way out of here." Adam chimed in. "Mind you, I've been saying this for several days now, but a certain duo opted to wait around instead."

"Look, you lot can argue about it another time. Right now, we need to work together in order to rescue Aelita and get the hell out of this place." Julius interjected.

"Agreed, but there's one thing I don't understand. What could she have done to warrant such a punishment from the Warden?" Valarie inquired, a curious expression on her face, with Julius checking the room to see if anyone else was in the room before leaning in towards the trio.

"Remember when I said that I had a theory on why she was sent to Neved's office? Since we're in a more secure location, I'll tell you three, on the condition that you don't go spreading it around. Got it?" The young man replied, the three giving him a quick nod of confirmation. "A while ago, the two of us found a Team Xen base hidden in Carotos Mountain, right by Sheridan Village. The place was the main base of operations for their Shadow Pokémon Program; with one of their admins, Madelis, running the place. See, Aelita's father, the Sheridan Gym Leader Keta was seemingly forced into working for Madelis and kept all knowledge of the base to himself, without the villagers suspecting him a single bit. Anyway, Aelita and I infiltrated the base to find him, only to wind up shutting the base down once we learnt of its true purpose; to flood the village with extremely hot lava. Unfortunately, Keta didn't make it, he was killed by Madelis' Shadow Mewtwo. Whatever the case, I firmly believe that Aelita's current situation has to do with what happened back there."

"Woah…I gotta say that's kinda awesome when you think about it." Saki praised the young man, before getting back to the matter at hand. "Neither of us have seen her while you were in the Warden's Office."

"Perhaps we should ask around the quarry? Maybe the people there will know where she is." Valarie suggested.

"Alright, but we got to be careful. The four of us are probably on a watch list after that stunt with the antenna." Adam pointed out.

"In that case, let's get going!" Saki called out, the group exiting the room with Julius walking a little slower, the young man wincing in pain under his breath with every step he took.

 **0000**

The group of four split off into different directions upon entering the quarry, each one asking any nearby prisoners on whether they have seen Aelita today. Once they had asked everyone, they would then meet up in the main courtyard and exchange notes with each other.

"Hmmm, a girl named Aelita? Do you mean that girl with the purple hair done up in a ponytail?" A young man asked back at Julius, the duo standing near one of those sentry towers.

"Yes, she came here with me today." Julius answered. "Have you seen her recently?"

"As a matter of fact, I had. She seemed to be in some sort of trouble from the look of things, since the Warden was dragging her by her ponytail. Soon afterwards, I saw the warden holding what appeared to be her bow in his hand. From the look of things, she hasn't come out of the Warden's Office." The man answered, with Julius scowling to himself.

"I see…thank you anyway." The young man replied, noticing Adam make his way back to the courtyard and opted to follow him to the meeting spot, where Saki and Valarie were waiting.

"Took you long enough, boys." Saki playfully poked her tongue out, with Valarie sitting down on a fallen column. "So did'ya learn anything useful?"

"The one guy that had any info whatsoever mentioned how Aelita hasn't left the Warden's Office since she was initially dragged there by Neved." Julius answered.

"Hold on; I just talked to a young girl and she saw Aelita getting dragged away from the Warden's Office. Where to though, that was something she couldn't determine, but from the look of things it seemed her interrogation was over." Adam offered a second story, a theory forming in his mind. "Maybe she's being held in some secret chamber of this place, only accessible by the higher-ups."

"Plausible; after all this place is massive. It would not surprise me at all if there were various secret rooms scattered throughout the island." Valarie supported the idea, yawning to herself all of a sudden. "All that being said, we'll have to continue our search tomorrow, I'm feeling awfully tired."

"But Val…I don't wanna got to bed yet." Saki protested, crossing her arms in annoyance.

"Saki, we can't stay up any longer than we have to. The last thing I want to happen is for us to get busted by the guards and end up like Julius…no offense, hon." The older woman replied.

"None taken." Julius said.

"There's still so much I wanna do; sleep is for people who have got nothing better to do with their time." The young girl retorted.

"You won't be saying that when you need your strength to fight back." Valarie countered.

"Ugh! You're being far too reasonable Val, it's making me sick. L-Look! Why don't we have a snowball fight or something? It'll be lots of fun!" Saki attempted to bargain with her friend, picking up a handful of snow.

"Saki, be reasonable for once in your—" Adam started to raise his voice, only for the gates to open up, a mysterious figure in a hooded black rode slowly stepped into the courtyard, panting faintly to herself.

"Someone…please…I need warmth…" She pleaded, falling to one knee as the alarms started blaring, the intercom alerting the guards about an unauthorized person entering castle grounds. As Julius was about to help her up, a pair of guards exited the man building and walked up to her, lifting her up onto her feet.

"You! What are you doing here? What's your name?" The first guard demanded.

"Hey leave her alone! She's only came here for a bit of help, not a damned interrogation." Julius cried out.

"Stay out of this, punk! My mate told me about what the Warden did to you; continue to pester us and you'll be dealing with another 50 lashes." The second guard threatened, causing the young man to clam up and glare at the guards. "Back to the topic at hand; what's your name young missy?!"

"P-Please, I…I can't…I just need help right now." The girl continued, causing the guards to scoff at her.

"In that case, we'll be taking you to the Warden's Office for a thorough interrogation. I'm sure he'll be able to help you out…" The first guard sneered, the duo dragging the helpless girl inside the castle walls, the group of four briefly looking at each other.

"What was up with that?" Saki inquired.

"I don't know, but whatever it was, it can not be good." Julius answered.

"In any case, we better head back to our cells for the night. And no making a fuss Saki, now's not the time for your attitude." Valarie told the rest, the group of four heading back to the cell block, with Saki grumbling under her breath the entire way.

 **Warden's Office**

"So let me see if I got this right; you were on a ship that crashed on it's way to Neverwinter City, where you swam for an hour's worth before winding up on the shore? Am I hearing you correctly, Emma?" Neved inquired, addressing the girl with the name she gave him.

"Th-That's correct." Emma replied, still wearing her hooded robe and had a thick blanket wrapped around her. "Though I had my Pokémon help me out for a majority of the swim."

"Under normal circumstances, I would've thrown your story aside as complete nonsense, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter." The older man stated, turning around to face the girl. "Unfortunately, you've seen for too much. I can't let you leave these premises."

"I understand; before you decide to lock me up, would you take the time to consider my offer?" Emma inquired, Neved raising an eyebrow in response. "I wish to help you out in any way I can, with whatever it is you're doing."

"Now this is rich…why would I even consider such a ludicrous idea?" The older man chuckled, amused at what he had just heard.

"One of the guards that dragged me here complained about how this place was becoming more and more difficult to handle with each new resident." The young girl rebutted.

"True, but what would you bring to the table? After all, the guards are more than capable of dealing with rowdy prisoners." Neved countered.

"Heh, I can assure you that I'm far stronger than any of the guards you have patrolling the facility." Emma chuckling confidently.

"Are you now? Do you have the spine to face the cruel nature of this place?" The warden asked her, in a serious tone as his gaze was locked onto her.

"I can indeed; I couldn't care less about whatever it is you're doing here. This whole prison scene you have going on…? Doesn't bother me a single bit." Emma bluffed, hoping that Neved would buy it. "In fact, the only reason I was heading to Neverwinter was to find some work. Provide me with basic necessities like food and a warm bed, and I'll become your personal assistant."

"Hmmm…you offer a most tempting deal young lady." Neved contemplated, quickly coming to a decision. "Fine, you win. But know this; you are only slightly above the prisoners here. Use your small advantage wisely, don't exploit it for you own gain. And if you make a misstep, I'll lock you up with the prisoners, got it?"

"Understood, thank you for your kindness." Emma replied, standing up and bowing before the older man.

"Rest up here, I'll give you your first assignment in a few minutes. Do not leave this room." Neved ordered, making his way to his private chambers and entering it, unaware that underneath her hood, Emma was smirking to herself.

"Step one, complete…" She muttered, thankful that her "employer" fell for her ruse.

 **That's it for the first part of the Blacksteeple Castle arc. I know some of you might get put off by Julius' punishment, but I figured it would be a somewhat realistic outcome given the situation. After all, it wouldn't seem right for Neved to just let the player go after a quick talking to, considering all that they did to hinder Team Xen's plans. That aside, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter.**


	18. Chapter 18

**A quick note, but here's the second installment of the Blacksteeple Castle arc, ready for you all to enjoy. Things are only going to get more intense from here on out, and I'm confident that you'll enjoy it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

The morning alarm blared through the intercom, ordering all the prisoners to wake up for their daily duties, waking them all up as several of them muttered some choice words under their breath. Julius wasn't able to get much sleep due to the pain he was going through, though it was feeling a bit better today. As the young man finished getting dressed and tidied up his hair, he noticed the hooded girl from the other day walking around the cell block, stopping right before his cell.

"Ah, I was wondering what had happened to you. Are you alright from before?" Julius asked the girl, who gazed at him quietly.

"…I'm fine." She answered his question, quickly turning her head and started gesturing at someone or something to her right. "Watch; come, poppet."

The young man was confused at her last statement; what exactly did she want him to watch? It seemed that he would get his answers soon as the sounds of footsteps echoed through the area, the young man peeking his head through the bars, only to recoil in horror at what he saw. Coming right on cue was Aelita, a forlorn expression on her face as she sluggishly made her way to Emma. The poor girl had first to second degree burns all over her body, her lovely purple hair singed at the end. There were even a few small holes in her outfit, probably from where they had caught on fire. But what was most disturbing was just how quite she was; no quick hello from her, no retorts at Emma, not even a cry or wince of pain from her burns.

"Aelita!" Julius cried out to her, yet she remained as silent as a mouse. The young man quickly turned his head and started glaring at the hooded girl. "What is the meaning of this?!"

"Master Neved has asked me to bring this girl to you as a reminder on how you should act. Under through rehabilitation, she has learnt to speak only when spoken too." Emma coldly commented, briefly glancing at the mute prisoner. "Perhaps she has lost the will to speak at all? Regardless, this is the punishment handed down to those who disobey Neved's commands"

"Fuck his commands! I'm not listening to some asshole who does this to people!" Julius snapped.

"A feisty one, aren't you? I was informed about your meeting with Neved the other day. Keep this attitude of yours up and I'll have to bring you to him." Emma retorted, nudging Aelita in her shoulder, the purple-haired girl not even flinching despite the pain it would cause. "Why don't you say hello to your old comrade, poppet?"

"…" Aelita opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come out at all, causing the hooded girl to raise her hand to her chin.

"Hmmm…it seems she still needs a bit more work. I'm sure we'll be able to break her later today." Emma muttered, recalling what else she was tasked to do. "Anyway, I also have your first order of business. You're on flora duty in the west wing of Blacksteeple Field. You are forbidden from passing through the right checkpoint to the quarry, lest you get electrocuted. That is all for now; come with me poppet."

"You tell your dirtbag boss that this isn't over, you hear me?!" The young man ranted to the hooded figure, who ignored the threat and continued down the hall. Aelita was following closely behind her, turning around to glance at Julius for a second before following Emma once more. However, Emma ushered Aelita to stop, the hooded figure making her way to Saki's cell and gazed at the young woman.

"As for you, Miss Blakeory, you're in charge of keeping an eye out on Julius. After his recent stunt with the antenna, Neved wishes to practice extreme caution around him. understand?" Emma ordered.

"Sure…" Saki replied in a disinterested tone, rolling her eyes at the thought. Choosing not to reply to her rudeness, the hooded girl continued walking down the hall, ushering Aelita to follow her once more as the guards opened the cell doors remotely, with everyone hopping out their cells.

"Oh my gosh! Did you see her? This is super badtastic; we must free here ASAP!" Saki blurted to Julius.

"You say that as if I didn't know the severity of her situation." The young man replied.

"You ought to visit the library; it's on the second floor. There's a book with a purple cover, you need to read it. After that, come to Blacksteeple Fields as ordered; I won't be in the open, but I'm sure you can find me. After all you have a brain, which is more than I can say for Adam…" She continued, muttering the last part under her breath before quickly bolting out of the cell block, with Julius following suit. Whatever it was that she wanted him to read has to be of some use to him.

 **Warden's Office**

Neved reclined back in one of the couches, a semi-relaxed expression on his face as Emma was busy making him a cup of coffee. Soon enough, she finished the beverage and presented it to him.

"I did what you asked me to." She replied, with Neved accepting the cup and took a sip from it, savoring the taste.

"Well of course you did, otherwise you wouldn't be here." The warden chuckled lightly, gesturing Emma to sit down opposite of him.

"So why her? What has Aelita done to warrant such a punishment?" Emma inquired, accepting his offer to sit down.

"Oh…that. Long story short, her father was a traitor, so she's paying for his crimes." Neved answered bluntly.

"Are you really that cold-hearted sir?" The hooded girl asked.

"I am when I have to be; truth be told, I never wanted to punish her or Julius, in this extreme a manner. Do you really think I enjoyed their pain?" Neved answered her question again.

"Well from the look of things, you sure seemed to enjoy it." Emma retorted.

"Torture isn't in my books; whatever Nastasia says, goes. We would've tortured her father, but he's been dead for ages." The warden rebutted, taking another sip of coffee.

"Here's a rhetorical question: how would you feel if I was ordered to torture your daughter, and I went through with it? I may have nothing against her, but what my boss says, goes." The hooded girl answered, with Neved tensing up upon hearing the question.

"Watch it, girl. I may enjoy your presence, but don't speak out of line!" He told her, managing to retain his raw, unbridled fury.

"M-My apologies, I was merely asking you—." Emma replied, a few drops of cold sweat falling down her face.

"…I know what you meant." Neved cut her off, taking another sip of coffee to calm down, which seemed to work. "To answer your question, I'd kill you. Slowly."

"You seem to understand the love a father has for his daughter, yet you commit such horrible acts. Why?" Emma inquired, the older man sighing to himself.

"The sole reason I'm doing all this is because I love my daughter, she was the reason I joined Team Xen in the first place…but that's all I wish to divulge for the moment." Neved confessed, with Emma mulling over the answer in her head.

"Fair enough, I respect your wish to remain silent." She replied. "One last thing, though. Why are you disabling all the prisoners Pokéballs? Wouldn't it make more sense to just confiscate them?"

"A curious lass, aren't you?" The warden chuckled. "They still have their Pokéballs because that's how Madame X wants it."

"True, but what happens if the signal shuts down? It'll be game over for this place, and presumably the both of us." The hooded girl pressed further.

"Correct, but it doesn't matter if a riot breaks out in this place or not. Mind you, we try and ensure that doesn't happen, but we're more than capable of fighting back should it happen." Neved answered.

"I gotta say, this is the first prison I've been to where the warden isn't worried about a riot breaking out." Emma commented, with Neved chuckling once more.

"Glad I got to show you this new experience." He replied, finishing off his coffee. "All that being said, there are some things that you simply don't understand. They're things you're not meant to understand, but I'll humor you. Tell me, what happens when a riot breaks out?"

"People get hurt, or even killed." The hooded girl answered.

"True people do get hurt, or killed, but it goes far beyond that." The warden stated, baffling Emma with his last comment.

"Far beyond that…I don't understand what you're saying." Emma said.

"As I said, you aren't meant to understand. Anyway, you've done well for today. I have no need of you for a while. You're free to do whatever you want until further notice." Neved informed her, the girl's mood perking up.

"You're too kind sir. I shall be in the west wing then." She bowed in gratitude, exiting the office to give Neved some time to contemplate things.

 **0000**

Julius had managed to find his way to Blacksteeple Library after a few minutes of wandering the second floor and entered the large room. As he had expected, the room was chock full of various books and novels covering a wide variety of subjects, which would make finding the specific book a timely endeavor. Wishing he had a bit more to go on than just the color of it's cover, he started searching the various bookshelves, hoping he'd find the correct book before the guards notice his absence. As he was searching the back area of the library's first floor, he soon noticed a particularly eye-catching book on the main desk, titled "The Tale of the Hero and His Queen!"

"Hmmm, not the book I'm looking for, but I'm sure that a quick flick-through wouldn't hurt." He spoke to himself, opening the book and started reading it.

" _Long ago, in the Kingdom of Aevium, a lone Queen looked over her land. The Queen had her own appointed knight of light, which she kept safe from harm. At any point of adversity, the knight would protect his Queen above all else. However, one threat they could not handle creeped up to their door. The Hero met his end and fell in battle, leaving his sword lifeless. The enemy presented this sword to Her Majesty as a symbol of their defeat. The Queen would not allow hope to cease; she strung back her bow and shot her final arrow, thus ending the war."_

This book had gotten the young man thinking, why was this book placed right out in the open for anyone to read? Did someone else want Julius to read it, and if so, why? Was it meant to be a reflection on his current situation, on how he was fighting valiantly to protect his mother, who could represent the Queen? Was she even meant to be the Queen in this scenario, and if not, then who exactly? Heck, was the book even referring to him in the first place? Either way, he can't spend all this time worrying over a book that wasn't even the correct one and got back to searching the library. It seemed that fortune would favor him today, as upon searching one of the back shelves, he saw a book with a purple cover that was sticking out slightly, a small black dot marked on the spine. Determining it to be the one Saki asked him to read, he took it out and opened it, reading the contents to himself.

" _They say that there's one thing you must do when the being of disaster and misfortune arrives. You must_ _ **walk past it and hide yourself underneath the bridge of fortune.**_ _Only then will you shroud yourself from the_ _ **eyes of the shadows.**_ _"_

The young man noticed that a few lines were circled with pen, as if they were important for some reason, a riddle perhaps? After carefully coping the passage into his notebook, he put the book back on the shelf and quickly made his way to the Blacksteeple Fields, hoping that none of the guards would chew him out for his truancy.

Upon making it to the fields, he was pleasantly surprised at the lack of guards in the area, before an odd feeling came across him. Why was there so few guards patrolling the fields, especially when a reported troublemaker like him was stationed there for the day? Either way, it allowed him to take in the wonderous sights as he began exploring the area. There were dozens of flowerbeds throughout the area, filled with a variety of poppies, roses, orchids and various other flower breeds, which was a bit surprising when you consider just how cold this part of Aevium is. To the north-east of the fields, laid some ruined walls right beside a densely wooded area, an Absol statue standing proud and tall. Quickly realizing that this must be the being of disaster and misfortune the riddle was referring to, he made his way over there, taking the time to look at the plaque on the statues base.

" _The shadows that shade the earth shall be known in the end. The one of raw evil, the one of obsession, the one of betrayal and the one of greed. These four shall see the world be lost forever."_

"What on earth is this thing going on…about…?" Julius muttered, mulling it over in his head until he made a realization; that this statue could be referring to the prophecy of darkness he heard about a long time ago, before he and his family left for Tandor. He had only remembered it once Indriad brought it up when he broke into his mansion alongside Venam and her friends. The only question left remaining; who exactly are these four who will bring about catastrophe to the world? Opting to brush it off for now, Julius scanned the area and noticed a small break in the forest, hiding underneath the bridge that ran over the area. Looking around to see if anyone was watching him, he crept through the break, brushing past several small bushes and ended up in a small grove of sorts, the ground completely blanketed in snow as a familiar figure noticed him.

"Oh mah gawww, finally. Looks like you were able to solve that little riddle I came up with in five minutes!" Saki chimed.

"It wasn't that difficult, well if you ignore all the time spent searching for that damn book. Seriously, couldn't you have given me a bit more than just the color of its cover?" The young man commented dryly, with Saki giggling to herself.

"Sorry peep, but I couldn't make the answer too obvious, otherwise anyone can just come in here and find this place. On the plus side, this place is so secret that not even the Warden knows about it, and we're in a blind spot so we can do whatever we want! Heck, you could even make a move on Val here—" She continued.

"N-Now wouldn't be the time for that sort of thing!" Julius quickly blurted, an embarrassed expression on his face, his eyes scanning the immediate vicinity quickly. "Hey, I don't see any of those antennas around. Does that mean…"

"Yep, we can safely use our Pokemon while back here. Just don't send them out to start a riot, we're not at that stage yet." Saki finished him off, before opting to come clean to him. "Truth be told…we knew all about this place before you came here."

"Meaning that stunt with the antenna was all for nothing?!" The young man replied, a frown forming on his face with Saki meekly nodding in response. "Well then, if you knew all about this place, then why didn't you tell me in the first place?! You know what happened to me when I got sent to the Warden's Office, and you mean to tell me that it could've been avoided?!"

"L-Look, I can understand your anger at us for leading you around, and there's no way either of us had any idea you'd get whipped for the act, but we couldn't just hand the information over to you right off the bat, you could've been some creepy spy stalker or something. Had that been the case, and you found out about the grove, you could've easily reported us to the Warden, causing a lot of bad things to happen to us!" Saki explained her case, with Julius mulling it over. While he was still a little miffed about the whole antenna deal, at the very least he knew that Saki never intended things to go that way. Besides, she raised a fair point about keeping such vital information under wraps.

"I understand…shall we put the past behind us and get to work?" The young man said, offered his hand to Saki, who shook it vigorously.

"Yes, I'm sooo glad you understand why we did what we did." She smiled, brushing a bit of snow out her hair. "Since Valarie and Adam have mining duty at the Quarry, it's just the two of us…"

"There's someone else here, isn't there?" Julius replied, an amused smile on his face.

"Damn, caught red-handed!" Saki exclaimed in jest. "But yeah, there's someone else I want to introduce you to, I'm sure you'll become fast friends."

The young girl gestured Julius to follow her, the two walking through the grove for a few minutes. Upon reaching the end, they stepped into an opening where a log cabin was idly resting out in the middle, a Braixen tiding up the flowers by the cabin and…humming to herself? Saki called out to the Braixen for her attention, only for the bipedal fox to cry out in surprise and run inside the cabin, slamming the door shut.

"Ahah…well at least you now know who I wanted you to meet. I'm sure she'll calm down once I explain the situation to her." Saki commented sheepishly, making her way inside the cabin with Julius following behind her. The interior of the cabin was fairly simple; with a small bed in the western part of the room, a fairly large table taking up quite a bit of space in the main room, as well as a few of those Stars that Jan had created, though he wonder how they managed to get smuggled through security. Standing right beside a back window was the Braixen, looking out of it and towards the forest.

"That was so embarrassing Saki, I didn't need anyone else to see me like that." Braixen replied in an embarrassed tone of voice, the fox not turning around in order to hide her blush, or so the young man assumed.

"Sorry, but we're in a rush of sorts—" Saki began, only for Braixen to quickly turn around and face her.

"Don't lie to me, you were standing outside for ages! And just who exactly is this person you brought with you?!" The fox demanded, pointing her paw at Julius.

"Relax, you sound cute whenever you start singing to herself. Anyway, I'd like you to meet Julius; he's our newest member of the group. Julius, this is Braixen." Saki introduced the two to each other.

"Uh, hi Braixen." The young man greeted, taking the notion of a talking Pokémon surprisingly well. After all, he did encounter a talking Pokémon at the end of his journey in Tandor, but that was a completely different scenario from the current one.

"Hey there…" Braixen replied, directing her attention to Saki once more. "Just curious, but did you get permission from the others to do this? A little courtesy would do you wonders, especially in a place like this."

"Yeah, yeah. I already asked Valarie and Adam already; they were fine with it so you can stop worrying now!" The young woman replied nonchalantly, turning to face Julius. "In case you were wondering how Braixen can talk, well it's all thanks to a translator I built a while back!"

"Impressive, I see why everyone gushes about your wizardry with technology." The young man commented, with Saki puffing her chest proudly over the complement. "But why is Braixen back her by herself? Surely the isolation can't be good for her."

"I can explain; see, she was abducted with us back in Akuwa Town. Braixen isn't owned by anybody, but she has a Pokéball for herself in order to prevent anyone else from capturing her. Right before being capture, Valarie returned Braixen to her Pokéball, since neither of us knew what would happen if she was caught as she was. Anyway, I stumbled upon this place while on duty in Blacksteeple Fields and figured to let Braixen out here since she doesn't like being inside her Pokéball." The young woman explained the situation.

"And while I do appreciate the effort you went through; I may as well be trapped while I'm back here. On the plus side, the snow feels good on my feet so it's not all bad~…" Braixen chimed in, sighing blissfully to herself.

"So I take it that this is where we plan out a legitimate strategy as opposed to sending out all our Pokémon and cause a pandemonium? I can get behind that." Julius commented.

"Yep, that's they way to go! People who go into things guns blazing are always the ones who get killed first, due to their lack of preparation. All four of us came to a unanimous decision to hold back our punches until we know for sure we can pull it off perfectly. We need the help of every trainer on the island; Even though Val, Adam and I are Gym Leaders, and you're a regional champion, in here they're nothing but titles. Any one of us could be shut down on this island in the blink of an eye, ya feel?" Saki glossed over the basics of the plan.

"I hear you, but how do you know…" The young man began to ask

"Silly, we all knew you were coming, ever since that Jenner guy concocted a plan to increase the Pokémon diversity in this region. I remember him eagerly telling us all that the Tandor Champion accepted the proposal." The young woman giggled.

"I also remember the unanimous agreement we had to keep this place secret…" Braixen reminded her friend, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Braixen, you can trust Julius. Mind you, I wasn't that sure either at first, but the guy took fifty lashes for us and didn't even squeal, so that has to account for something. Besides, Val and Adam trust him as well." Saki defended the young man, with Braixen's gaze softening slightly.

"Well…alright then, I guess he isn't all that bad then. Just don't rat us out, Julius, or you'll regret it." The bipedal fox warned the young man.

"I understand. Besides, I wouldn't work with that cretin Neved even if my life depended on it, especially after what he did to Aelita." Julius replied.

"Now that you're one of us now, I guess I can tell you about what I found back here. See, while I was on my own, I somehow managed to find another castle." Braixen informed the duo, something which took them by surprise.

"W-Wait, there's a second castle here?! Why would they build two castles here?" Saki exclaimed.

"Don't ask me, I have no clue either. What I can tell you is that it's almost identical to the Blacksteeple Castle you two know about. I would've gotten a better look at it, but it was blocked off by some sort of barrier. I then heard the sound of footsteps so I dived into a nearby bush. Peeking out of it, I saw the Warden walked towards the barrier and touch it, before the sound of leaves rustling caused him to look around the area. Not wanting to get caught, I quietly fled back here and hid in the cabin for a while. I don't know why that castle is there, but I have a bad feeling about it." The bipedal fox recalled her tale, with Julius mulling it over in his head.

"From what you're telling me, this castle can't be accessed via normal means. Meaning that there has to be something there that Neved wants to keep hidden from the rest of us." Julius commented.

"I don't think Neved's in on whatever this castle's keeping secret. I mean, don't you find it a little weird that he couldn't enter it despite owning the place?" Saki said to the young man, before an alarm started blaring out in the area. "AW SHIT! We've been gone for far too long, looks like the guards are gonna search for us."

"S-Seriously?! Shit, shit, shit! I've gotta go; it was nice meeting you Braixen!" Julius blurted, quickly bolting out the cabin and running across the snowy terrain. Saki exchanged her farewells with Braixen before hastily leaving the cabin and followed Julius back to the fields. The duo arrived back to the fields in the nick of time, as a guard was walking on the bridge above them, looking down on the duo.

"You two, where have you been?!" The guard demanded, pointing his stun baton at them.

"We were just looking at the Absol statue for a while, before having a most passionate makeout session with each other. That's all we did; no big deal, homie!" Saki bluffed, hoping the guard would buy it.

"Alright, but no more trouble from you two. I'll make sure to keep an eye on you so that you don't go making out while you're supposed to be working. Now get bad to work!" The guard replied, shooting them a dirty look before heading back to his post, Julius sighing in relief.

"Phew…I owe you one for saving my hide. But why tell him we were making out?" The young man inquired.

"Just a little something to spice the story up a bit." Saki smiled, the duo walking out of the alcove before noticing a familiar figure walk past them and get up close to the statue. "She's such a weirdo, that hooded girl. Hey, you should stop being so mean and say hi or something!"

"She may be Neved's lapdog…but there's something about her that's peculiar. I'm not too sure what it is, but I swear I recognize her from somewhere. Perhaps I should go talk to her." Julius whispered to Saki.

"Hey, that's a good idea. Just don't go screaming at her like you did before. In exchange, I'll do your work for you. Sounds fair, right?" Saki whispered back, with the young man agreeing to the proposal as Saki left to go do his duty. The young man slowly made his way to Emma, clearing his throat quietly so he can begin speaking.

"Uhh, hi there…" Julius began, attracting Emma's attention.

"…Is there something in particular you want from me? If you're just gonna stand there and stare at me, then please do it from a distance." Emma replied, maintaining her attention to the statue.

"I just wanted to know how you were doing, that's all…" The young man sheepishly inquired.

"Truth be told, I don't want to speak to you, at all. Please move aside." The hooded girl demanded, with Julius accepting her request and began walking out the alcove, only to spot Valarie heading towards the area.

"O-Oh, Hi Valarie. How have things been going?" Julius greeted her.

"I'm fine, thank you very much." The older woman smiled at him, her gaze shifting to the hooded girl. "What's she doing here?" She whispered to the young man.

"I was just asking her that myself, but she refused to talk to me, so I figured I'd leave her alone…" Julius answered, a frown forming on Valarie's face.

"I see. If you'll excuse me…" She replied, making her way closer to Emma. "And what makes you think you're better than anyone else here?! Just because you're Neved's favorite pawn doesn't mean you can go around acting like you're the most important person here!"

"Excuse me, but it was Julius who approached me first. I didn't even do anything. If anything, I'd like it all if you just left me alone to my own devices." Emma retorted.

"Agreed; after all it would be a waste of time to hang out with someone as deplorable as you." Valarie retorted back, the tension between the two growing by the minute.

"For your information, I don't approve of what Neved does here." The hooded girl corrected her elder.

"Regardless on whether or not you approve of his actions, you're still helping him out." Valarie reminded the girl, who chuckled dryly in response.

"Heh, you know what they say; you gotta do what you gotta do." Emma retorted once more, leaning forward slightly as if to say 'I bested you this time.'

*Sigh* "Come on Julius, let's just leave her to her own devices." Valarie called out to the young man, who had been quiet this whole time and opted to follow her. As the two were leaving, Emma stepped forward a bit as if to say something else.

"It's funny, you remind me of Neved, Valarie. The two of you are pretty similar…" The hooded girl chuckled, causing Valarie to quickly turn around and glare daggers at the young woman.

"I'm going to give you five seconds to take that back; I am NOTHING like Neved!" The older woman snapped at Emma.

"Ohohohoho, are you sure about that, Valarie? You have shown me nothing but hostility for the past few moments. You lose your temper way too easily, you take things far too personally. Exactly how Neved treated me when he first met me. So yeah, that's how you two are similar to each other." Emma smirked under her hood.

"Now, now, there's no need to—" Julius began, attempting to defuse the situation.

"The circumstances are completely different, girl! You're aiding the man who's keeping me here, yet you have the gall to compare me to him when I'm justifiably venting my anger at you?! You know what? I'm done talking to you; I have better things to do then waste my time with the lapdog of my jailer! Come on, Julius!" Valarie ranted at the hooded girl, turning around and stormed off as Julius watched her go, a frightened expression on his face. He now knows that angering Valarie would be a big mistake, so he quickly followed behind her, with Emma watching him leave. After a few moments, Julius had caught up to Saki and Valarie, the latter throwing pebbles into the nearby river.

"Who does she think she is, comparing me to Neved. I'm nothing like that man…" The blue-haired woman seethed under her breath, with Saki resting her hand on her shoulder.

"Hey Val, you're nothing like Neved. You should know better than to take some creep's word." The young woman reassured her friend. "Come on, let me see you smile! We all got each other, don't we?"

"Y-Yeah, I-I like it when you're happy and stuff…" Julius nervously replied, not wanting to set her off.

"See? Even your boyfriend agrees with me!" Saki chimed him, the young man doing a spit-take before he began blushing fiercely, the two women giggling at his plight.

"I guess you're right; I can't mope around all day." Valarie replied, a small smile appearing on her face. "Thanks for cheering me up you two."

"Not a problem! It's what friends do." Saki smiled back, stretching her arms briefly. "Well I think we're done for the day."

"Yeah, let's head back to our cells for the night. We could all use a little rest after today." Julius agreed to the idea, the trio taking their leave and went back to the cell block.

 **0000**

It was late at night, the air was much colder than usual as the snow started pelting down harder than it was earlier that day. Walking through the castle halls on her own was Emma, the hooded girl knowing that Neved had fallen asleep after so long. With the knowledge that the guards were patrolling the outer walls, this gave the girl free reign over the castle, and figured she'll start snooping around in the library. Closing the door behind her, she flicked on the light and began searching the area for anything that could be useful to her.

"Finally…now I can start my investigation regarding the barrier surrounding the second castle." Emma whispered to herself, her gaze focusing on the book lying out in the open, specifically, the one about the Queen and her Hero. Making her way towards it, she began reading it to herself as a slight feeling of unease crept up on her.

"Hmmm…I can't say I've ever heard of something like this happening in Aevium. I-It must be some fictional story for children; yeah, that's it!" She said, closing the book and continued searching. A few questions ran though her mind, namely why the book made her feel uneasy. Was she the Queen in this story? If so, then who exactly was her Hero? Could it be…

"Wait, what's this?" Emma spoke to herself, picking up a book on a different shelf and glanced at the title "The Tale of the Zorua and the Pangoro: The Golden Apple". For some inexplicable feeling, the book felt…familiar to her, as if she had read it a long time ago. Determining it to have nothing to do with her mission, she put it back and began searching once more, opting to head up to the balcony this time. Soon enough, she found a book titled "Architectural Secrets of Blacksteeple Castle — A Mystery A Wonder" and immediately picked it up, only for a small slip of paper to fall out of it.

"W-What is this?" She inquired, picking up the slip and began reading it. She determined it to be the plans for the Blacksteeple Library, questioning why this would be left out here in the open. For some odd reason, there was something about the plans that bothered her, namely the label for some sort of lower dungeon. Why would there be a dungeon that's only accessible from the library? Furthermore, how would one access such a place? Putting the book away, she began walking around the room when she spotted something odd. Right behind the table with the book about the Hero and his Queen was a bookcase that was locked off with a glass door. Walking closer to it, Emma noticed that the books in there looked a little…fake, as if they were props or something. She then looked down at the floor and noticed…scuff marks.

"Hmmm…this must be what was bothering me. There was supposed to be a door here, but there's a bookcase here instead. Additionally, these scuff marks are in a particularly circular fashion, which can only mean one thing…" Emma began, as she pushed the right side of the bookcase, which began turning slowly and revealed a hidden entrance. "Heh, as I expected. Now to see what's behind here…"

Taking the first step into the murky abyss, Emma walked through the entrance, going down a hall and wound up into a small, isolated cage, probably the hidden dungeon the plan had mentioned. What caught her off-guard was the sole occupant of the cell, that being Aelita herself. Upon noticing the hooded figure, Aelita walked backwards until she hit the wall, keeping her focus on Emma the entire time.

"W-What do you want to do to me now? Haven't you tortured me enough?! I already told you all I know!" The purple haired girl snapped at Emma, only for the latter to hush her, telling Aelita to lower her voice.

"Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you. Now what is it that you didn't know?" The hooded girl inquired.

"N-Neved asked me if I was in on my father's plan, or whether I knew of his association to Team Xen." Aelita answered. "But I didn't know he was with them until the very end, and even then, he wasn't "with" them. Neved didn't believe me so he used electricity to try and get me to talk."

"I-I'm so sorry…" Emma apologized, though it didn't seem Aelita believed her.

"Are you? You showed me off like I was some sort of freak to Julius and the others. You seemed pretty proud of yourself then, so why are you acting all humble now?!" She bitterly retorted, with Emma sighing before opting to come clean.

"Listen, I'm not your enemy. In fact, I'll tell you all about my plan, on the condition that you keep it to yourself and play your part to the letter." The hooded girl replied, as she lowered her hood and revealed herself to Aelita.

"Y-You're…" Aelita began, only for the girl to hush her.

"Indeed; but for now, I'll tell you all about how I got here and what I'm doing. Remember, not a word of this must escape your lips, got it?" The girl replied, with Aelita nodding profusely. Whatever she was up to was a risky play on her behalf, but if the plan worked then it will breath new life into the war against Team Xen.

 **Well that was another thrilling chapter for you all. Tune in next time where we'll go through the next harrowing day in Blacksteeple Castle. Until next time, everyone!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Another chapter, another day in Blacksteeple Castle. What exciting events will play out in this installment? Well that's for you all to read about in this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

The next day had arrived, the sun shining over the large castle. Julius had woken up a little later than the others and was busy getting dressed as quickly as possible so that he doesn't get punished for dawdling. Once he was ready, he began walking briskly out of the cell block and towards the main courtyard, only to see Valarie waiting by the door.

"Ah, looks like you're finally awake. I tried waking you earlier, but you just wouldn't budge. Of course, this had Saki joking around about how you were dreaming about me and whatnot." Valarie called out to him, an amused smile on her face.

"W-Well if it makes you f-feel better, I don't recall dreaming about you." Julius sheepishly replied, a faint blush on his face as he scratched the back of his head.

"It doesn't matter what you dreamt about. Now, Saki told me that you met Braixen the other day, right? In that case, I'd like you to meet us where you met Braixen, got it?" The older woman requested.

"I see, you've all decided to start planning our escape. Yeah, I can get behind that; about time we did something instead of staying passive." The young man agreed.

"Well it's a good thing that you got assigned flower duty again. Don't worry though, we already did the work for you, so you don't need to worry about that. Anyway, it's about time we get going, so don't dawdle behind, you hear me?" Valarie told the young man, the duo exiting the castle and began the quick trek to the hidden grove. On the way there, they acted natural, so as to not attract the attention of the hawk-eyed guards, managing to slip into the alcove and through the hidden passage besides the trees. Quickly making their way to the cabin, they stepped inside and saw Braixen quietly reading a book, her back facing the door.

"Hey Braixen, whatcha reading?" Julius inquired, closing the door behind him.

"Some pretty heavy stuff; it was here when I first got here." Braixen closed the book and showed the cover to the young man, who leant in to take a closer look. From what he gathered, it seemed to touch upon the topic of domestic abuse, with a bit of writing on the front indicating that it belonged to someone named Anathea.

"I see…that aside, I figured it was about time we came up with a few plans to ditch this joint." Valarie commented, a twinkle forming in Braixen's eyes.

"Ohmigosh! Are we finally going to get something done around here?!" The bipedal fox exclaimed, eyeing Valarie up in awe. "Thank goodness, I was getting tired of being stuck in this frigid shed. So what possible directions are we going to take this?"

"First and foremost, we can't have all the prisoners come back here; after all it would look mighty suspicious in the guard's eyes." Valarie ruled out that option immediately.

"In that case, why not smuggle all the Pokéballs back here? After all, a surprise attack would rattle the guards, causing them to make mistakes in their panicked state." Julius suggested.

"True, I did consider that plan last night, but it won't work. After all, there's the risk of the Pokémon getting frightened over the prospect of a different trainer being there, and refusing to obey orders. The reward is high, but the risk is just too great to willingly gamble on it." The older woman shot down that plan as well, before a set of voices from outside caught them by surprise.

"Miss Blakeory, I'm going to have to ask you to stop that right now!" A voice that sounded like one of the guards called out to her.

"What did Saki do this time…?" Braixen sighed in annoyance, slumping down onto the table.

"I don't know, but we can't just leave her helpless. We better check it out." Julius called out, the trio getting off their seats and exiting the cabin. From the distance, they saw Saki running around the Fields in circles for some unspecified reason, with the guard frowning at her from atop the wall.

"I told you to stop running around, Miss Blakeory!" The guard demanded, with the order falling on deaf ears.

"Aw why's that Mr. Guard guy? Is it because I'm so cute that you want to take a good look?" Saki teased the man, poking her tongue out at him. "Sorry, but I can do whatever I want, whenever I want!"

"If you refuse to follow orders, I would have to resort to disciplinary measures!" The guard reminded her, having lost his patience entirely.

"Pffft, why don't you tell that to my cute lil' ass?!" Saki retorted, playfully smacking it as an amused smile formed on Julius' face.

"Well I see YOU'RE enjoying this…" Valarie smirked, watching Julius' smile disappear and was replaced with a fierce blush. "Jokes aside, I have no idea why Saki's pulling such a debase stunt."

"You know what, I've had it up to here with your shit! Turret, Fire!" The guard called out, the nearby turret flaring up to life as a few beads of sweat started to fall down Braixen's forehead.

"B-But I thought the turret on this side was faulty. That's what you guys told me…" The bipedal fox commented quietly, watching the laser charge up energy before firing. However, the beam suddenly curved to the right, blowing up a chunk of the rock wall as a large amount of dust was kicked up into the air, causing the trio to start coughing.

*cough, cough* "Yikes…it's a faulty laser alright…" Valarie replied. "Ugh…I'm glad none of us got hit by that thing, otherwise we would've been toast."

"At the very least, we should check for any fires. The last thing we want is for anymore unwanted attention to come our way." Julius suggested, the trio walking to the right before stumbling upon the ruined wall, a fairly large hole nestled above a short cliff. "Well there's no fire at the very least, but whatever trees were here are practically nonexistent at this point."

"Forget about the trees, take a look at the hole up there." Valarie pointed to the hole, directing everyone's attention to it.

"That laser must've blasted an entrance to some hidden cave, but how are we going to get up there?" Braixen inquired.

"Fear not, for I have a cunning plan!" Julius boldly declared, turning to face Valarie. "Do you by any chance have a Mining Kit with you?"

"Well yes, it was given to me during my first shift at the Quarry. Are you suggesting I chisel a set of steps with it?" The older woman replied.

"Yes, but if you want, I can lend a hand to speed up the process." The young man offered.

"Well who am I to knock back an offer to make things easier for me?" Valarie accepted, bringing out her Mining Kit as the two trainers got to work building the stairs, engaging in some small talk to pass the time. "So tell me, how has your journey through Aevium been so far?"

"Truth be told, it was one hell of a roller-coaster, with more downs than ups. First there was the whole 'my mother getting kidnapped incident', then there was the time where I failed to save my newest friend from getting killed, a heated argument that lead to me losing my best friend, and the fact that I lost the closest thing I ever had to a sister. So yeah, that's how my journey's been so far." Julius answered, trying in vain to hide his bitterness before brushing it aside. "But enough about me, how was your life before winding up here?"

"It was nice and calm, though a bit exhausting at times. On top of being the Akuwa Town Gym Leader, I'm also the head marine biologist and manager of the water shows in the Akuwa Town Aquarium. You've heard of the water shows back in Cerulean City, right? Well the one in Akuwa is a lot like it, though not similar enough to warrant any accusations of plagiarism. From time to time I perform in these shows, though they're usually small roles truth be told." Valarie answered back.

"Regardless of your role, I'm sure you give it your all." The young man smiled at her. "Once this whole sordid affair is wrapped up, perhaps I might watch a show or two."

"Thanks for the kind words, I'm sure you'll enjoy it…that is if you don't direct all your focus on me that is." Valarie giggled, with Julius laughing along sheepishly. Though the process was hard and arduous the duo eventually finished the task, with the older woman stepping back to appreciate their hard work. "Whew…I can't say I'm a fan of manual labour."

"Looks like you two work well together." Braxien complimented the steps, which looked very presentable, though there were a few stray chips here and there. "Perhaps you two have a future in architecture should the whole Aevium League think not work out."

"I think I'll pass on that, thank you very much." Valarie retorted, packing up the Mining Kit before handing it to Julius. "Here, you can have mine. I'm sure you'll need it while you're in there."

"Uh, thanks Val." The young man replied, accepting the gift.

"You know you didn't have to give it away in order to prove your point?" Braixen reminded the older woman.

"No need to worry, I had no intention of using it again anyway." Valarie brushed aside Braixen's comment. "If the guards get on my case about it, I'll just say that mine got destroyed on the job."

"So, should we start exploring this cave? I've got a light in case anyone needs it." Julius commented, bringing out a torch from his bag.

"Well we spent a while chiseling a set of stairs, and it would be a waste to not use them, so by all means, lead the way." Valarie replied, with Julius walking up the stairs and entering the cave, with Valarie and Braixen following right behind him.

Upon entering the cave, the first thing they noticed was just how spacious it was, more so than they expected. The cavern was a large, moist area with dozens of cracked rocks littering the floor and walls. Braixen ended up sniffing the cavern air, only for her nose to wrinkle in disgust.

"Eugh! This place smells awful; a putrid combination of burning rubber and mold." The bipedal fox winced, holding her nose shut with her paws in order to block out the pungent smell.

"This has to be where all the waste gets dumped. Just my luck we'd stumble upon a place like this…" Julius winced as well, the smell bringing tears to his eyes.

"There has to be another purpose for this cave; it's simply too big to serve as nothing more than a dump." Valarie chimed in, her attention directing to a series of pipes that were half-buried in the ground, a few metal sheets over certain sections to act as a walkway of sorts. "Now that's odd…why would these be here?"

"Well we're not gonna find out if we just stand here, let's go check them out." Braixen interjected, the trio hopping down the stairs to inspect the pipes. For the most part, the pipes were intact, though there were a few holes in the structure that exposed the internal wiring. Additionally, there were a few power boxes connected to the pipes, which seemed to regulate the flow of electricity through the facility. But what was most striking was the power station resting up-top a ledge, a flight of stairs running down from it. As the trio were about to check it out, they heard what sounded like a hushed conversation and hid besides the stairs, peeping from their position to see what the source of the noise was.

 **0000**

"You've got to be kidding me; you're telling me that you can't even fix a simple programming error like this?!" Madelis asked incredulously, a hint of annoyance in her voice, while Nastasia was simply watching the young woman struggle with her task.

"I-I'm sorry, but I wasn't made like the others…" Nancy tried to explain her case. "I just don't know anything about how this program works."

"How hard can a simple overheating issue be to fix? Even the lowliest of grunts can deal with it, so why can't you?" Nastasia demanded an answer, a serious expression on her face.

"I just…I don't know…" Nancy was at a complete loss for words, only to yelp out in surprise as Madelis pushed her to the ground.

"See? I told you that whole thing with the S.S. Oceana was a bust!" Madelis snapped at her superior. "Not only did it lead to her son destroying our base in Carotos Mountain, but the mission wasn't even authorized in the first place. You literally broke the rules, and for what, this useless piece of garbage?!" The redhead ranted, pointing at Nancy upon saying the last sentence, with the pink-haired woman flinching in response. "Not to mention that we're now stuck with all these useless people to take care of. Did you know that Madame X gave Neved my room? MY ROOM!"

"Compose yourself, I already told you the purpose of keeping all these people here. Besides, if you didn't fail at Carotos Mountain, things may have ended up better for you." Nastasia calmly replied, with the redhead huffing to herself. "Anyway, stop complaining. You'll get your room back once Madame X is done with the prisoners."

"Phew, finally…I was wondering when she was gonna slaughter them all. I remember Neved saying something about tomorrow, so I assume that's when she's arriving." The redhead sighed, a hint of relief in her voice.

"She's not going to slaughter them in the way you're thinking; her methods are…unconventional when it comes to murder." The purple-haired woman replied, with Madelis raising an eyebrow in response.

"You put so much trust into Madame X, why is that the case?" She inquired. "After all, it's not like you've got anything on the line here."

"Frankly, that's none of your business and I'd rather—" Nastasia commented abruptly.

"Um…I'm sorry but I really can't fix it…" Nancy said out of nowhere, slowly getting up off the ground.

"Oh, you're still here. Truth be told, you were so boring that I forgot you were here in the first place." Nastasia turned to face her, with Madelis snickering under her breath. "If you were smart, you would've just walked away without saying a single word. But then again, this is the one who couldn't even fix a simple issue."

"Wow, that was brutal even for my standards. I think you must've hurt her feelings." Madelis commented, noticing the quiet, sullen expression on Nancy's face.

"Bah, don't act as if it can feel anything." Nastasia retorted, crossing her arms and eyed off the station. "If she can't fix our problem, then we're going to have to find a different approach."

"Well we could use an Ice-type Pokémon; I have heard that Neved has a Froslass. Perhaps we could get it to cool this place down." The redhead suggested.

"I don't care what Ice-type he has, I just want out of this horrid place as soon as possible! It's humid down here, the noise is a nuisance, and the less said about the smell, the better." Nastasia snapped, giving the station a final lookover before heading down the stairs.

 **0000**

"T-That's my mom up there…" Julius whispered quietly, attempting to make a move before being stopped by Valarie.

"I get what you're going through, but we can't just bum-rush them, it'll end poorly for us." The older woman whispered back, mulling over what the commanders said. "That said, the mentioned something about their leader…Madame X, I believe it was."

"Yeah, they said she was going to be here soon." Braixen whispered, the full magnitude of the situation dawning onto her. "No. No, no, no! We cannot let that happen; we'll all get slaughtered!"

"We're not going to let that happen." Valarie tried reassuring the bipedal fox, but it wasn't working.

"You heard those two; she's gonna be here tomorrow!" Braixen retorted.

"In that case, we're gonna have to speed up our plans a bit, make sure we get out of her before the time comes." Julius commented, checking to see if the coast was clear. "In the meantime, we should inspect whatever it was they were fiddling with."

"Sounds like a plan." The older woman commented, the trio getting out of their hiding spot and walked up the stairs. However just as they had gotten up them, they were soon confronted by Nancy, who had exited a hidden room beneath the second flight of stairs and was just as surprised as they were.

"Ah, she saw us!" Braixen exclaimed, turning to the other two. "W-What do we do?!"

"I-I'll handle this…" Julius replied, taking a step closer to the woman. "M-Mom…is that really you?"

"J-Julius?" She inquired, before the two quickly embraced each other in a hug, the older woman crying a few tears. "I-I'd never thought I'd see you again…"

"I should be the one saying that; I've been searching this entire island for you…" Julius sobbed, with Nancy running her hand through his hair in order to soothe him.

"A-At least we're together again…" Nancy replied, wiping her tears away, breaking off the reunion hug. "So who are these nice people with you?"

"I'm Valarie, and this is Braixen. As much as I'd love to get to know you, we're in a bit of a hurry." The blue-haired woman introduced herself and her friend.

"A hurry? What are you down here—" Nancy began.

"What on earth are you doing out there?! Just take what you need and get back here!" Nastasia demanded from within the room.

"A-Ah, I'll be there in a minute!" Nancy called out to her, before turning to the trio. "Once you're done here, make sure to look at the device above here. I'll distract Nastasia and Madelis so that you don't get disturbed." She whispered to them.

"Won't you get in trouble for doing that?" Valarie inquired.

"Whatever trouble I get in will be worth it, knowing that I have helped you all in some way." Nancy smiled, resting her hand on Julius' shoulder. "My son, we'll have our moment once we get out of here. So don't worry about me, okay?"

"…Ok mom." The young man replied, hugging her one more time before allowing her to re-enter the room, closing the door behind her.

"For a Team Xen agent, she's awfully nice…wonder why she's with them?" Braixen mused to herself.

"Perhaps she was forced into servitude, following the attack on the S.S Oceana." Julius proposed.

"Now that you think about it…I do remember watching a news story about it. I guess all the passengers got brought here to the castle…including the captain. Wait, that's perfect! If Madame X is coming via boat, we can hijack it and have him get us out of here. Madame X will be stranded here, and we'll get out of here safely." Valarie proposed, her idea wining over the other two.

"That's a good idea, but how are we going to fight back? After all, it can be assumed that she's packing incredibly powerful Pokémon." Braixen inquired.

"We'll work out the details when it gets to that point. Right now, we better do what my mom told us to do and check out that device she mentioned." Julius suggested, the group walking up the flight of stairs and soon laid eyes on the large power station. It had two massive tubes filled with a viscous fluid, similar to the stuff found at Carotos Mountain, with a couple dozen keyboards on the mainframe, with Valarie's eyes sparkling at the sight.

"Well, look what we have here. I think we just hit the jackpot. This machine controls the nullification signal around the castle." The older woman commented, surprising the bipedal fox.

"Really?! So if we stop this thing, then everyone will be able to use their Pokémon again? That's awesome!" Braixen cheered, opting to look at one of the screens. "Something's wrong here, it's just running a simple program that allows the signal to pass through the area, but it looks like it's going through a whole lot of stress."

' _That must be what they were talking about when mom said she couldn't fix the program. But this looks too simple for her not to fix, unless…'_ Julius thought to himself, studying the screen as well.

"I see what you mean, Braixen. Just look at this icon over here; it's almost as if someone deliberately tried to sabotage this thing so that it would overheat." Valarie commented, taking a closer look at the screen. "But who would do something like—" she began, noticing that Julius had directed his attention to the screen as well.

"Just as I thought…she faked her incompetence to hide her sabotage…" The young man muttered, stepping back a few feet. "This whole thing is a ticking time bomb; that burning rubber smell must be the wiring getting cooked."

"A time bomb? W-Well what do we do about it?" The older woman inquired.

"As a matter of fact, I have an idea. You know how those pipes on the ground contain all the wiring? Well if we sever them, then the wires will cease functioning, reducing the processing stress the machine's going through?" Braixen suggested.

"That's rather clever actually; I take it you picked it up from Saki?" Valarie replied, impressed with her friend's knowledge.

"That I can't deny, but for now we should check out those pipes." The bipedal fox said, the trio quickly walking down the stairs and started checking out the pipes. "Hmmm…now if I remember what she told me, those power boxes have the wires we need to cut."

"Well if we want to save ourselves a bit of time, we should focus on the two boxes that are connected to the mainframe; the other pipes should follow suit." Julius suggested, with Braixen shaking her head in response.

"A nice idea, but the problem is that those two boxes are actually the back-up generators for the signal. We'll have to destroy them first, then cut the pipes leading to the machine itself." Braixen answered. "But we can't just burn them, otherwise the room will get heated up even further, sending us all into the afterlife."

"Well in that case, perhaps we can ask Saki to make something for us. She'll probably be in her cell." Valarie commented, turning to face Julius. "Hey, Julius. Would you mind it if you brought Saki down here? We'll keep an eye on the situation here."

"Got it! I'll be back here as quickly as I can." The young man replied, bolting out of the cave and back into the grove, scurrying through the hidden passage and exited the fields, diving into the cell block and ran up to Saki's cell, the young man stopping to catch his breath.

"Oh, what's gotten you all excited? Were you THAT mesmerized by my cute lil' ass, or did you and Val get up to something while you were on your own?" Saki smirked playfully, hopping off her bed and walked up to the young man.

"Now's…not the time…for jokes." Julius panted, taking a few seconds to regain his composure as a fierce blush was present on his face. "The reason I'm here is that Braixen, Val and I found the source of the signal."

"Great work! I knew you can take care of yourselves." The young woman smiled. "But I know why you're here, you need my technological expertise. So how can I help you?"

"Well if you can build something that can cut through metal, that'll be appreciated." The young man politely requested.

"Hm…something that's strong enough to cut through metal. I have a small idea, but it should be enough." Saki commented, raising her hand to her chin. "Hey, you remember that antenna I ripped out of the ground?"

"Yeah, how could I ever forget about that…?" Julius retorted sarcastically.

"If you can find it and bring it to me, I should be able to do something with it. Though unfortunately I can't remember where I threw it, maybe it's on top of the walls?" The young woman continued, with Julius getting the message and exited the cell block. Once he reached the main courtyard, he climbed up the stairs and searched the walls, smiling to himself when he saw the antenna. But as he was about to pick it up, he heard a voice call out to him.

"Hey! What are you doing up here?!" A guard demanded, walking up to the young man.

"I uh…was about to bring this to the rubbish tip. After all I'm surprised none of the other prisoners have thrown it out yet." Julius tried to convince the guard, but it didn't seem to work.

"Very funny, I know all about you and the chaos you caused. I won't let you have it and that's—what are you doing here?!" The guard began, looking over Julius' shoulder, the young man turning around and noticed Adam walking up to him.

"There's some trouble going on in Blacksteeple Field, we need you there right now!" Adam called out, with the guard eying him up suspiciously.

"Alright, but the young man's coming with me, and the antenna as well." The guard agreed, picking up the antenna and heading on over to the fields, with Adam whispering his plan into Julius' ear, the two young men walking behind the guard.

 **0000**

"W-What is this place?! This isn't on the prison map!" The guard barked, his eyes furiously scanning the hidden grove.

"Just a bit further, officer." Adam replied, with the guard trudging through the thick snow, before he was suddenly confronted by Valarie.

"Wh-What's going on here?!" He demanded, glaring at the older woman.

"My apologies, but you have something we need." Valarie smiled at him, with Adam and Julius patting him down, pulling the antenna out from his pocket.

"N-NO! This is my space antenna, give it back!" The guard hissed, turning around to face the two men. "Y-You set me up didn't you?"

"Guilty as charged." Adam smirked, tossing the antenna to Valarie. "Bring this back to Saki, we'll handle it from here."

"Got it!" The older woman replied, quickly running out of the grove and back to Saki, leaving the two men to deal with the guard.

"As for you…we'll I think it's about time we had a little chat." The blue-haired man whispered to the guard, who gulped in fear as he was soon dragged away, leaving Julius to himself. Double-checking to see if the coast was clear, he sat down and opened his bag, bringing out his plush doll of Maria and spoke to it.

"Hey…it's me sis. Sorry I haven't been talking to you that much, but it's been a nonstop trip for the last week or so. Between the whole Goldenleaf thing, and this Blacksteeple nonsense, I haven't been able to catch a break. On the plus side, I reunited with my mother after all this time, I'm sure you and her will get on well with each other." The young man smiled, hugging his doll tightly before the sound of someone clearing their throat snapped him out of his stance. Turning around, he soon noticed Valarie and Adam standing before him. "U-Uh…I-I-I can explain!" Julius spluttered, gently putting his doll back in his bag.

"No need to explain, we'll keep it between us. Besides, at least nobody else has found out about it…yet." Valarie smiled, with the young man getting back on his feet.

"Now that we're together again, I just wanted to ask if you all had COMPLETELY LOST YOUR MINDS?!" Adam exclaimed, a mixture of shock and anger in his voice.

"Hmmm, what are you talking about?" The older woman inquired.

"I'm talking about this oh so "clever" plan you came up with." The blue-haired man replied bluntly.

"All I asked for was for you to help Julius and Saki make something we could use—" Valarie tried explaining.

"I-I know!" Adam snapped, his voice starting to tremble. "T-The guard managed to break free and tackled me to the ground. I-I was forced to—forced to…" He continued weakly, falling other his knees and was on the verge of tears, when Julius consoled the older man, embracing him in a hug.

"Hey…that's ok. I too found myself in a similar situation during the start of my journey through Ayrith." The young man replied, with Adam surprised by the hug but accepted it anyway. "Trust me, it was hard on me as well; if you ever get any more uncomfortable thoughts like that, come talk to me. I'll be sure to listen to you."

"Thanks man…you're not half bad, you know." Adam replied, with Julius helping him get up as Valarie showed them the portable laser Saki had built, the tool fashioned like something you'd see in a Sci-Fi movie.

"Well what do you think? It's a neat little device; it'll be able to cut the wires without heating up the machine any further. We'll be disabling the signal tomorrow and leave this terrible place for good." Valarie explained, before the alarm started blaring throughout the area, the intercom informing the prisoners about a cell search.

"What the…didn't' they just do a cell search today?" Adam inquired.

"In that case, I'll hand the laser to Braixen, while you two head back to your cells. I'll be there very shortly." The older woman told her friends, making her way to the cave, while the two men ducked out of the grove and back to the cells.

 **0000**

Upon arriving to their cells, the guards took the time to inspect them once more, with Valarie having made it back in time to avoid punishment. Once they were satisfied with their search, the exited the cells, only for the doors to slam shut behind them, to the confusion and anger of the prisoners.

"W-Wait! I thought this was just a simple search!" Valarie called out to the guards.

"I guess you could say we had a change of plans…all of you will be having an early night tonight." A guard smirked at here.

"For what reason, we did nothing wrong!" Adam demanded, rattling the cell door only for a second guard to push him back with a stun baton.

"A very, very important visitor is coming first thing in the morning. All of you need to be in top shape before that happens." The first guard replied, chuckling alongside his companions as the exited the cell block, leaving the prisoners to their fate.

"Julius, I have a really bad feeling about this. Valarie told me all about this Madame X character, and if she's the important visitor they mentioned, then we're in deep trouble! Braixen won't know when to disable the signal herself." Saki commented, taking her pillow and threw it at the wall in frustration. "Damnit! If only there was a way out."

"Yes…if only there was a way out…" Julius smirked, eying up a cracked portion of the wall in his cell. Taking out his Mining Kit, he studied the wall for any weak points and began mining away at it, bits of rock falling onto his shoes. Soon enough, the wall collapsed, revealing a hidden of entrance of sorts behind it. "Voila! Done and done."

"Julius, did you find a way out?" Saki inquired.

"Yeah, there was a broken wall in my cell. Turns out there's a secret passage here." The young man answered.

"That's excellent; now you can find Braixen and help her out. Tell her to cut the wires now, as we won't have another chance!" Saki urgently requested.

"That I can do." Julius reassured her, diving into the hole and began exploring the hidden passage.

 **Warden's Office**

"So I've been thinking about what you told me earlier…" Emma commented, sharing a coffee with Neved.

"Oh, do go on…" Neved inquired, interested by what she has to say.

"I thought about your logic regarding the decision to not confiscate their Pokémon, and I've come to the conclusion that it makes no sense whatsoever. However, I know there must be an explanation for this decision." The hooded girl replied.

"I'll just say that their purpose is fulfilled, whatever the result may be." The warden answered, taking a sip of coffee.

"But what happens if they riot, and are successful in overpowering the guards?" Emma pressed further.

"Then they escape the island. Let's try not to let that happen though." Neved answered once more. "Any other questions you've got?"

"You said that their purpose had been fulfilled, no matter what the result may be. What is that purpose?" The hooded girl asked, with Neved chuckling in response.

"Since you've been such a good little helper, I'll divulge a small detail for you." He replied, leaning in a bit closer to her. "When chaos strikes, when people are killed…a certain energy emits from them. Once it's released, we'll be collecting that energy. See why it doesn't matter whether they stay put or riot; they'll emit this energy no matter what they do."

"That's a pretty important detail; too important to tell a lowly grunt like myself…" Emma commented quietly, her mind racing with several thoughts at the same time.

"The reason I told you is because I'm willing to offer you a proposal…How would you like to be a member of Team Xen?" The warden inquired, snapping Emma out of her train of thought.

"Oh? M-Me…?" She stuttered, taking a quick sip of her coffee.

"No need to act surprised, you don't have to answer right away." Neved reassured her, taking a sip from his own mug.

"O-On another thought, it's been a while since I last did a patrol. Do you want me to?" Emma offered, with Neved shaking his head.

"No need; we're conducting a mandatory 'cell search.'" He shot down the offer.

"A cell search? But what's the point of that if you already know they're equipped with Pokémon?" The hooded girl inquired.

"You'd be surprised with how anxious prisoners are to be free. Besides…we're not really doing a cell search." Neved answered, a smirk etched on his face. "You see, it's a simple trick to get them back to their cells for an early night. If we just said early curfew, then the prisoners would get suspicious."

"I see what you mean, but what's the point?" Emma inquired, with Neved hopping off his seat and made his way to the window, looking out of it.

"Remember when I asked you to become a member of Team Xen? It's because Madame X is coming tomorrow." The warden inquired, surprising the hooded girl. "She's coming to fill the quota solely created for the prisoners on this island, the guards themselves are included, yet they don't know about that."

"B-But I thought you said she's doesn't want them killed." Emma stuttered.

"True, I did say that, and to her word they won't be murdered. But the most definitely won't be sentient afterwards." Neved replied.

"B-But—" The hooded girl began.

"No need to panic, you're safe with me." The older man reassured her. "After all, you've proven yourself worthy in my eyes."

"But surely some assistance out of sheer desperation doesn't warrant telling me such vital information?" Emma inquired, with Neved sitting back down on his seat.

"Sharp girl…" He complimented her. "The truth is, you remind me of her."

"I assume you're referring to your daughter." The hooded girl inquired.

"Correct, I haven't seen her since I joined Team Xen. Your presence here reassures me that I'm doing the right thing. Granted, what's right and wrong is subjective, but in this case, this is the right thing to do for my daughter."

"You said that you joined for her, yet you never told me why…" Emma began, trailing off at the end.

"It's a long story, and we don't have the time for it now." Neved replied, only for a guard to burst into the room, a terrified expression on his face. "Oh what is it now?"

"S-Sir! I's Julius! He escaped from his cell and we can't find him!" The guard explained the situation, a frown forming on Neved's face.

"How is that even possible, goddamnit! Are any of you guards the least bit competent?!" He roared, throwing his cup at the nearby wall, causing it to shatter into hundreds of small, jagged shards. "Have you looked at the feeds from the turrets?"

"T-That's the thing sir…the turrets stopped working the moment Julius escaped." The guard weakly replied, with Neved glaring at the guard to leave, the young man quickly bolting out of the office.

"It seems that our time here has been cut short…go get Aelita, she'll be ideal bait for that conniving bastard." Neved ordered. "Julius is a highly important prisoner; we must not let him escape."

"I understand…but don't we have all day to search for him? We'll find him eventually." Emma replied, with the warden sighing to himself.

"No…that's not exactly true. I was ordered to lie about her arrival to anyone who wasn't an executive, and I didn't want you to get worked up."

"Y-You don't mean…" Emma began.

"Yes. Madame X is arriving…today." Neved confessed.

 **0000**

"Phew…this is a lot harder than I expected…" Julius commented to himself, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he crawled through the tight tunnel. Though he didn't know who dug it out in the first place, he was grateful that it wasn't too tight for him to squeeze through. After a while, he crawled into and open room, and was surprised at what he saw. There were at least half a dozen books, a couch, a makeshift bed and a couple potted plants. Someone must've used this alcove as a secret hiding place, though he wasn't sure who exactly.

"Finally…digging that hole was such a chore." A voice called out from the other side of the cavern, with Julius taking a few steps closer to find out who it was, only for the person to turn around, yelping to herself as she stepped back a few feet. "Oh jeeze…you really scared me there, you know—wait, you're that kid who was on the S.S Oceana, aren't you?"

"Hey…you're that nice lady who played the piano, Louise I think. Thanks for saving my hide back there." Julius thanked her.

"Consider it an act of gratitude for dealing with that pervert back there." She chuckled, gesturing Julius to sit on the couch beside her, an offer he accepted. "It's been a while since I last saw you, I assumed something terrible had happened to you since I wasn't able to find you on the island. At the very least, I'm glad you're alright…"

"Yeah, the same can be said for you, I'm glad you aren't seriously hurt." The young man replied, looking all over the room. "I take it you made this place your humble abode?"

"Spot on; I had no interest in sleeping inside that nasty cell, especially since there's no way to block the cell doors, meaning that the guards can perv on us while we're getting changed. So I stole some books, made myself a bed and somehow managed to drag a couch down here. Not the most ideal conditions, but it's all I need to keep living." Louise explained her situation. "Why brings me to the big question, what exactly are you doing down here?"

"I don't want to divulge too much information, but I will say that I've found a way to get us out of here." Julius answered. "I need to get to Blacksteeple Field in order to cut the signal blocking us from using our Pokémon."

"Hmmm, as a matter of fact, I may be able to help you out. See, I've had to open up another hole in order to air out the place. I poked my head out the hole, and found out that it lead to the Quarry. Hopefully, it'll be enough to help you out." Louise pointed out, with Julius getting up from his seat and inspected it. "Good luck, Julius!"

"Thank you Louise, for everything!" He replied, blowing her a kiss before hopping out the hole, the older woman giggling in response to his roguish charm. Upon exiting the hole, he soon discovered that several guards were patrolling the area, probably searching for him. taking the time to move a bush in front of the hole so as to keep Louise safe, he hopped out of the ditch and quietly sneaked his way to the Fields, making sure to avoid the careful watch of the guards. At times, he had to crawl through the snow and hide under it to avoid their gaze, causing the young man to shiver from the cold. Eventually, he had managed to arrive at the hidden grove, where the young man checked the coast one last time before diving into the cave.

"Julius…what are you doing here? I thought there was a cell search going on?" Braixen inquired, watching the young man walk up to her.

"The cell search was a lie; everyone else is trapped behind them. We need to cut these pipes, now!" Julius urged.

"B-But what about the plan?!" The bipedal fox pressed even further.

"Forget the plan! Saki told me to help you cut those pipes, and that's what we're gonna do!" The young man retorted.

"A-Alright, if that's what she really wanted…" Braixen replied, unsure on how to feel about this. "Oh, by the way, there's something I need to tell you. While I was on my own I did a little more research on those boxes; turns out the one's with an 'L' on them are connected to the turrets, and the one's with an 'R' control the antennas. However, it turns out somebody already cut through the turret power supplies."

' _M-My mother! I guess she really is helping us out after all.'_ The young man thought to himself.

"Anyway, enough dawdling, let's just finish the job, yeah?" Braixen suggested, with the duo heading towards the pipes, inspecting them for any boxes with an 'R' on them. Everytime they found one, Braixen flourished the laser she was given and zapped the box, cackling with glee as the box was decimated by the potent laser. Julius was thankful that he wasn't the target, otherwise it wouldn't end well for him. Soon enough, they were finished with the boxes and made their way to the two large pipes by the staircase, where Braixen proceeded to zap both the pipes, severing them cleanly.

"Nice shooting skills you got there." Julius whistled in an impressed manner.

"It's nothing worth complimenting. That said, the signal should be gone now." Braixen replied, a warning blaring throughout the area indicating that the nullification signal is offline. "Uh oh…I didn't think we'd be notified out loud about this."

"Come on, let's get out of—" Julius began, before the door to the hidden room opened, with Madelis and Nastasia walking out of it, confronting the two heroes. "Shit…"

"Ugh, of al the people to ruin our day, it just had to be YOU…" Nastasia sighed in annoyance.

"You say that as if you're surprised." Madelis chimed in, crossing her arms.

"Hi there Madelis, how are you liking your room?" The young man taunted, irritating the redhead woman.

"You shut your mouth! Ever since that day in Goldenwood Forest, you've caused us nothing but trouble!" Madelis snapped, a third figure exiting the room.

"Julius!" Nancy called out.

"Mother!" Julius replied back, with Nastasia turning her head to face the pink-haired woman.

"You knew about this, didn't you…? Is that why you were so adamant, so insistent about taking care of the issue by yourself? Suddenly a whole lot makes sense now." The purple-haired woman commented.

"Well I guess you can use your Pokémon, now that the signal has been disabled." Madelis muttered, a dark gleam appearing in Julius' eyes.

"Yes, and since you don't have your oh-so mighty Shadow Mewtwo with you, that means I have no reason to be afraid of you!" The young man retorted, with Nastasia chuckling dryly in response.

"How amusing, but you're dead wrong. You should be afraid. We're gonna clean up this mess before it gets to be too much to handle." She told them coldly, turning to Madelis. "You, deal with Julius. You need to redeem yourself."

"Yes…yes I do. I assume you can take care of the Braixen?" Madelis inquired.

"A mere Braixen is no match for me…" Nastasia confirmed, causing Braxien to squeak to herself in fear. "Aw, what's wrong, never been in a Pokémon battle before? Can't live in this world without doing it at least once, so I guess you'll learn now…"

"L-Leave her alone! If you want to battle someone that badly, then I'll be your opponent!" Nancy declared, standing between Braixen and Nastasia.

"Ohohoho, it seems that you're finally showing some initiative. Very well, I'll grant you your request." The purple haired woman chuckled, reaching for a Pokéball.

"I'll make sure you pay for meddling in our affairs. Go, Shiftry!" Madelis called out, the Wicked Pokémon chuckling ominously at the young man.

"In that case, I'll choose Harptera!" Julius called out, the nimble dragonfly emerged from it's Pokéball, eying off the opposing Pokémon while hovering on the spot. "Acrobatics!"

Lunging towards its opponent at blinding speeds, the dragonfly tackled the tengu Pokémon with its firm body, causing Shiftry to groan in pain as it was flung back a few feet, before flapping its leaf fans in order to generate a powerful gust of wind. However, the closed interior of the cave choked the air, leading to a much weaker gust of wind than had it been out in the open. Regardless, the gust knocked Harptera into a cavern wall and dealt a fair bit of its head to recover from getting knocked into the wall, it darted once more towards its foe, its sharp tail glowing a whitish green as it opted to use X-Scissor. It slashed at Shiftry, sending it flying towards the wall as it crashed into it, sending a few small rocks crumbling down the surface with the unconscious tengu slumping down on the ground.

"If this is your idea of payback, then I'm sorely disappointed…" Julius taunted, with Madelis scowling at him as she recalled her Pokémon.

"Tch, you had the advantage there. No matter, I've got something that'll change the tide of battle. Florges, stand by for battle!" The redhead retorted, the graceful Garden Pokémon emerging from its ball and started calmly at the nimble dragonfly. "Harness Nature's Power to swat that pest away!"

The Florges closed her eyes and generated a ball of energy, raising it in the air and allowed it to gather any additional energy before subsequently turning into a massive rock. With a bit of a mental push, the rock shattered, sending hundreds of small, jagged rocks down onto the Harptera, who hissed in pain as its body was assaulted by the rocky shower. Shaking it off, it opted to go for Acrobatics once more, striking Florges head on, however the latter was able to withstand it better due to her impressive defenses. In retaliation, Florges decided to charge up lunar energy with its flower bouquet, which started to shine with an impressive pink hue. Before Harptera was able to get out of the way, it was struck from behind by a vivid pink blast of energy, the dragonfly crashing into a nearby wall, weakly prying itself from the impact crater and began hovering slowly on the spot.

' _Hmmm, I better end this quickly since I don't think it could take another attack. Guess I have to resort to desperate measures…'_ Julius thought to himself, before making a decision. "Alright Harptera, use Steel Wing!"

"Oh please, like that's gonna defeat my—wait, what Wing?!" Madelis sneered, suddenly realizing what he was going for. Mustering up the last of its energy, it dove towards its foe, its wings hardening and shone a lustrous silver as it tackled its foe, creating an explosion that sent both combatants flying back towards their respective trainers, the both of them knocked out from the attack.

"Nice work Harptera, you've earnt yourself a nice rest." Julius smiled, recalling his fainted Pokémon and quickly made his next selection. "Alright, Coatlith. Let's do this!" He sent out his next Pokemon, the slender dragon letting out a low growl as it flew around the area once before hovering on the spot. Madelis eyed off the new Pokémon, recalling her Florges as Nastasia shot her a look of disappointment. The purple-haired woman was effortlessly dominating Nancy's team with her Klinklang, while her co-worker had already lost half her team. However, Madelis had a cunning plan on how to deal with this troublesome foe.

"Sharpedo, obliterate that thing with Ice Fang!" She called out, sending out her next Pokémon, the vicious shark lunging towards its foe with fangs as cold as a winter night, and bit down on Coatlith's tail, causing it to cry out in pain as it flailed its tail to shake it off, sending Sharpedo skidding back a few feet. Realizing that it needed to regain much needed energy, Coatlith flew towards its foe and fired a few small seeds at its foe, which were connected to the Forest Lord Pokémon via green tendrils. It then proceeded to drain the shark of it's life force, the foe writhing in pain as Coatlith shone a vivid green upon recovering much needed energy. Once it had sufficiently recovered, it flew back a few feet and began plotting several ways to defeat its foe, heightening its mental energy. Growling at its foe, the Sharpedo got up the ground and opted for another Ice Fang, the Brutal Pokémon lunging towards Coatlith at impressive speeds. However, the feathered serpent dodged in the nick of time, quickly charging up an Energy Ball and fired it at Sharpedo's back, the shark hissing in pain as it was flung towards the wall and slid down it, slumping down at the bottom.

"Return…" Madelis commented, now infuriated at the insolent upstart making her look like a fool. Were it not for that meddlesome Crescent, she would've crushed him effortlessly with her Shadow Mewtwo. Still, she did have her ace Pokémon with her and was confident that she can take out that dragon with ease. "Houndoom, start things off with Nasty Plot!" She called out, the hellhound emerging from its ball and snarled at the opponent, its mind racing with evil thoughts.

"Alright, if that's how you wanna play it then I'll indulge you. Dragon Pulse!" Julius called out confidently, with Coatlith flying up in the air and fired a blast of draconic energy from its beak. Houndoom quickly retaliated with a powerful Flamethrower, the two attacks colliding midair as both combatants stood their ground. However, Coatlith wasn't able to keep its attack steady due to the chilling pain coursing through its tail, from Sharpedo's attack, enabling Houndoom to secure the advantage and push its attack forward. The combined maelstrom of fire and draconic energy struck the feathered serpent head on, the Forest Lord Pokémon crying out in pain as it plummeted towards the ground, crashing into it and created a blanket of dust around the area. When it died down, it showed that it was unable to battle any longer. "Argh…sorry about that pal." The young man apologized for his over confidence, recalling his fainted Pokémon and began choosing his third Pokémon.

"Take your time…there's nothing you have that can withstand my Houndoom!" Madelis sneered, confident that she can make a comeback.

"Oh, I don't know about that. After all, I have the cure to deal with your pet. Blubelrog, I choose you!" The young man retorted, sending out his next Pokémon. It was a large, bipedal frog that was predominantly blue, though it sported a purple sail-like fin on its back. Its belly and throat sack were purple, the latter of which stored the poison that its red cheeks produced. The frog lazily eyed up the Houndoom before sitting down besides the wall, maintaining its gaze at it.

"Pffft, is that lazybones the best you've got? Ohohohoho, this will be a breeze." The redhaired woman chuckled to herself. "Houndoom, use Dark Pulse and send that frog back into the pot!"

The hellhound snarled at the frog, emitting a stream of evil energy from its mouth that struck the frog dead on, kicking up a large cloud of dust that blanketed the area, with Madelis chuckling in glee. However when it died down, it showed that Blubelrog was barely affected by the attack at all, the only notable difference being that it had spewed a sizable amount of water from its mouth onto the ground surrounding it.

"W-What?! How did it withstand that attack?!" Madelis exclaimed, surprised by what she was seeing.

"Blubelrog's lazy demeanor is a tactic it uses to deceive its foes, and you fell for it, hook, line and sinker." Julius smirked, with Blubelrog smirking alongside him. "Finish this quickly with Muddy Water."

The large frog agreed to the idea, controlling the large puddle of water it had spewed earlier and flung it towards Houndoom, the attack picking up bits of rock and dirt from the ground. Before it can dodge successfully, the hellhound was swept up by the wave, howling in pain and fear as it was submerged by the relentless torrent and slipped under water. Soon enough, the water died down, the soaking wet cave floor absorbing it and leaving the unconscious Houndoom behind.

"Consider this payback for the defeat you handed me at Carotos Mountain!" Julius smirked, posing proudly alongside Blubelrog, with Madelis angrily recalling her Pokémon.

"How disappointing…" Nastasia dryly commented, recalling her victorious Klinklang while Nancy comforted her Sylveon before recalling it as well. "And Madelis lost again, as expected. It happens, but there's no cure for incompetence it seems."

"I'm in no mood for your sass, Nastasia." The redhead retorted, turning to glare at Julius. "You may have won this time, but I'll crush you the next time we meet."

Both Julius and Nancy watched as Madelis stormed into the secret room under the stairs, with Nastasia calmly walking behind her, closing the door once she walked through.

"That was some impressive battling back there, feels like ages since I last saw you in action!" Nancy smiled, hugging the young man as she noticed Braxien shuffling her feet awkwardly. "Is something the matter dear.

"I…I just wanted to give you my thanks for protecting me earlier." The bipedal fox replied. "I'm not that good at battling, so I would've gotten seriously injured back there."

"Not a problem! A friend of Julius is a friend of mine!" The pink haired woman replied cheerfully, gently petting Braixen, with the Fox Pokémon enjoying it thoroughly.

"Anyway, now that the signal is gone, everyone can use their Pokémon again. Of course, that'll mean that outside is going to be quite the hectic mess…" Braixen pointed out.

"True, but as long as we stick together, we'll be just fine." Julius chimed in, petting his Blubelrog before recalling it. "Right now, it'll be best if we met up with the others. From there, we can rescue Aelita and give Neved a well-deserved ass-kicking!"

"In that case, let's not keep them waiting!" Nancy told them, the trio quickly making their way through the cave and back to the grove.

 **Whew, that came out a bit longer than I expected. Anyway, I have to cut the chapter here since I don't want the chapter to be any longer than it already is. If all goes well, the Blacksteeple Castle arc should conclude in the next chapter. Thank you all for reading my fic, I'll see you next time.**


	20. Chapter 20

**A bit of a short introduction, but I didn't want to keep you all waiting. So without further ado, here's the finale to the Blacksteeple Castle arc.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Aelita was minding her own business in the hidden dungeon, after all it was all she could do right now. A few seconds later, the sound of footsteps echoed throughout the halls, the purple-haired girl turning around to see Emma walking up to her cell. "Y-You're back!" she exclaimed.

"Indeed, just as I promised." The hooded girl replied, unlocking the cell door and opening it. "Come, you have to follow me right now."

"But where are we going?" Aelita inquired, exiting the cell and faced the mysterious figure.

"I have to make my way to the top of the castle. However, I need you to go find the people who were on board the S.S Oceana, they're hidden somewhere in the cell room.: Emma ordered, slipping Aelita a map of the facility.

"Ok, but what should I do afterwards?" She inquired, with Emma turning around to face the entrance she came from.

"Call it a hunch, but I suspect Julius would go after the Warden, probably to get even with him. After you've found the prisoners, I want you to make your way to the top as well; Julius will most definitely need your assistance. Besides, I'm sure you wouldn't say no to getting even with the Warden as well, right?" The hooded girl told her, a confident smirk forming on Aelita's face.

"Oh, I wouldn't miss it for the world." The purple-haired girl smiled, the duo walking out of the hidden dungeon together before going their separate ways.

 **0000**

Chaos; that was the best way to describe the scene that laid before him. It was a complete mess of a riot, with prisoners and guards sparring against each other with their Pokémon in order to gain complete dominance over each other. Though the guards had the advantage in strength, they simply could not compare to the sheer number of prisoners they were up against, with the more fortunate of guards having to face up to three trainers on their own. The area itself was blanketed by smoke coming from within the castle interior, a clear indication that a few of the prisoners had opted to burn the place down. Luckily for Julius, his mother hadn't gotten lost within the maelstrom that was taking over the once peaceful island.

"Braixen wanted to let you know that she's gone on ahead to locate the others. And while I'd love to teach them the true power of a united family, all of my Pokémon are too injured from the previous fight against that Nastasia woman." Nancy called out to him, the young man walking up to her having picked up something from an unconscious guard.

"I understand; in that case I shall escort you safely to our destination. If any guard has the wise idea of confronting us…then I'm sure they'll change their mind after a jolt or two from this baton." Julius replied, a small smirk forming on his face upon activating the weapon.

"Alright, but you're to dispose of that thing once we're out of here. I've never been that comfortable around weapons, regardless of who's wielding them." The pink-haired lady told the young man, who sighed under his breath before agreeing to the order, the duo quickly exiting out of the alcove and ran through the fields, alerting a pair of guards.

"H-Hey! That's Nancy over there; we can't let her escape!" One of them called out to the other, as they charged towards the duo in an attempt to intercept them. The first one lunged at Julius, who narrowly dodged it and struck him on the back with the baton, causing the guard to cry out in pain as a jolt of electricity coursed through his body, before falling to the ground. Witnessing his comrade get knocked out, the second guard decided to attack Nancy, grabbing her arm and attempted to drag her away.

"L-Let go of me!" She demanded, stomping on his toes as the guard began hopping on one leg, muttering a few curses under his breath. Julius then took this opportunity to throw his baton at the other leg, tripping the guard over into a puddle of mud, giving the duo an opportunity to dive back into the main courtyard, where they saw a large group of prisoners tie up the weakened guards into groups of three.

"That's it my brethren; when we're done here, I'll have all their heads mounted on a spike!" Saki boldly declared from atop the castle wall, with the prisoners cheering over her declaration, the young girl looking down to see Julius and Nancy. "Oh, hi there Julius."

"Oh, I take it she's a friend of yours, sweetie?" Nancy inquired.

"Yeah, we just met a few days ago. Funnily enough she's one of the main reasons this riot was even able to happen in the first place." The young man answered.

"You flatter me!" Saki giggled, redirecting her attention to the eager crowd. "As I was saying, we will take back what is rightfully OURS! We will destroy these walls of oppression and leave an oceans-worth of blood in our wake! You two, join us in fighting against the man, and you will both be remembered for all eternity!" She declared, making her way to storm the main building, with the crowd splitting up to assist her, and take over the Quarry for themselves.

"She's enjoying this turn of events, isn't she?" Nancy spoke softly to her son, the two joining the crowd storming the main building.

"Quite the energetic lass, isn't she?" A gruff voice chimed in, one that sounded familiar. The duo turned to face the source, and were greeted by the mustachioed face of Captain Augustus. "Nancy, Julius! It's a relief that you two are alright."

"The same can be said for us, Augustus. How'd you managed to break out of your cell?" The young lady inquired.

"It was all thanks to a young lass who called herself Aelita. She told us all to—" He began.

"Wait, did you say Aelita?!" Julius quickly asked, the old man nodding in confirmation, the young man gently grabbing him by his shoulders. "Wh-where is she going?! Tell me!"

"Now, now; no need to get all worked up. She was making her way to the Warden's office. Which reminds me, she told us all that there was a boat by the docks that's large enough for all of us to leave." Augustus tried calming the young man down, but to no avail. "As I'm the only one here who can sail a ship of that size, I ought to be heading back there."

"I doubt the crowd here would be so willing to hop on just yet, so I'm sure you can sneak towards the ship and—" Nancy began, before the turret alarm started blaring, albeit a lot more warped than usual.

" _Julius, can you here me? The cameras on the turrets aren't working so I don't know where you are. But if you here this, you need to head to Neved's office now! There's a rumor that he has Aelita held hostage; if so, we can't leave until we dealt with him."_ Valarie spoke over the intercom.

"Mom, if you can head to the ship with Augustus and help start the engines up, that'll be greatly appreciated." Julius requested. "Please, I don't want to lose you again…"

"…I understand. You go help Aelita, while I get the ship ready." Nancy agreed, embracing her son in a hug. "Please, come back safe. And remember, I've always loved you."

"I love you to, mom." The young man replied, the two going off to their separate ways. Upon entering the main building, he began plotting the quickest route to Neved's office; remembering exactly where it was. After all, it was hard to forget what he went through in that room. Quickly running through the desecrated halls, making sure to avoid any fires that were in his way, he climbed up several flights of stairs, ran through several rooms which included a dining room, a recreation room and even the kitchen. As he climbed up the final flight of stairs and entered a long, straight hallway, Julius was soon confronted by a familiar figure.

"You!" He pointed at Emma. "I've got no time for your games; move out the way or suffer the consequences!"

"…So be it. If this is what you wish to do, then don't hold back." Emma replied, reaching for a Pokéball and threw it, sending out a Gardevoir, only it was a different color than usual. It's hair and arms were a light shade of red, while it's body and dress were a light gold in color.

' _A shiny Pokémon?'_ "Julius thought to himself, puzzled as to how she could've found such a rare specimen. Either way, it's not like he was completely helpless. "In that case, I'll send out Chainite!" He called out, the malevolent entity emerging from it's ball and growled at the Gardevior, who…smirked in response.

Opting to take the initiative, the Chainite lunged at the Gardevoir, raking it with sharp, shadowy claws as the Embrace Pokémon was pushed back to a nearby wall the attack doing way less damage than he expected. But it was when the Gardevoir chuckled once more, its body warping and twisting before the young man did he realize what it's true identity was.

' _Huh, it was a Zoroark all along…'_ Julius mused to himself, the Illusion Fox sneering at the young man. The shiny Pokémon had orangey-red fur covering it's body, it's long, majestic hair a clear white with blood red tips, with it's claws also being a clear white. At the very least, it explains why the Gardevoir was shiny.

"Flamethrower." Emma commanded, with Zoroark getting down on all fours and breathed a stream of red-hot flames at the Chainite. Though the entity tried slipping into the shadows to avoid the attack, the flames skimmed over its head, causing it to hiss lowly in pain before slipping away from sight. Witnessing it's foe slip into the shadows, the Illusion Fox got back up on its hindlegs and began sniffing the air, hoping that it's keen sense of smell would enable it to locate its foe. Suddenly, the entity emerged from the shadows, attempting to strike it down once more, only for Zoroark to quickly turn around and slash at the Chainite, their claws clashing against each other and caused a small explosion that pushed them back a few feet.

The Illusion Fox took the time to begin plotting devious thoughts, it's mental capabilities skyrocketing while Chainite opted to watch it, waiting for the perfect time to strike. Soon enough, Zoroark spewed a stream of evil energy from it's mouth, the attack heading straight towards the entity, whose eyes glowed a reddish-purple as it started down the Zoroark. The fox realized what the stare meant, but it was too late to do anything about it, as the Dark Pulse struck Chainite head on, causing it to crash into the hallway wall as a shadowy specter emerged from its fainted body, floating directly towards it. Zoroark tried to run away from the specter, but it soon caught up to it and phased through its slender frame, draining it of all its energy as it collapsed on the spot, ending the battle in a draw.

"…Not bad, Julius. Not bad at all…" The hooded girl muttered, with both trainers recalling their Pokémon before reaching for their next choice. "But now it's time for you to see my Gardevoir for real this time!" She declared, with the Embrace Pokémon chirping to itself, it's shiny body making the illusion that the Zoroark had conjured.

"In that case, I'll go for Vilucard!" Julius called out, the Villainous Pokémon emerging from its Pokéball and sneered mischievously at the shiny Pokémon. The young man was surprised at what he was seeing; to encounter a shiny Pokémon and capture it is a lucky feat in itself, but two? Either the amount of shiny Pokémon in Aevium is a lot higher than in other regions, or she was blessed with an insane amount of luck. Regardless, he wasn't about to lose to her anytime soon. "Go for Sludge Bomb, Vilucard!"

The nimble cat-bat snickered, climbing up-top a tall candlestick and spewed a barrage of sludge at the Gardevoir, who retaliated by conjuring up a wonderous wall of mental energy to shield itself from the shortly afterwards, it charged up a ball of electricity in its hands, from which a sharp bolt emerged from it and struck the candlestick, stunning Vilucard and caused it to fall off. The Villainous Pokémon opted to switch tactics, sneaking in the shadows in order to get behind its foe, before pouncing on it and bit down on its neck. Gardevoir winched in pain as its energy was siphoned from its body by the small Pokémon, smacking it away with a backhanded slap before charging up lunar energy and hurled it at its foe, causing the cat-bat to hiss in pain as it was flung back a few feet.

Not ready to throw in the towel yet, it got up and started retching on the spot, before spewing a ball of translucent sludge at the Gardevoir, coating her body in the sticky substance as the Embrace Pokémon started coughing on the spot, its cheeks flushed with a sickly shade of purple. Taking the chance to finish things now, the Vilucard spewed a stream of green poison from its mouth, striking the Gardevoir and froze the venom coursing through her body, intensifying the pain. The cat-bat followed up by slashing at the weakened Gardevoir, knocking her into a wall which caused a few paintings to start swaying on the spot. The Embrace Pokémon tried to get up, but was too exhausted to do so and collapsed by the wall, unable to battle any longer.

"You did well, Gardevoir. Return!" Emma complimented her comrade, recalling it before reaching for her third and final Pokéball.

"You seem to show a lot of love for your Pokémon, yet you chose a job this dirty. I mean I get having to do things out of desperation, but from the look of things you seem a bit more…well-off than someone who would willingly take this job." Julius commented.

"it seems that you have quite the sharp eye, Julius. However, if you were hoping to talk me out of this battle, then you're out of luck. Pyroar, stand by for battle!" The hooded girl called out, the majestic lion emerging from its ball and roared proudly, sending shivers down Vilucard's spine. From the look of it, it appeared to be a male based on it's impressive…purple mane? Furthermore, his hindlegs and front paws were a shimmering white instead of light brown, and the rest of his body was a darker shade of black, which could only mean one thing.

"A-Another shiny?!" The young man exclaimed, with Emma calmly gazing at him while ignoring the comment and pointed over at Vilucard ordering Pyroar to attack. The young man was so surprised that he was able to call out to Vilucard in time, the young man rendered helpless as his friend was engulfed by the stream of flames coming out of the lion's mouth. The small Pokémon was flung towards the wall, causing one of the painting from before to fall to the ground, though Julius was able to catch it before it fell onto the weakened Vilicard. "Sorry about my negligence…" He apologized, crouching down to its level, with the cat-bat smiling to let Julius know that it was alright. Recalling his weakened Pokémon, the young man reached for his next Pokéball knowing what his next choice will be.

"Syrentide, time to show this cat who really rules the roost!" The young man declared, the siren calmly running her hand through her hair, smirking smugly at the powerful lion. "Let's start things off with a Rain Dance!"

Agreeing to the plan, the siren conjured up a dark ball of energy, lifting it up into the air as it slowly transformed into several dark clouds, before a fierce shower of water rained down the hallway, dousing out the candles and getting the carpet wet. Pyroar growled in annoyance, knowing that his fire type attacks were weakened by the rainstorm; still, he had a few tricks up his sleeves. Coating his body in electricity, he lunged at Syrentide, tackling into hrt as they crashed into a nearby wall. From the way the lion wearily got up, it was evident that the reckless attack dealt some recoil damage to him, though Syrentide's impressive bulk meant she was able to take the attack better than most Pokémon normally could. Jumping back a few feet, she quickly conjured up a large wave of water and pushed it towards Pyroar, the siren hopping up on top of it. The lion tried in vain to reach high ground but was quickly swept up by the relentless wave and was submerged underwater. The water rocked the hallway for a few moments, the doors behind Julius bursting open by the watery barrage and enabled the wave to escape the confined hallway, leaving a triumphant Syrentide standing over an unconscious Pyroar.

"…Good. You certainly have what it takes…" Emma spoke softly, recalling her fainted Pokémon, with Julius congratulating Syrentide before recalling her as well. "As I expected, I couldn't defeat you."

"As you expected, what on earth are you talking about?!" Julius exclaimed, with Emma ignoring the question and opted to walk past him.

"Go do what you must, I still have things I must do…" She replied, exiting the hallway and closed the doors behind her. The young man was still stunned by the experience; having battled not one, but three shiny Pokémon. It couldn't be a coincidence; they're must've been something suspicious going on; it was almost as if she was able to…attract shiny Pokémon. But there was only one person who could do such a thing, and that person was dead.

"No…no, it can't be her…can it?" Julius spoke to himself, his brain buzzing with hundreds of different thoughts. However, it was a mystery that he would have to solve another time, as there was a more pressing issue at hand. Running outside the hallway, he soon found himself by the pinnacle of the castle, a long flight of stairs leading towards the top. As the young man began walking quickly up the stairs, he was soon halted by a familiar voice calling out for him.

"Julius!" Aelita called out, quickly making her way over to him. "It's so good to see you aga—woah!" She continued, only for the young man to briefly hug her in relief, before realizing his error and backed away from her.

"S-Sorry about that; I was worried sick about you." He stammered an apology, with the purple-haired chuckling in response.

"It's alright, just be careful next time, last thing either of us want is to fall down these stairs." She replied, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "But enough with the cheesy reunion stuff, we have a job to do, don't we?"

"Yep, we're gonna make that bastard Neved pay for what he did to us…to all the people he imprisoned." Julius declared, to two walking up the stairs and entered the room up top, only to be surprised by the contents of said room. Whereas the rest of the castle had black and red flags decorated all over the place, there were blue and white flags in this room, with a large blue carpet on the floor.

"Why does this room look a lot different that the rest of the castle?" Aelita inquired, inspecting one of the banners. "Even these banners are different from the other ones I've seen."

"I've got no idea myself, but maybe it has to do with the rumors going around about a second castle on this island, one that not even Neved can access. But I guess that last part was a white lie, since it seems this is the only place, he can be hiding in." The young man commented, shivering slightly on the spot. "And the vibes I'm getting are weird, as if some seriously spooky stuff happened here."

"Well, well, well. I expected you two to make your way here…" A voiced echoed out from the other side of the room, a menacing figure turning to face the gaping hole in the room, granting him a spectacular view of the island.

"Neved!" Aelita called out in anger, the two trainers confronting the man. "It's all over for you, now!"

"This entire place has been reduced to shambles, the guards have been captured and your assistant was no match for me. As much as I want to get the hell out of here, the two of us have a score to settle!" Julius declared, with Neved chuckling in response.

"Oh really? You came all the way up here to waste MY time? Well I suppose I have to give you two credit, even if it's a meager amount." The older man retorted, turning around to face the young trainers.

"Before we begin out beatdown, I wanna ask just one question…why? Why put me and Julius through all that pain? What did you gain from telling us about the torture you inflicted on the other? Was there any real point to it all?!" Aelita asked, her desperation for an answer growing by the second.

"…No." Neved replied coldly. "None of that was necessary whatsoever."

"What the hell is this shit?!" Julius roared, punching a banner with such ferocity that it fell to the ground, the room filled with the clattering of metal hitting the tiled floor. "You mean to tell me that all of this was for no reason whatsoever?!"

"Well it wasn't for no reason, as you put it. As to why I tortured you two, it was simple. You, young man have caused us a significant amount of grief to us due to your meddling, and as for Aelita, well she was Keta's daughter." The older man answered casually, as if he was merely prattling on about the orders for his prisoners. "I hated that man with every fiber of my being. I vowed to him that I would cause him immense suffering, even after death. And what better way to cause suffering than to torture his only child?"

"You're pathetic, Neved. Completely, utterly pathetic." Aelita replied in a cool rage, her voice brimming with contempt. "Only a coward would stoop so low as to strike at his enemy's children."

"Heh, I guess you could see me that way, but you say it like it matters. Whether I win or lose it will all end here; you two want to settle the score? Then show me that you have what it takes!" Neved called out, sending out a Vikavolt and a Gastrodon.

"A 2-on-1 battle? I'll give you what you want." Aelita chuckled, selecting her first Pokémon. "Scrafty, time to teach this freak a lesson in pain!"

"Don't forget about me; I want to dish out some pain as well. Luxelong, time for battle!" Julius chimed in, sending out his first Pokémon, the small dragon sighing in content as it eyed up its foes, who were both known for being particularly powerful species. "Use Flamethrower on Vikavolt!"

The Fortune Pokémon quickly breathed a steam of flames at the large stag beetle, who retaliated by launching a strong bolt of lightning at its foe, the two attacks colliding against each other midair. Meanwhile, the Scrafty shuffled around as fast as it could, dodging the beams of ice that Gastrodon was spewing in its direction, before jumping in the air and kicked the sea slug directly in its face, causing it to gurgle in pain as it was pushed back a few feet. By this time, the Luxelong was able to overpower its foe, engulfing Vikavolt in its flams as the insect screeched in pain before breaking free of the oppressive attack. Once free, it flew up into the air and began buzzing its wings rapidly, filling the room with an ear-piercing sound wave that weakened the two Pokémon, giving Gastrodon a chance to follow up with a Sludge Bomb, assaulting its foes with the unsanitary sludge.

"Guess I have to try something different. Scrafty, use Grass Knot!" Aelita called out, with Julius raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Slowly getting up off the tiled floor, the Scrafty began snatching up the plants from the pots scattered around the room, quickly tying them up into a whip and struck at the Gastrodon's base, causing the sea slug to chirp in fear as it was sent flying up in the air. Scrafty took the opportunity to leap up into the air and kick at it, sending the sea slug crashing into Vikavolt and leaving them helpless as Luxelong followed up with a powerful Dragon Pulse, the beam of energy sending the pair flying into a nearby wall. When the dust settled, it showed that both combatants were knocked out from the attack.

"Heh, now that's what I call teamwork!" Julius smirked, giving Aelita a high-five as Neved recalled his Pokémon.

"No matter, I'll have you two quaking in fear before me, again. Crabombinable, Aurorus, teach these whelps a lesson!" The older man hissed, sending out his Pokémon as a sudden chill appeared in the room. The large sauropod let out a peaceful cry, causing a vicious hailstorm to start raining down in the room with Luxelong and Scrafty protecting themselves from the hailstones. Taking the opportunity to deal big damage, the large crab scuttled up to the small dragon, slamming its ice-cold fist down on it and sent it flying across the room. Wearily getting up off the floor, it glared daggers at the large Pokémon, perking its ears up as it began charging up lunar energy in its mouth. Realizing what it was planning on doing, the Crabombinable scuttled towards it, its massive fist raised in the air as it attempted to finish it off. However it just wasn't fast enough to reach it, with Luxelong firing the ball of energy at its foe, causing it to roar in pain as it was flung back several feet, crashing into the nearby wall as the small dragon soon collapsed from exhaustion and could no longer battle. The Hoodlum Pokémon turned around briefly to check on its ally, only to get struck by an all-powerful Blizzard, courtesy of Aurorus, the freezing cold winds sending the small Pokémon flying towards the fallen Luxelong and crashed into it, knocking Scrafty out.

"Ah!" The young man called out in surprise, as he and Aelita checked up on their fallen Pokemon. "There, there. No need to blame yourself, you did a fine job out there." He soothed it, the two trainers recalling their Pokémon before selecting their next comrade.

"Blaziken, time to avenge your fallen brethren!" Aelita declared, sending out the large chicken, with Julius sending out his Inflagetah. Neved, annoyed that his opponents had the type advantage recalled his defeated Crabombinable and sent out his Froslass, who started off with an Aurora Veil, shielding both her and Aurorus with a wonderous wall of frozen light. "Not bad, but I can deal with it easily. Brick Break, Blaziken!"

Chirping in confirmation, the Blaziken lunged at Aurorus, slamming its fist down onto the veil and shattering it, before striking the sauropod's back, causing the gentle giant to wince in pain. While this was happening, the Froslass was going toe-to-toe with Inflagetah, the two speedy Pokémon trying to outrun the other. The frozen specter flung shadowy balls of energy at her foe, who nimbly dodged them before cloaking its body in flames and lunged at Froslass. The Snow Land Pokémon barely had any time to dodge the lightning-fast attack, before being tackled by the slender cheetah, crying out in pain as she was sent flying to the other side of the room. Managing to recover from the attack somewhat, she let out a chilling cry, as another veil of light was starting to form around her and Aurorus. Not wanting to let the veil form fully, the Inflagetah lunged at its foe once more, it's body cloaked in flames at it tackled Froslass, sending her flying into the weakened sauropod, with Blaziken followed up by kicking the large Pokémon with a flame-cloaked leg, causing the two Pokémon to collapse into a pile, rendering them unable to battle.

Neved was not happy; within a few moments he was reduced to having just one battle capable Pokémon. Luckily for him, it happened to be his ace combatant. "Heheheh, you're doing better than I expected. But neither of you are a match for my Barbaracle!" He chuckled darkly, recalling his two Pokémon and sent out the large barnacle, it's multiple eyes gazing at its foes, before conjuring up a large rock and crushed it with its strong hands, and flung the jagged shards at the two Pokémon. Though Blaziken was able to withstand the attack somewhat, Inflagetah's frail body meant that the attack did a lot of damage to it scraping and scuffing its torso. Once the attack had ended, the Blaze Pokémon leapt up into the air and dove down at the humanoid barnacle, kicking it in the head before upper cutting it into the air, with Inflagetah hopping up the various broken pillars and tackling into Barbaracle at insanely high speeds, sending it crashing down into the ground, with Blaziken following it up by picking up the large Pokémon and used its impressive strength to fling it towards a wall, creating a large cloud of dust and debris. Once the debris was clear, it showed that Barbaracle was unable to battle any longer, leaving a gob smacked Neved staring at the young trainers.

"See? That's what happens when you cross the wrong trainers!" Aelita declared, as she and Julius strike a dramatic pose, their Pokémon joining in on the fun.

"For a pair of children, you posses an admirable amount of power…" the defeated warden commented, recalling his Pokémon. "Don't mistake my comment for respect; I am merely disgusted at myself for losing to you two. Losing power is a sickening feeling, is it not?"

"The problem with your statement is that it implies you had any sort of power to begin with. You took whatever opportunity you could to express dominance over people, going so far as to torture those who refused to play your little game. You're a terrible excuse of a human being." Aelita coldly scolded the man, causing him to glare back at them.

"Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to leave you on this island to rot." Julius retorted, the two trainers recalling their Pokémon and turned around to leave the room, only for Neved to call out to them.

"Heh, you two really need to get over your naiveté. Though this world is filled with beasts known as Pokémon, it doesn't end with them." He began, as a loud noise surprised the two trainers, causing them to look around the room to locate the source, only to find a pair of turrets that were slowly rising up from the ground, their lights glowing a royal blue. "There was a time in this world where there were no Pokémon. I've had these two turrets placed in here in the event that you two would confront me. As you would expect, they too hold the nullification signal."

"Well it won't do you any good, the signal's disabled, no thanks to yours truly." The young man retorted, with Neved chuckling darkly in response.

"I figured as such, which is why these two were specifically designed to be separated from the mainframe." He smirked, causing the young man to flinch in surprise, stepping back a few feet. "Oh what's the matter…helpless without your Pokémon to defend you? I wonder what you would do now without them…?" Neved mocked the young man, relishing in his power over the duo. However a few moments later, the blood-curdling shriek of a massive bird echoed throughout the area, a content smile appearing on Neved's face.

"W-What is that?!" Aelita exclaimed, freaked out by the loud shriek.

"That shriek heralds the arrival of _her_ …" The warden answered, turning around to face the gaping hole, stepping aside to give room for the massive bird. Based on its 'Y' shaped body structure and its black and red coloring, the two immediately recognized it as the Legendary Yveltal, a masked figure hopping down from its back and confronting the two trainers. Between the black and red cape, armored jumpsuit and the draconic helmet, the young man figured that this person was a most threatening foe. "Julius, Aelita, allow me to introduce you to Madame X, all-mighty dictator of Team Xen."

"Silence!" She demanded, raising her hand in the air as Neved clammed up immediately out of pure, unadulterated fear. "You are in no position to talk, Neved. I trusted you with this establishment and look what happened here; an absolutely disgusting mess."

"I-I-I'm sorry for my failure…" Neved stuttered, the once arrogant man reduced to a shivering wreck. "S-Shall I deal with the rebels downstairs?"

"Go, but do not fail me a second time, otherwise the consequences will be most dire." Madame X ordered, with the older man nodding fervently before quickly running out of the room. Within an instant, the masked woman unsheathed her sword and flung it in an arc, piercing both turrets and damaging their internal wiring before capturing the blade in her hand, sheathing it once more as the now broken turrets crackled with electricity.

"So I finally get to meet the big bad boss I've heard so much about?" Julius commented bluntly, masking his intrigue over her expertise with her blade.

"And you must be the Julius I've been hearing so much about." Madame X commented, her gaze shifting to Aelita, the purple-haired girl standing her ground. "And the traitor's daughter. Bah, you're even more embarrassing than that waste of carbon ever was."

"Why don't you shut the fuck up?! I'm sick and tired of you assholes mocking my father's name!" Aelita snapped, glaring daggers of hate at the older woman. "I don't care about who you are, our mission has been the same ever since we left Sheridan!"

"Oh, you've got some moxie in you. For someone like you it's…admirable. A union between two people who share a common goal is what drives you?" Madame X commented, leaning slightly towards the younger woman before unsheathing her blade once more. "Fine then…if you want to talk big, then you better have the punch to back it up. And if you don't…well then, I'll tear you into pieces. But before I deal with you, there's a nuisance who needs to be vanquished…"

"Heh, you're referring to me, right?" The young man inquired, with the Xen leader temporarily lowering her blade and gestured her Yveltal to move forward, the large bird snarling at the young man. "Alright then, Gararewl, let's deal with this oversized bird!"

The large giraffe stepped out its Pokéball, calmly taking in its surroundings before stepping back in terror at the sight of the legendary beast. "Look, I know that this is the second legendary Pokémon you fought so far in Aevium, but I'm sure you'll come out on top. Let's go for a Head Smash, okay?" Julius calmed his friend down, with Gararewl nodding slightly before charging at its foe, smashing its durable head in Yveltal's face, causing it to squawk in annoyance and fly up into the air. From there it began flapping its massive wings in the air, creating an incredible gust of wind that sent bits of debris flying in the air, with Gararewl struggling to stay rooted on the spot. However, it was soon picked up by the wind and was helplessly flung around the room, the large bird charging up a ball of sinister energy and spewed it at its foe, sending it crashing through a wall with the young man running to check up on it.

"Ahh…sorry about this pal." Julius winced in sympathy, recalling his fainted Pokémon and began pondering his next choice for battle. From the fact that it knocked out Gararewl in a single hit, it was clear that it was incredibly powerful, even more so with the aerial advantage it has. Therefore, he would have to bring out something that can even out the odds a little bit. "Alright Yatagaryu, time to bedazzle your opponent!"

Madame X gazed at the serpentine dragon that emerged from its ball, her Yveltal eyeing it up in a hint of intrigue. "So you wish for complete dominance of the skies? I'll crush your hopes and dreams soon enough; Heat Wave!"

The Yveltal shrieked it's familiar shriek, flapping its wings fervently to generate a blast of unbearably hot wind, with Yatagaryu shrugging off the ineffective attack before charging up a ball of electricity and fired a bolt of lightning, shocking the Destruction Pokémon. It shrieked in pain, quickly breaking free from the attack and flew out the large room, with Yatagaryu following it in hot pursuit. The two powerful Pokémon clashed with each other in the air, attracting the attention of the rioters and guards who ceased what they were doing to watch the spectacle. The Stormbringer Pokémon called forth wicked bolted of lightening to strike at its foe, the large bird wincing in pain as its body was assaulted by the relentless bolts before turning around and fired a pulse of dark energy at Yatagaryu, the beam scraping over its tail as the dragon hissed in pain. Flying higher into the sky, the smaller Pokémon fired a few balls of draconic energy at Yveltal's soft underbelly, causing it to shriek in a mixture of anger and pain before proceeding to charge up an especially powerful Dark Pulse, and hurl it towards Yatagaryu. In a desperate attempt to save itself, the Stormbringer Pokémon charged up a Dragon Pulse and attempted to push the dark ball back at its foe, the two attacks colliding midair. Though it was able to push it back a few feet, it simply wasn't able to repel the attack and was struck by it, the serpentine dragon crashing through the stone ceiling and landed on top of Julius, the young man breaking its fall.

"Ugh…" The young man winced it pain, raising his head to look at his weakened comrade, too tired to continue battling. "Are you okay…?" He asked, with Yatagaryu nodding weakly in confirmation.

"Phew, thank goodness you're both alright." Aelita commented, watching the young man slowly get up off the ground.

"How appropriate…such is the fate of one who wishes to achieve the unachievable." Madame X commented dryly, with Yveltal landing beside her, the large bird panting slightly in exhaustion. Having recalled his Yatagaryu, the young man began pondering his choice once more; his ace Pokémon defeated by the ferocious legendary. He began questioning himself on whether he even had a Pokémon that could deal such an apocalyptic threat…and then it dawned upon him. he had the perfect option after all.

"Behold, the one who can stand up against the legends themselves; Hazma!" Julius declared, wiping a faint trickle of blood off his cheek as he sent out his next Pokémon, who chirped happily upon stepping onto the battlefield, not at all fazed by the powerful Yveltal. The small Pokémon looked like a yellow, bipedal lizard with green spikes running down its back and tail. It's face and body resembled that of a hazmat suit, especially its mouth which bore a striking resemblance to a gas mask, and its goggle-like eyes with offered additional protection.

"Aw, what a little cutie…" Aelita cooed in awe, the small lizard chirping in joy as Madame X narrowed her eyes at it from beneath her mask.

"You insult me, young man, sending such a weak creature while boasting that it can defeat my Yveltal. Wipe this pathetic thing out with Dark Pulse!" She hissed, the large bird slowly flying up into the air and spewed a sinister pulse at the small lizard, who quickly conjured up a wonderous wall to sharply bolster its defenses, holding its ground as the pulse struck at its body. Upon breaking free of the attack, it quickly set up a few more walls to protect itself, its eyes shimmering with a lustrous glow as the Yveltal fired another pulse at the Hazma. Again, and again the process repeated, with Hazma creating a wall for every one that was shattered, in arguably the slowest conclusion to a battle the young man every had. The Yveltal was growing more and more exhausted by the moment, the damage inflicted to it by its previous foes taking its toll on the Destruction Pokémon, to the point where it was no longer able to fire off any more Dark Pulses, and started panting loudly for breath. Seizing this golden opportunity, the Hazma leapt out from behind the walls and fired a began of glowing green energy at the large bird, causing it to shriek loudly in pain as it was purified of any abnormalities in its system, courtesy of the nuclear ray. It soon fell forward and collapsed, too exhausted to battle any longer as Hazma stood tall and proud before its fallen foe.

"Incredible…simply incredible." Aelita muttered under her breath, amazed by how that small Hazma was able to best one of the strongest Pokémon in existence, with Julius picking up and cuddled his little buddy.

"I knew you could do it." He smiled, the Overcoat Pokémon chirping happily in his arms, the young man petting it before recalling it to its ball.

"…I know now why my subjects have been troubled by your meddling. Indeed, it seems that you possess a fair amount of power; though it was probably obtained by your… _bonds._ " Madame X commented, adding emphasis to the last word. "However, you two have yet to learn a crucial fact; do not trust anyone to do something, it must always come from yourself."

"Don't trust anyone, why on earth would we even consider such a statement?!" Aelita exclaimed incredulously. "It was thanks to our teamwork that we were able to defeat Neved so easily."

"I expected you two to have no understanding of that statement; you go on about unity, teamwork and friendship, yet you lose all tact the moment the gun's pointed at your head." The menacing woman chuckled dryly. "Do not be ashamed about it, after all it is human nature. However, it won't fall to such a category."

"So if you won't succumb to human nature, does that mean you aren't—" The young man began, only for Aelita to quickly tug on his arm, dragging him to the door.

"Now's not the time for questions, we have to go now!" She called out to him, as they quickly bolted out of the room and down the stairs, with Madame X casually following behind them.

"So they're attempting to run from the inevitable…? No matter, I'll show them that it means nothing in the end!" She spoke to herself, unsheathing her sword once more. "Without power you are nothing, and nothing you shall become!"

As the two trainers had reached the bottom of the pinnacle staircase, they were surprised by a powerful shockwave, caused by Madame X leaping down the staircase and plunging her sword in the ground behind them. They flailed about in the air, desperately trying to find something to grab a hold of, but to no avail. Just as they were about to crash land into the main courtyard, they were held in place by a mysterious force, further surprising the duo.

"Wh-What's going on? Why have we stopped falling?" Aelita inquired, looking around for answers.

"Julius, Aelita! How are you two doing that?" Saki called out, checking up on the duo alongside Valarie.

"I know for sure this isn't our doing. But whatever the case, I'm just thankful that it caught us before we went splat on the ground." The young man answered.

"Well whatever the case, just stay put. We'll find a way to get you two down!" Valarie reassured them, as she and Saki ran off in the direction of the boat, leaving the two trainers to themselves.

"So, I take it this was more than you expected when you first left Sheridan Village?" Julius asked Aelita.

"Definitely. I can't say it's been all smooth sailing, but it'll be a great story to tell everyone at the village." The purple haired girl replied, turning to face him. "Julius, do you have a clue how any of this is happening?"

"Well I know this girl with special powers, Nim her name was. She's a nice young lady; I'm sure you'll like her." The young man answered.

"Teehee, you know me so well!" A familiar voice spoke to him, with Nim suddenly appearing on the balcony closest to the pair. "Glad to see you're all right. Now do you understand why I didn't want you in Akuwa Town?"

"I-I understand now. If you can let us down from here, I'll find a way to make it up to you." The young man offered, with Nim mulling over the deal before happily accepting it.

"Alright, let's get you two down from here!" She smiled, clicking her fingers and teleported them to the ground.

"Phew, now that's a relief…thanks for the save Nim." Aelita expressed her gratitude.

"Don't sweat it! A friend of Julius is a friend of mine." The raven-haired girl chimed in, turning to face Julius, a calculated smirk on her face. "Speaking of which, I recall a certain someone promising to make it up to me…"

"Well I could always buy you dinner when we make it back to the mainland…" He suggested, scratching the back of his head.

"I can work with that, don't worry I know a few places where we can eat, places that I'm sure would put a smile to your face!" Nim smiled. A few moments later, both Saki and Valarie ran up to the trio, having seen the two get warped to the ground.

"Hey! Are you two alright? Do you have any broken bones? Trauma? Heartbreak?" Saki inquired, looking over the pair.

"Hehe, none of that, we're perfectly fine!" Aelita chimed at her, opting to introduce her new friend to them. "Oh, this young girl beside us is Nim. Nim, this is Saki and Valarie."

"Hiya! It's nice to meet you two!" She chimed in, only to see a young lady walking up to the group.

"Julius!" Nancy called out, running up to the young man and hugged him tightly. "Oh, I'm glad you're alright."

"Mother!" The young man replied, a little dazed but accepted the hug. "I thought you were going to wait on the ship for me."

"I was, but then I saw you falling down the tower and feared the worst. Thankfully it seems that you're all okay!" She answered, briefly looking around and noticed all his friends. "Julius, I hope that you aren't playing with the hearts of all these young women, I thought I taught you better than that…"

"M-Mom!" Julius protested, a fierce blush on his face with the others chuckling at his detriment.

"We can joke around on the ship, right now we gotta get going!" Valarie urged everyone to leave.

"She's right; everyone else is waiting on the boat for us. It'll do us no good to keep them waiting—" Nancy began, the group turning around and were about to start walking, when a crashing sound rocked the area, as if someone had leapt off the castle in an act of sheer confidence.

"As if I'll let you all walk off that easily!" Madame X called out to them, plunging her sword into the bricks once more.

"The jigs up, Madame X, It's over!" Julius retorted, surprising a few members of the group.

" _That's_ Madame X?!" Valarie exclaimed in shock. "I thought she wasn't supposed to be here until tomorrow!"

"No way…she jumped all the way down from the top of the castle, without injuring herself?!" Aelita exclaimed in shock as well.

"Running away from your problems doesn't solve them you see." The Xen Dictator spoke aggressively, her glare fixated on Julius. "You've made a fool of my admins, and myself as well! The others can go, but you will pay for such a price, and it will be done in spades, with your life!"

The young man, realizing that this was the end of the line came to accept his fate. Perhaps this was penance for his failures in Ayrith, perhaps the fates would show mercy and enable him to seek atonement for his crimes and if he was lucky, his friend's forgiveness. Closing his eyes, he heard the swift sprinting of what he assumed was his adversary, her sword ready to shed blood. Who knows, maybe everyone else would be better off without him, and if that was the case, then perhaps his death would have some meaning after all. He flinched upon hearing the sound of metal sinking into human flesh, but for some odd reason, he didn't feel any pain whatsoever. Slowly opening his eyes, he was soon greeted with an image so haunting, so terrifying that it'll be with him until the day he passes.

Fate can be a cruel mistress, offering someone the faintest glimmer of hope, only to snatch it away from them in the most inhumane manner possible. That was the only thing that he could think of as he saw his mother, the sharp blade of the sword piercing through her chest.

"M-Mother…?" The young man squeaked weakly, falling to his knees and covering his mouth, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"My god…" Valarie gasped quietly, covering her mouth as well, as everyone looked on with horrified expressions as well.

"*cough* Julius…I'm sorry….we couldn't leave together..." Nancy weakly replied, coughing up a thin trail of blood from her mouth, tears streaming down her cheeks as well. "So long as you keep living…then my sacrifice will be…worth it."

Madame X took one last look at Nancy, before flinging her corpse to the side, as if it were nothing but a piece of trash. "Bah, it barely qualifies as a sacrifice; a waste of effort and life. Extremely laughable, if not a bit concerning…How could a doll gain enough affinity to process the feeling that is _love_? No…there must be something else to this."

"You…" Julius growled lowly, slowly getting up and glared at his nemesis, lunging at her in a frenzied state of rage, the other four reaching over to hold him back, the young man struggling in their grip. "When I'm done with you, you'll regret crawling out of whatever wretched cave you came from!"

"Oh, what's this, are you that upset over the loss of that doll? Heh, it doesn't matter how any of you feel about this, you'll all receive the same fate that poor, Nancy doll faced…" Madame X crooned, only for the door behind her to slam open, a familiar voice calling out to her. "Who dares speak my name?"

"I've been waiting for you to show up, a very long time…" Emma smirked underneath her hood. "I've put up this façade with Neved just so I can have this one opportunity to speak with you. Perhaps you should pay attention to me as opposed to messing around with them. After all…you did go through quite some length…to find me!" She continued, lowering her hood.

Julius had briefly calmed down from his previous burst of anger, gazing at the formally hooded girl before him. His hunch earlier on had been on the money after all, and from the look of things everyone else was surprised as well.

"M-Melia?!" Madame X gasped, the formally calm, calculated leader surprised by this reveal.

"My apologies, are you confused? After all, you thought I was dead, a perfectly understandable conclusion based on the fact that you're not smart enough to even consider the possibility of my survival…" Melia smirked, taunting the hostile woman before her.

"Tch, this changes everything." Madame X scoffed, hiding the seething rage she was building up inside her.

"Well as much as I want to take you down now, I cannot. Too much damage has been done, and too many lives are at stake. So let's put this meeting on hold, yes? Don't worry, we're destined to meet again, eventually. Sleep tight…" The blonde woman smirked, pointing her finger at Madame X, a weak bolt of electricity coming from the turret lasers and strikes her, leaving her momentarily paralyzed.

"G-grahh!" She hissed, glaring at Melia. "How…How do you have access to the lasers?"

"*giggles* You really shouldn't let someone snoop around the castle just because they asked. They might find something useful to stab you in the back later." Melia giggled, her gorgeous blonde her much longer than it was the last time he saw her. As a matter of fact, she looked a little older overall. "It's funny; the big bad leader of Team Xen, taken out by just a small shock."

"Y-You got lucky…" Madame X seethed under her breath.

"A pathetic excuse, and a blatantly wrong one at that. I didn't get lucky, I thought things through." Melia coolly replied, walking towards the group as Neved stormed out the door, calling out to you. "Sorry, but my name isn't Emma."

"O-Obviously…" Neved replied, surprised, angered and even a little…saddened by Emma's, or more accurately, Melia's betrayal. "You've done your damage, and I've done mine."

"Well if you're that angry at me, then I'm sure you'll get the opportunity for revenge one day." She replied calmly.

"And it shall me mine." The warden promised, glaring at her. " So it take it that…"

"Yes, I'm sorry to say that I won't be accepting your offer to join Team Xen." Melia replied, quickly gesturing at the others to run to the ship. "Quickly, everyone to the ship!"

"Hell no! I'm not leaving my mother behind!" Julius retorted, running over to Nancy's body, only for everyone to hold him back once more, the young man struggling within their grasp. "L-Let go of me! LET ME GO!" He demanded.

"I'm sorry Julius, but this is for your own good!" Saki yelled over his frenzied screams, conking him on the back of the head with the group carrying his unconscious body as fast as they could, with Neved watching them quietly, already plotting his revenge.

 **0000**

An hour had passed since the prisoners had escaped the Castle, leaving a large mess behind. Madame X had broken free of her paralysis a while ago and had made her way to the top of the castle, looking over the island from the gaping hole in the room. Though she was still displeased how the previous events had turned out, she could rest a little easy knowing that one of her main threats has been neutralized somewhat. She safely assumed that Julius would be too broken up over the loss of his mother, the doll to put up a worthy fight anymore, enabling her to focus on her main threat, Melia. Soon enough, the door opened, as her trusty second-in-command entered the room, bowing slightly before her.

"Madame X." Nastasia requested her leaders' audience.

"What is it that you want, Nastasia?" She asked, continuing to start outside the large hole.

"I've come to confirm the arrival of two new recruits, one of which you said fits the prophecy." The purple haired admin stated. "Specifically, the one of betrayal."

"Is that so?" Madame X inquired. "In that case, you may present him to me, now."

"As you wish." Nastasia replied, moving out of the way as a familiar young man walked up to the Xen Dictator, an unsure look in his eyes. He was hoping that this plan of Crescent's would work in the end, but it would require him to partake in things that could haunt him for the rest of his life. "Madame X, this is Ren of Goldenleaf Town. He was an associate of Julius, at least until they had a falling out so it seems. If what he's saying is genuine, then he may be the one."

"So…you wish to join Team Xen?" Madame X spoke to Ren, turning around to face him. "What motivated you to betray your friends?"

"Heh, THEY were the ones who betrayed me first. I figured this would be the most appropriate action to take." Ren replied, hoping that they'll fall for it. And from the look of intrigue of Nastasia's face, it seemed that it was working. Still, he hoped that should the truth came out, his friends would be able to forgive him, especially Julius after what had happened back in Goldenleaf Town.

"Hmph…be it as it may, don't you dare think of double crossing us. There will be no mercy to traitors. Remember this." Madame X ordered, her gaze burrowing into the man from behind her mask.

"Don't worry, that won't happen." The young man pledged.

"Good." The masked woman replied, turning her head to face Nastasia once more. "Now about that second recruit you mentioned?"

"Ah yes, I had heard about his experiences with Julius and figured that he may be of use to us. Granted, from what you told me the young man is broken, but he'll prove to be an ideal ace up the sleeve." Nastasia explained her case.

"Very well, bring him in." Madame X ordered, with Ren stepping to the side as a bespectacled man in his mid to late 50's entered the room. His short navy hair was balding, his face sporting several wrinkles and his professor's uniform tattered and dirty. He gazed at the imposing woman, and bowed in respect to her.

"This is Professor Friedrich Larkspur of Tandor; a notorious scientist who was believed to be the mastermind behind the creation of the being known as Urayne, a Pokémon created to provide an unlimited amount of energy. His plans of creating a device that can completely subjugate a trainers Pokémon was thwarted by Julius and has been seeking an opportunity for revenge ever since." Nastasia introduced the old man to her boss.

"I've heard plenty of amazing things about Team Xen, if I may offer my services to you it would be an honor, especially if it means getting even with that brat Julius. I've heard about what happened to Nancy. Ohohohohoho, was that hilarious!" Larkspur chuckled evilly, with Ren shooting him a strange glance. "Not to worry though, I already started the process of breaking him."

"H-How so…?" Ren asked uneasily, the old man turning to face him.

"Ah, you must be the friend that he betrayed. Why I'll be delighted to tell you." He chuckled. "See, following his success in Tandor, he decided to take a trip to Ayrith, possibly to compete in that league as well. Along the way he met a few friends; Ava, Connor, Hardy, and even some girl he fell for, Scarlett I think her name was. Just as they were about to arrive at the entrance to Victory Road, I had some hired thugs kidnap the group. There, I made the brat watch as I tortured his friends to death, saving his precious girlfriend for last. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"Ahahahahahaha…" Ren chuckled halfheartedly, sickened by what the monster before him had done. Was this the secret that Julius kept so close to his chest, the reason why he hated himself?

"…Now that you two got to know each other, Ren and I shall head to the Shadow HQ to retrieve our data. As for Larkspur, I'll have him sent to Grand Dream City in order to assist our forces there." Nastasia commented, choosing not to bring up Larkspur's previous confession.

"Larkspur shall search Terajuma Island for our missing assets, namely Jenner, Geara and Zetta. Once they are relocated, we shall continue with our plans." Madame X ordered.

"Affirmative…" Nastasia replied, the two men beside her bowing before their leader, before the trio left the room, leaving Madame X to herself so that she could quietly plan her next move.

 **A bit of a sad ending to the Blacksteeple Castle arc, but from all tragedies a new hope is born. I opted to have Professor Larkspur join Team Xen so that later down the road I can write a chapter where Julius closes the book on the past that has haunted him so much. It'll be a thrilling experience so I'm sure you'll enjoy it. As for the next chapter, if all goes according to plan, it'll feature the gym battle between Valarie and Julius, so that'll be exciting. Thank you all for reading my fic, I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Welcome back everyone. So I've been tossing an idea featuring an…intimate encounter in my head, but I might not go through with it given that it wouldn't add that much to the story at all. Still, if I can make it work then I'll put it in, but we'll have to wait for a definitive answer. But for now, I'll give you all another chapter to enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

*ding, ding, ding* Captain Augustus alerted everyone attending the banquet by tapping a spoon against his wine glass, the old sailor's eyes surveying the room. "I'd like to thank you all for attending this banquet, a celebration over escaping from the clutches of Team Xen. Though our experience was a most harrowing one, it was our perseverance and teamwork that lead to our success. However, it was not without cost; Nancy…my dear friend fell in battle, giving up her life so that ours can be saved. Let this banquet be held to honor her sacrifice, so that it would not have been in vain." He spoke to the crowd, wiping a few small tears from his eyes. "Now that I've said my piece, you may begin dining."

Having paid their respects, the passengers began digging into the freshly cooked meals placed before them, with Louise playing the piano to add to the atmosphere. Though it wasn't five-star dining, it was a step above what they were served back at Blacksteeple Castle, something which they were most grateful for. Melia soon found herself the center of attention for Saki and her friends, the group opting to pass the time by chatting.

"Look…I'm sorry for acting like Neved's toady back there, but it was the best shot I had at disabling Madame X for good." The blonde apologized to the group, her gaze focused on Aelita. "Special apologies go to Aelita for treating you like some mindless puppet back then. I don't expect your forgiveness at all, but I hope you understand my reasons for doing such things."

"You helped break me out during the riot, so I can consider things even." Aelita smiled, her wounds and burns looking a lot better now thanks to the medical supplies on the ship.

"If your intentions were sincere, then why didn't you come to us for help? Why keep your identity a secret until back then?" Valarie inquired, resting her fork on the plate and took a small sip of red wine.

"…I wasn't sure if I could trust you guys yet with what I had to do. As for my identity, I can't tell you why I kept it secret." Melia answered, averting her gaze back to her food. "I'm sorry, but if you knew what I'm a part of, then it could lead to dire consequences."

"You know, it's been ages since I watched the news story about the disappearance of Professor Jenner and his daughter back in Grand Dream City. Now that you're back, the media is going to get whipped up into a frenzy." Adam commented. "Which reminds me, do you know where Prof—"

"No, and I couldn't careless about where my "father" is!" The blonde retorted viciously, her voice expressing her contempt for the man who betrayed her trust. The blue-haired man had a confused expression on his face, wondering what Jenner had done to anger his daughter, but chose not to press the issue further.

*munch, munch* "I'm surprised Julius is missing out on this banquet, there's plenty of good eats here." Saki chimed in, digging into a freshly cooked pork chop covered in Dijon sauce. "The guy's been in his cabin ever since we placed his body there."

"I don't think he's gonna leave that room for the rest of the trip. Can't blame him; after all he did see his mother get murdered right before his eyes." Valarie reminded her friend, recalling the gruesome image of Nancy getting impaled by Madame X's sword. One thing's for sure, it would not be a sight that's easily forgotten.

"If only I would've gotten there faster, I—" Melia called out, hitting the table in frustration over her failure back then, with Aelita resting her hand over her fist.

"Don't blame yourself; there wasn't anything any of us could've done to prevent it." The purple-haired girl reassured the blonde, the latter's glare softening a bit. "The ones who are to blame for her death are Team Xen; rest assured they'll pay for their cowardly act."

"If you want, I can check up on him." Adam offered, the rest of the group giving him the 'go ahead' look as the older man hopped off his seat and exited the dining room, making his way to the personal cabins and stopped before the door to Julius' room, knocking on it a few times before entering it. The room had been reduced to an utter mess, with clothing hastily scattered around the room. Adam's focus soon shifted to Julius, the young man wearing nothing but a singlet and boxers, his hair an unkempt mess. He had a blank look in his eyes, as if he lost all reason to keep going, his right arm cradling the plush doll he was so fond of.

"…" The young man turned his head to face Adam, keeping quiet as the older man shifted a little uncomfortably at the sight.

"Hey Julius…it's been a few days since we left the island, and you've cooped yourself up here for the entire time. I know it may not mean much, but I wanted to say that we're all here for you, man." Adam informed the young man. "To tell you the truth, I feel kind of guilty; had I been there I'm confident things would've ended differently."

"…Don't blame yourself…" The young man replied in a dull tone, one so lifeless that it was as if her was on the edge of death itself.

"I appreciate your comment; next time I promise I'll be there for ya. After all, we got each other's backs. So yeah, that's it…" The older man ended on a semi-awkward tone, making his way to leave the room before stopping suddenly. "Wait, I just remembered something. Melia wanted to meet you in her room alongside Val and Aelita. I dunno what it's about, but I highly suggest you freshen up before meeting her there."

The young man nodded slightly, accepting the request with Adam taking his leave and exited the room. He mulled over the memories that he had made with his mother, as well as reflect on the ones she'll never get to see, be it his victory over the Aevium League, his wedding, and any potential grandchildren she could dote over. A fiery resolve soon formed in his mind; Team Xen wanted her death to break him, to render him useless, but it won't work. Instead, all it would lead to is their slow, painful demise. With a second wind coursing through the young man, he opted to tidy himself up from his funk; after all he wanted to look his absolute best when he meets up with a friend he thought had died.

 **0000**

As he said he would, Julius had arrived at Melia's cabin, knocking on the door to inform her of his arrival. The quick shower and grooming he did to himself had cleared his mind up a lot, enabling him to focus on the matter at hand, that being some questions he wanted to ask Melia. Upon entering the cabin, he was immediately greeted by the trio, with the young man promptly taking a seat beside Aelita.

"Hey, you're looking a lot better than before." The young man commented, noticing what little remained of her once grievous injuries.

"Thanks…the medical supplies stashed on this boat are a lot better than I initially expected. Seems that we'd be able to cure a wide variety of ailments and injuries." Aelita smiled back, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, I just wanna say I'm sorry about your loss. I know the pain of losing a beloved parent as well."

"Adam may have said this already, but we're here for you, in case you need us." Valarie expressed her sympathies as well.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to do anything to save her. Had I arrived just a bit sooner, none of this would've happened." Melia apologized, looking the young man directly in his eyes.

"Thanks everyone…I really mean it." Julius smiled slightly, his mind at ease knowing that he had such great friends beside him, even though he felt he didn't deserve them. "Anyway, you wanted to talk to us?"

"Yes, I wanted to bring you three to my cabin so I could apologize personally, for my actions under the alias of 'Emma'." Melia explained her case. "I treated you all terribly, just so I can do what I had to do."

"You said that you weren't allowed to tell us these reasons back at the table. Now that were in a more, private setting, would it be safe to tell us now?" Valarie inquired.

"Indeed. I was sent to the castle for two reasons; to save you all from Team Xen, and to investigate the island. I'm not to sure if you're aware of this, but Blacksteeple Castle consists of two buildings." The blonde woman began, running her hand through her hair.

"I remember Braixen mentioning something about a second castle, surrounded by a barrier that even Neved had trouble getting around." Julius chimed in.

"Right; that barrier was put up there to protect a great secret; one that only Madame X knows about. She put the barrier up there to ensure that no intruders would enter the premises. I tried finding a way to remove said barrier, but I came up empty-handed." Melia replied.

"So that was why you acted like Neved's personal assistant; you were hoping he knew about the barrier and how to deactivate it." Aelita deduced.

"Correct. Had I been treated like a regular prisoner, then my movements would've been incredibly limited. Mind you, I didn't find much even with the amount of freedom I was bestowed, apart from one thing. Team Xen wishes to gather energy, specifically from humans." She informed the trio, catching them off-guard.

"Energy, what kind of energy are they looking for?" Valarie pressed.

"The sort of energy that humans release when they are killed. I'm not too sure what makes it vital for Team Xen's goals, I wasn't able to get any more from Neved." Melia continued. "You said that you could've helped me in my endeavor earlier, but I didn't want to risk blowing my cover, it was an all or nothing scenario."

"There's something that I wanted to ask and it's really important. If you're not dead at all, then where were you this entire time?" Julius inquired, with Melia giggling in response.

"I figured you'd want an answer for that. It's a fairly long story, but in short, I was rescued by two women named Spacea and Tiempa. With their power, they were able to fake my death and erase myself off Team Xen's radar. I owe everything to them, who knows where I'd be if it weren't for them." She answered

"In that case, wouldn't it be best if you let Venam know about the situation? Ever since that day, she was wracked with grief." The young man suggested.

"A fair point, but I'm unable to do so now. Once we make our way to Kakori Village, I'd be able to send her a message regarding my status." Melia replied.

"Well I'm glad your safe; had it not been for you, we would've been minced by Madame X and her sword. So I trust you with my life." Valarie interjected.

"Yeah, me too!" Aelita chimed in.

"Same here. Truth be told, I had a gut feeling you were alive, and I'm glad I stuck by it. If you ever need a trump card to deal with Team Xen, then consider me yours!" Julius pledged.

"You guys…" Melia smiled softly, turning to the side. "Thank you all for putting your trust into me."

"Anyway, Augustus said that we're should be docking at Oceana Pier within a few hours, so I'm gonna check up on him. Oh and Julius? If you ever want to talk to me about anything, I'll be there for you." Valarie informed the young man, giving him a quick hug before exiting the cabin.

"I'll give you two a bit of time together. I've been on edge ever since Neved attacked me, and I need some time alone to settle my nerves. I'll catch you two later." Aelita said, waving at the duo before exiting the cabin, leaving the young man and Melia alone. The blonde girl removed the dusty old robe she was wearing, showing off her lovely outfit, which was the same as what she wore when she went to Goldenwood Forest, but slightly larger to accommodate the sudden growth spurt she went through. As a matter of fact, she was a couple years older then when he first met her, now looking to be around 18 years older; her hair was much longer than before, now reaching to her waist. Additionally, her body was curvier than it was before, though Julius didn't want to pay too much attention, lest he get called out for checking her out.

"So now that we're alone, is there anything you want to—" Julius began, before Melia embraced him with a warm hug, surprising the young man though he didn't mind it.

"It's so good to see you again, you don't know just how much I missed you, Venam and Ren…" Melia replied, breaking off the hug after a few seconds. "I'm so sorry that we weren't able to retrieve your mother's body, but we had to go now, or all would've been lost."

"…I understand." The young man replied, directing his gaze to his feet. "After all, it was but another kick to a man who's already been through it all."

"Huh, what happened?" Melia inquired, gesturing the young man to take a seat beside her.

"Well it's a pretty long story, so I'll try and condense it for you. Anyway, following your "death" I made my way to Sheridan Village and defeated Keta, with the older man running off into some secret cave, with me and Aelita joining forces to rescue him. Turns out the cave hid a Team Xen base that produced Shadow Pokémon for the grunts, and Keta was an agent for them, though whether he joined on his free will, or was coerced into it is unknown. Unfortunately, he was slain by Madelis and her Shadow Mewtwo before we could rescue him, however we were saved by Crescent who stole the Mewtwo from her, following the bases imminent destruction." Julius began.

"I guess that explains why Aelita was so sympathetic to you; she experienced that pain as well." Melia chimed in.

"True. Now, where was I? Oh yes, after finishing my business in Sheridan, Aelita and I went our separate ways temporarily in order to find a way to Akuwa Town, which meant going through Goldenleaf Town, which would've been rather tricky for her. Before I was able to enter the place, Ren challenged me to a battle and upon defeating him, he closed the gate to the town, leaving me no other option than to ask Venam for help. Turns out that she and her friends had discovered this mysterious rune in the Abandoned Sewers, which warped us all to this mysterious mansion. After breaking into the mansion, we were soon confronted by it's owner, that self-absorbed piece of sh—…Indriad, who trapped us all in these cubes for his own enjoyment." He continued, cutting himself off before he could finish his cursing, with Melia watching him with rapt attention. "Anyway, I was soon saved by Maria, the cutest little sister anyone could ask for. The two of us had a blast working together to save Venam and her friends, in order for the five of us to escape. Unfortunately, that bastard Indriad cheated in our game, ensuring that none of us would leave his manor, leaving Maria no choice but to stay behind so that we could escape…god I still miss her to this day."

"Wait, you said Maria before. Did Indriad often refer to her as Marianette?" Melia inquired.

"Y-Yeah…why'd you ask?" The young man inquired back, a startled expression appearing on Melia's face.

"I-It's nothing, pay it no heed…" She hastily replied, hiding something from the young man, though he opted not to press it any further. "So what happened next?"

"R-Right. So Venam helped destroy the gate in gratitude for saving her hide, enabling me to enter the town. As you'd expect, Goldenleaf wasn't in the nicest of states, heck I had just saved a young girl from getting lynched. Soon enough, I reunited with Narcissa, and together with Aelita we formed an idea to help save the town, though they mostly did it behind my back. Some Team Xen jackass by the name of Geara tried to sic his Giratina onto him, but I taught him not to mess with me. After that distraction, the plan to save the town had begun, with Ren arriving on time. Despite my pleas, Narcissa insisted that we competed for the role, which is what we did. He managed to have me on the ropes for a bit, but I managed to defeat him, bestowing the honor of saving the town onto him. He was thankful for that and made his way to the stage, when something happened. For no inexplicable reason, he flipped out on me, hurling all sorts of abuse at me, saying such things as "I wanted you all to myself" and "I would've thrown Maria to the wolves to save myself" before stating that he wished he never meet me…" Julius concluded, the young man no longer wishing to divulge about what he went through.

"There, there. I'm sure he didn't mean those things…" Melia rested her hand on his shoulder, the young man's gaze turning to her face as a brilliant idea popped into her mind. "I know what'll cheer you up, a 3-on-3 battle!"

"Hmm?" The young man inquired.

"Strength is important for what we're doing; after all I'm sure a lot of this would've ended differently were we a lot stronger back then. It's been ages since that day at Goldenwood Forest, the day that everything changed. I wanted to come back for you, but I had to escape Gearen City as soon as possible. On another note, Aelita informed me about why you two went to Akuwa Town in the first place; don't worry, the Snag Machine's safe with me!" Melia smiled, flashing the familiar device to the young man. "But back to the topic at hand; I wasn't at my full strength back at Blacksteeple Castle, but now that we're away from that place, I've been itching for a serious battle with you."

"Sounds fair, my Pokémon could use a nice stretch after all. Is there a safe place for us to battle on this ship?" Julius agreed to the idea.

"Yep, there's a battlefield on the floor below us. Come, I'll show you!" Melia smiled, the duo leaving the cabin with the young woman escorting her friend to their destination.

 **0000**

The young man was surprised at the size of the arena; roughly around twice the size of the main courtyard back in Blacksteeple Castle. The walls were a mixture of black and red, fitting when considering who the ship used to belong to. Was this one of the places where Shadow Pokémon were trained up before getting drafted to the front lines? Regardless of its initial use, it would prove to be a useful asset in the second part of the war against Team Xen.

"I take it you're impressed by this place…" Melia smiled, taking her place on the battlefield opposite Julius. Knowing the strength of you, your friends and your enemies is all you have on the battlefield, asides from your Pokémon of course. When all else fails, you'll need the trust of those closest to you."

"Sounds logical, after all it was thanks to my friends that I was able to come this far. If you thought I was out of surprises, then you've got another thing coming!" Julius declared, a determined look in his eyes.

"Now that's the Julius I made friends with!" The blonde girl smiled, reaching for a Pokéball. "Luckily for you, I too have some new surprises. Snorlax, I choose you!" The massive Pokémon emerged from its ball, causing the ship to quiver momentarily before calming down. It's belly fur was a darker shade of white and had arrow-like patterns on its chest, while the rest of its fur was dark green.

"At this stage, I'm not surprised you have another shiny Pokémon. But can it defeat my Laissure?" The young man chuckled, opting to send out his first Pokémon. It was a large, quadrupedal rabbit, with light brown fur covering the majority of its body, save for the tan polka-dots covering its body. It had two, long thick tails that were used to create devastating tremors, and two curly horns that reached below its jaw. Melia could tell that this was one serious customer and opted to play it safe for the start of the fight.

"Snorlax, start things off with a Curse!" She called out, the large sloth-like creature uttering an ancient blessing to bolster its physical capabilities, but at the cost of some speed which wasn't an issue for the lazy Pokémon. The Laissure opted to retaliate by slamming its tails against the metal floor, sending a series of tremors that caused the Snorlax to fall back on its hindquarters. Seizing an opportunity to launch a counterattack, the large rabbit hastily bolted towards the sloth, its thick legs running at impressive speeds. As it leapt into the air towards its for, the Snorlax's head began glowing a bluish pink, having gathered all its willpower into its head and headbutted the rabbit, pushing it back as it skidded on the cold floor.

Not deterred in the slightest, the Laissure opted to try a different strategy, scurrying alongside the arena and tripped Snorlax over, the large Pokémon letting out a cry of surprise as it landed face first into the arena. Slowly getting up off the floor, it roared at the rabbit and waddled towards it, leaping up into the air and slammed down on it, causing the ship to shake violently for a while. The Snorlax chuckled momentarily, only to yelp in surprised once more as Laissure hoisted it off its body and ran towards it, its body glowing in an orangish-red aura. It tackled into the sloth, causing it to roar in pain as it was pushed back into to wall, leaving a large dent as it slumped down afterwards, no longer able to battle.

"Don't worry Snorlax, you did your best…" Melia consoled her friend, recalling it to its ball before reaching for another one. "Not bad, but my Gardevoir is more than capable of dealing with that rabbit!" She smirked, sending out the Embrace Pokémon, the latter calmly gazing at the Laissure. Eager for a second victory, the Laissure began slamming its tails on the ground once more, creating a series of tremors that caused Gardevoir to lose her footing, though she was able to recover very quickly. Focusing on the ground below her foe, Gardevoir used her mental energy to create a series of roots on the ground, their tendrils ensnaring Laissure's paws, enabling the Embrace Pokémon to charge up a Moonblast. The ball of lunar energy struck the rabbit, causing it to cry out in pain as it was flung back a few feet, only for the roots to tighten their grip and slam it down into the ground, before disappearing into nothingness. Wearily getting up off the ground, it glared at its foe and opted to go out in a bang. Cloaking its body in a harsh orange light, it charged into Gardevoir as she was charging up a second Moonblast, the attack causing an explosion that filled the room with dark grey smoke. Once the smoke had died down, it showed that both Laissure and Gardevoir were unable to battle.

"Oh my…your Laissure is rather incredible." Melia complimented, recalling her fallen friend.

"Yeah, his kind are rather powerful, so much so that they're often compared to Pokémon such as Salamence and Tyranitar. I'm impressed with how well you retained your composure against it." Julius replied, congratulating his comrade before recalling it.

"In that case I better step up my game…with a familiar face of course. Go, Happiness!" The blonde smiled, sending out her trusty Togekiss, who chirped happily upon seeing Julius.

"Hey there, it's nice to see you again. Unfortunately, I won't go easy on you just because you're my friend. I'm sure my Chimaconda would provide a most suitable challenge." The young man smirked confidently, sending out his next Pokémon. It was a rather mysterious creature, with a red, lionlike body with a billowing white mane, purple goat horns and a pair of purple-feathered wings sprouting from it's back. The most intriguing feature was the thick, green-scaled tail that ended in a snake's head, which promptly hissed at the Jubilee Pokémon. "Let's heat things up with a Flamethrower!"

The Chimera Pokémon roared in agreement, letting out a stream of oppressive flames from its main head, with Togekiss responding by letting out her own Flamethrower, the two streams of fire colliding in midair before exploding, sending smoke everywhere. The Jubilee Pokémon hovered above the cloud, waiting patiently for it to die down so it can get a decisive strike in. As the cloud started to dissipate, the Togekiss began waving its fingers back and forth, it's eyes glowing an ethereal blue as it opted to use its special move. Soon enough, it had finished selecting a random move and spewed a stream of boiling hot water at Chimaconda, who hissed in pain as its body was assaulted by the hot water and stepped back a few feet.

It's attention now directed at the Jubilee Pokémon, the Chimaconda reared its snake head, a barrage of noxious sludge spewing forth from its mouth. The Togekiss flew around the room in an attempt to evade the powerful Sludge Bomb, however it was soon struck by the attack, crying out in pain as its body was assaulted by the barrage and soon started falling to the ground. Luckily Chimaconda was able to catch it in time, its snake head slowly lowering it to the ground as Togekiss chirped sadly at Melia.

"No need to get upset, you did your best." She replied, consoling her dearest friend before recalling it. "I must say I'm impressed by your strength; it'll be greatly needed in the future."

"Heh, I guess you're right, especially if there's a bunch of assholes who need a throttling—oh wait, I forgot about Jenner's allegiance to them…" The young man chimed in, petting his Pokémon before recalling it.

"Like you need my permission to deal with him." Melia retorted, a hint of seriousness in her tone. "That aside, we should head back upstairs. I'm sure everyone's wondering where we got up to down here."

"Oh I can see Saki teasing me about this." Julius commented, the two leaving the battlefield and made their way to the front bow, their friends shooting them some quick glances.

"Heh, sounds like you two had quite the wild ride down there. I wonder how Val feels about you cheating on her…" Saki giggled, with Julius hesitantly chuckling as well.

"If anything, it's gotten me intrigued as opposed to offended." Valarie joined in, the young man ceasing his chuckles as a flustered look soon grew on his face.

"As much as I wanna brag about it, I just wanna chill out here for a while, the refreshing ocean breeze blowing against my face." Melia shot down their joke, taking a deep breath to fully enjoy the clean air. "By the way, how is Jenner doing?"

"Oh, I thought you didn't care about him." Julius inquired.

"It's not that I care, I'm just curious, that's all." The blonde quickly replied.

"Well in that case, he was abducted by this woman named Crescent, who took him who knows where." The young man answered.

"Hah, serves him right if you ask me!" Melia hasilty retorted, a more thoughtful look appearing on her face. "It's kind of funny, actually. In an ironic twist of fate, he sent me to Goldenwood Forest to be abducted, only to be abducted himself."

"Yeah, well karma works in mysterious ways." Julius replied, as he began thinking to himself. "You know, since I don't have much reason to continue my journey here, would you have an issue if I tagged with you to Grand Dream City?"

"I don't see why not." The blonde woman smiled at him, before a blue fog suddenly enveloped the ship, the air growing cold all of a sudden. "…Where did this fog come fro—wait, this is just like that time in Goldenwood Forest."

"Huh? I didn't see any fog on the horizon, so I've got no clue as to where it came from." Valarie chimed in, a confused look on her face. Just as suddenly as it appeared, it soon died down leaving everyone even more confused. "I-It disappeared!"

"Y-Yeah…" Aelita chimed in, before suddenly fanning herself with her hand. "Phew, is it just me or did it grow really hot in an instant?"

"It's not just you, I'm feeling the heat as well." Julius chimed in, using his hat to fan himself as Saki began whooping and hollering by the bow of the ship.

"Woooo, I'm flying! I'm flying!" She cheered, her arms outstretched as Valarie peered through her binoculars, her eyes widening in surprise.

"L-Land ho?" She called out, turning her attention to the Captain's room. "Whoa there, slow down, slow down! Otherwise we're gonna crash!"

"Land?! There wasn't land there a second ago." Melia called out; the ship continued to sail towards the island. Though Captain Augustus tried his best to slow down, it was too little, too late and issued out a warning for everyone to brace for impact. However, Saki opted not to brace and was sent flying when the shop shocked, calling out in a mixture of awe and shock as she was sent flying over the treetops and landed somewhere deep inside the island.

"Shit, Saki!" Julius cried out in fear, hoping nothing too serious had happened to her. "W-We better start looking for her!"

"No kidding. Luckily for us I knew exactly where we are now; Terajuma Shore." Melia replied, the group quickly making their way off the ship and began exploring the beach before them. "Yep, as I expected, we're on Terajuma Shore."

"If that's the case, then that means we're on Terajuma Island." Valarie deduced, a puzzled expression appearing on her face. "But how is this the case, we were heading towards Gearen City!"

"That weird fog must've had something to do with our sudden teleportation, but I'm not sure how that's possible." Aelita chimed in, as the door to a nearby shack opened, a young woman with medium-length brown hair and wore what looked like a Pokémon Ranger's uniform exited the building, took a quick look at the group of six before re-entering the shack.

"Uh…what do we do now?" Julius asked out-loud, as he heard what sounded like two people discussing something about a ship crashing into the island, before the woman from before exited the shack once more, this time with her co-worker.

"So err…it's a nice day, isn't it?" Aelita opted to break the ice, though it didn't seem to work.

"As per our regulations, we're gonna have to take you to Kakori Village for some questioning. I hope none of you have any issues with that." The male ranger informed the group.

"Well I can't say we blame you for asking about us, given that we appeared out of the blue. But there's something else we need to take care of, namely that our friend flew off the ship when we crash-landed." Valarie replied.

"Normally we don't have any experience dealing with people flying off of ships, but a ranger never turns down a request for help." The female ranger proudly proclaimed.

"Rangers…" Melia mused under Her breath, looking up at the duo. "You two wouldn't happen to work for Crawli, wouldn't you?"

"Yes…why are you asking?" The male ranger inquired, a hint of suspicion in his voice.

"I'm Melia, and these are my friends. I'm sure your boss knows who I am." She smiled sweetly, with both rangers yelping in surprise.

"Wait, you're Melia? That girl we saw a few months ago?" The female ranger replied, eying her carefully. "You look…older than when we first saw you."

"It's a long story, but I'm still the same girl you know." Melia replied. "Now would you mind helping us out?"

"Definitely, after all it's part of our job. Come with us, we'll show you the way." The male ranger called out to the group, as they all walked down the path through Terajuma Jungle, towards Kakori Village. During the walk, they learnt that the male ranger was named Sam, and the female ranger was named Alex.

"Alright, once we arrive at the Village, we'll organize a search-and-rescue party to look for your missing friend. Be thankful that you don't have to go through the actual jungle, it's a complete maze there." Sam informed the group.

"Most people who try to do so end up getting heatstroke or get bitten by a poisonous Pokémon." Alex chimed in.

"Oh? And here I was eagerly looking forward to an adventure with my pals…" Braixen commented, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yeah right, you're a total priss, Braixen. I bet you wouldn't say no to someone carrying you throughout the jungle." Adam snidely retorted.

"Pffft, like you wouldn't turn down the offer yourself." The bipedal fox retorted.

"Will you two keep it down? I'm getting a headache from this horrid humidity, and I don't need you two making it worse!" Valarie snapped at them, causing them to clam up instantly, not wanting to test her patience.

"Sorry Val…" The duo sheepishly apologized.

"Anyway, it'll be better for us if we kept—Nim?" Melia blurted out, watching as the young psychic sluggishly walked up to Julius and Aelita, the duo swiftly catching her so she wouldn't fall over.

"D-Don't go without me…" She requested, the young man raising his hand to her forehead.

"Shit, she's running an intense fever. We better hurry up and give her some medical care, pronto!" Julius blurted, with Nim raising her hand in objection.

"Nah…it's just the boat ride. I get sea sick at times…best if I just walk this off." She replied, managing to lift herself away from the duo and quickly make her way down the path, with the group watching her go.

"We better keep an eye on her, just to be on the safe side." Aelita commented, the group agreeing to do so as they continued walking down the path, only to come to a complete halt as they saw several vines sprouting up from the ground, blocking the path towards the village.

"Great, looks like our "favorite" Pokémon is at it again…" Sam retorted sarcastically, inspecting the vines. "Looks like these ones are fresh, as in few minutes fresh."

"Sam and I have been searching the jungle for the culprit, but it continues to elude us. So we were going to report this back at Kakori, but the warp pads our out, meaning that we'll have to go the long way, where that blasted Carnivine is lurking." Alex added.

"W-Wait, I'm missing something. How is a lone Carnivine able to create all these vines?" Adam inquired, with Braixen giggling under her breath.

"I don't know, but I do know one thing; you're missing a lot of things, dear." The bipedal fox retorted, the blue-haired man glaring at her in response.

"That Carnivine was sent here by Angie to punish us all with an eternal headache, and I won't hear anything to the contrary!" Alex hastily commented.

"I'm sorry, but who is this Angie?" Melia asked.

"She's the leader of Kristiline Town, ruling over it with a theocratic grip and harasses those who refuses to follow her doctrine." Sam answered, crossing his arms. "Though she is a handful, I doubt she's behind the Carnivine-related incidents."

"Whatever the case, I best she's really fun at parties…" Julius retorted snidely.

"Look on the plus side, there's a functioning warp pad on the other side of Terajuma Cave, which is just to the west of here. However, it's usually flooded at this time of day so we might have to wait a while before we can go through it." Alex chimed happily, pointing west of their position. "Well come on, let's not dilly-dally!"

Watching the young ranger walk to the cave, the rest of the group shrugged their shoulders before opting to follow her through the thick foliage. Around five or so minutes later, they had arrived at the mouth of the cave, with the rangers inspecting the area to see if it was safe to traverse. Soon enough, the duo exited the cave, their shoes absolutely soaked to the brim.

"As I expected, it's completely flooded. It'll be a while before the water subsides enough for you to walk through." Sam informed the group, the two rangers sitting down on a rock and removed their shoes so their feet can get dried off.

"Well what are we gonna do to pass the time?" Aelita inquired, her gaze focused on what looked like a small body of water beneath a waterfall, a couple of very small islands in it.

"I could challenge Julius to a gym battle, after all I doubt, he'd turn it down." Valarie offered, perking up the young man's attention.

"It's better than standing around and doing nothing…" He agreed to the plan, his gaze focusing on the small cove that Aelita had spotted. "Hey, that place looks like an ideal battleground. Do you have any issues with it, Val?"

"Not at all, in fact I'll help you get down there." The blue haired woman offered, outstretching her hand to the young man as he took it, the duo carefully scaling down the rocky wall surrounding the water and swam towards the small islands, the rest of the group standing by the edge to watch them battle. "I know the thought and sight of me all hot and wet must be exciting for your mind, but I don't want you staring off into space as I wipe the floor with you." Valarie smirked at the young man.

"V-Val!" Julius called out in protest, a fierce blush appearing on his face as the group chuckled at his detriment.

"All jokes aside, I must say that your battling skills, and devotion to your Pokémon have impressed me. Hence why I won't show you any hint of hesitation whatsoever in this battle; I think I'll start off with Gorebyss." The older woman send out her first Pokémon, the pink dolphin emerging from its ball and dove into the water, poking its head above the water's surface.

"That's fine, I can work with it. Well since this is a jungle, I think it'll be smart to send out Coatlith." The young man chimed in, the grassy dragon flying up above the cove and eyed up its opponent. The Coatlith began planning its next move, bolstering its mental energy with its devious strategies, only for its eyes to widen in shock as Gorebyss fired a beam of chilly energy at the dragon. It was able to escape the brunt of the attack, though the icy beam grazed its fuzzy back, the dragon hissing in pain as it retaliated with a swift Energy Ball, knocking Gorebyss back under the waters surface. However, the dolphin wasn't out for the count yet, leaping out the water and cloaked itself with a magical barrier of water to slowly restore its vitality. Scowling at the devious opponent, the Coatlith promptly swatted it back down with its tail before firing a beam of draconic energy at the area it fell, kicking up a large amount of water with the bystanders stepping back a few feet to avoid getting wet.

"Ah, be careful next time! You know I hate getting wet." Braixen scolded the young man from behind Adam, who took the brunt of the splash.

"Sorry 'bout that…" Julius chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of his head as his attention soon turned to the unconscious form of Gorebyss, the attack striking her head on.

"Not bad, not bad at all…" Valarie commented, recalling her fallen Pokémon before making her next decision. "But I'm sure this one'll end your streak; go, Qwilfish!" The marine biologist sent out her next Pokémon, the pufferfish taking in water to greatly increase its size, an act that intimidated Coatlith. In a move that nobody but Valarie saw coming, the Qwilfish used the water in it as propulsion to launch it into the air, diving straight towards the Forest Lord and assaulting it with its poisonous quills, the dragon squawking in pain as it knocked the fish away. Plucking the leftover quills out of its body, it gathered energy from its surroundings and fired a vivid green ball at Qwilfish, the attack striking it head on with the pufferfish grunting in frustration. Diving back down into the water, it lunged up once more, its body cloaked in water as it propelled itself at Coatlith once more. The dragon opted to draw in natural energy again, its gaze fixated at Qwilfish who glared back at it, its eyes glowing a reddish-purple. Julius quickly realized what the pufferfish was trying to do, and quickly called out to Coatlith, but it would be in vain; the dragon firing off an Energy Ball at its foe. As the attack struck Qwilfish, a spectral form emerged from its body and quickly phased through the Forest Lord Pokémon, who slowly fell to the ground before Julius' feet, its energy having been drained. Bobbing on the water a few feet from the young man was the defeated Qwilfish, too tired to continue battling.

"Normally, I'm against utilizing such unorthodox tactics, but I didn't want you to decimate my team with just the one Pokémon." Valarie explained her case, recalling her fallen Pokémon with Julius doing the same. "But now it's time for me to step my game up, and my Ludicolo has what it takes to teach you a lesson!"

The young man eyed up the Pokémon in amusement, the Carefree Pokémon happily frolicking in the water. "My Coatlith did an excellent job of showing you my capabilities, but I think it's about time I sent out it's partner in crime; Frikitiki, you're up!" He called out, the new Pokémon quickly scurrying up the nearest tree overlooking the cove. It was a small, monkey-like Pokemon with a slender tail that had blades of grass growing around the base, and short, light brown fur all over it's body. The most striking feature was that its head resembled a tall, oblong tiki mask, small flames emitting from the yellow eyeholes on the mask. It proceeded to yank several hard seeds off the tree before hurling it at Ludicolo, the latter using its hat to shield itself from the relentless assault.

"Nice try, but it's gonna take more than that to best me; retaliate with Scald!" Valarie retorted, the Ludicolo gulping a large quantity of cove water, heating it up inside its mouth and spewed it at the monkey, who leapt from branch to branch to evade the attack, chucking a few more seeds in the process. It then ran down a rather long branch and leapt off it, its body cloaked in flames as it tackled the Carefree Pokémon, who cried out in pain as it was pushed into the water. Confident over it's victory, the Frikitiki chuckled to itself, unaware that Ludicolo re-emerged from the water and fired a beam of chilly energy at its foe, encasing its tail in ice. The monkey yelped in surprise, running around in circles as the crowd watched in amusement, before dipping it into the water, sighing in relief as the ice soon melted. Glaring at the Ludicolo, it hopped back up on the branch and threw seeds at such a rapid pace that the Carefree Pokémon wasn't able to block them all. Once it was dazed, the monkey scooped up several stray vines with its tail, leaping back down to the cove and began smacking Ludicolo with them, charging up its focus in one last hit that sent it flying towards the rocky wall besides Valarie, the unconscious Pokémon sliding down into the waters beside her.

"I guess that's enough proof that I'm not into the whole monkey business thing…" Julius quipped, the crowd groaning at his joke.

"And you say my humor is painful…" Nim called out, coughing a few times as Aelita brought her a little closer to provide some small comfort to the ill girl.

"Bad jokes aside, I was right about you being a serious customer. However, I'm confident that my Milotic will turn the tides for me." Valarie smiled, recalling her Ludicolo and sent out her fourth Pokémon, the graceful sea serpent calmly eying up the Frikitiki, the latter poking its tongue out at her. Mildly annoyed by its rude demeanor, the Milotic swung her tail down on the branch, snapping it effortlessly as the monkey flailed its arms helplessly before crashing into the water. It tried swimming to the closest island to escape, only for the Milotic to call forth a large tidal wave that swept it up, the wave crashing down on Julius who managed to catch Frikitiki, the monkey knocked out from the powerful attack.

"Ah, you're safe and sound now." The young man cooed to his companion, recalling it back in its ball before making a quick decision on who to send out next. "Alright Gellin, time to send sparks flying!" He called out, the Amoeba Pokémon emerging from its ball and started treading water, quietly gazing at its foe. Soon enough, it began galloping on the water, sending bolts of lighting everywhere with one striking Milotic head on. Though it managed to shrug it off, the Tender Pokémon's movements stiffened, weak crackles of electricity coursing on her body with her scales hardening in response to the paralysis. The Milotic fired off an Ice Beam to halt Gellin in it's tracks, the amoeba chirping in shock as its hind legs were encased in the frozen water, before its foe slammed her tail onto the ice, sending the Gellin flying to the opposite side of the arena. Quickly getting back up, it launched a series of tendrils that ensnared the sea serpent, which soon glowed a vivid green as they drain Milotic of her vitality, using it to recover some much-needed energy. Once it had its fill, it charged up electricity in its organelles before firing a bolt of lighting at the Milotic, who cried out in pain as she was sent flying towards the rocky wall and crashed into it, sliding down into the water and was in no condition to continue battling.

"Looks like Julius has you on the ropes, Val." Melia called out, the blue-haired woman recalling her Pokémon.

"Oh I'm just going easy on him." She replied in a joking manner, sending out her next Pokémon. "My Lanturn's going to give him quite a nasty shock, so you better not miss it."

The anglerfish Pokémon surveyed the area, snacking on any stray static charges in the area as it's blub glowed brighter after its quick meal. A few seconds later, a multicolored beam of light shot out from its bulb, striking Gellin head on as the amoeba started teetering on the spot in a momentary bout of confusion. Lanturn opted to follow up with a potent Scald, the stream of boiling hot water rocketing towards Gellin and pushed it into the water. However, the attack only served to snap it out of its confused state, the amoeba emerging from the water and drew in energy from its surroundings to launch a green ball of energy at the angelfish Pokémon, striking it head on and pushed it back a few feet.

Shaking its head to regain focus, the Lanturn dove into the water and re-emerged a few seconds later, tackling the amoeba with its body as they both fell below the waters surface. Now underwater, the Gellin was at the mercy of its foe, who opted to fire continuous pulses of water at it in order to confuse it once more, before opting to go for a desperate strategy. Storing an incredible amount of energy in its body, it unleashed a massive explosion, causing a large shockwave to course through the water as a large splash sent water everywhere, getting both Julius and Valarie soaking wet as they watched in curiosity to see who'd emerge victorious. They'd soon get their answer, as the unconscious forms of Gellin and Lanturn rose to the surface, bobbing carelessly with both trainers running over to check on them.

"Don't worry Gellin, I'll make sure you get all the rest you need once we arrive at Kakori Village." The young man consoled his companion, with Valarie doing the same as they recalled their Pokémon. "For someone who said they're going easy on me, you're giving me quite a run for my money. In that case, I'll repay you the favor; Glavinug, I choose you!" He called out, the sea slug emerging from its ball. It was a most graceful creature, it's body a mixture of dark blue and white as its fins treaded the water calmly. It also had a pair of long fins above its ears, and a frilly tail that moved calmly in the water.

"What a lovely Pokémon you have there…" Valarie cooed, reaching for her final Pokémon. "But when it comes to beauty and grace, it pales when compared to my Primarina!" She continued, sending out her ace Pokémon, who bowed before the crowd in an act of showmanship. Generating a ball of vivid green energy in her flippers, the Soloist Pokémon hurled it at the sea slug who dived underwater to dodge the attack before firing a blast of icy energy at its foe, the seal effortlessly withstanding the attack thanks to her impressive bulk.

Standing up on her tail, the Primarina let out an enchanting cry, a large ball of water emerging from the pool before bursting into a barrage of bubbles, assaulting the Glavinug as it was pushed back a few feet, with the Soloist Pokémon bowing to the crowd before diving in once more. Rearing itself back up, the Sea Slug Pokémon waddled back onto land, a cunning plan forming in its mind as it charged up ice-cold energy in its mouth, firing it at the water's surface in order to freeze it. Having realized what her foe was up to, the Primarina attempted to escape the water, but only managed to get her top half out before the ice encased her, leaving her a sitting duck. Excited over its plan succeeding, the Glavinug started retching on the spot before firing a barrage of sludge at the seal, the latter wincing in pain and disgust as the sludge assaulted her body and got it dirty. The sea slug soon hopped on the ice and slid towards Primarina, its fins coated in a shadow aura as it leapt up and slashed at her, the Soloist Pokémon crying out once more as it broke out of the ice and was sent flying towards the rocky wall, crashing into it and fell down on the frozen surface, too exhausted to continue battling.

"P-Primarina is no longer able to battle, rendering Valarie out of battle-capable Pokémon. Thus, as per regulations, Julius is declared the winner!" Melia called out, surprised at how powerful the small Pokémon was.

"Haha! Now that's one way to end a show!" Julius cheered victoriously, Glavinug leaping up in joy as Valarie recalled her fallen friend.

"As the waves come and go, so too must all battles end." She spoke to herself, her gaze focusing on the young man. "As much as I'm impressed with you over your victory, a part of my is upset with myself for losing. A natural feeling that all trainers feel upon failing their trusted partners. I guess you can say that you managed to satisfy me…" The blue-haired woman continued, smirking slightly upon saying the last sentence.

"I'm just glad Saki didn't hear that, otherwise we'll never hear the end of it." Julius chuckled, petting his Glavinug before recalling it.

"As proof of your victory and our friendship, I present to you the Dewdrop badge." Valarie said, handing the young man a crystal blue badge in the shape of a circle that had two notches in its sides. He nodded gratefully and attached it to his card alongside the other badges before putting it away.

"Aw man, I wanted Val to win…n-no offense Julius; it was still a good match overall." Braxien called out, masking her traces of disappointment.

"Heh, I knew you'd emerge victorious." Aelita smirked, having just realized that both Alex and Sam weren't there. "H-Hey, where'd they go?"

"Checking the cave while you were watching the battle; the path's all clear now." Alex called out to the group, the duo emerging from the cave.

"Now that's a relief; come Julius, I'll help you get back up." Valarie informed the young man, outstretching her hand once more.

"Thanks; I guess I owe you and the others a free meal…" The young man chuckled politely, taking her hand.

"Well I'm not one to turn down a free meal, so I'll accept your offer." She smiled at him, helping him scale the rocky wall as they watched the others make their way to the cave.

 **Another badge to the collection and oh boy was it a doozy. Throughout all the playthroughs I did, Valarie was always one of the harder battles due to how well structured her team is, coupled that with the field effect. The next chapter will be a little slower, providing everyone with a nice breather after that intense battle. Thank you all for reading, I'll see you all soon!**


	22. Chapter 22

**After some deliberating to myself, I decided not to go through with the intimate encounter since it wouldn't add that much to the story. That aside, there's nothing else I have to state beforehand which means we can start this chapter now.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Having gone through the cave and down the path to the lone treehouse standing at the end, the group climbed up the rope ladder and entered the structure, with Alex making her way to a small laptop at the back and pressed a few keys, the warp pad beside it emitting a faint glow.

"Okie dokie, that should do it!" She smiled, hopping off the chair and stepped towards the warp pad. "With this baby operational, we'll be at Kakori Village within seconds."

"We'll inform our leader there of our arrival, don't take too long." Sam chimed in, the two rangers hopping onto the warp pad, their bodies glowing an ethereal blue as they disappeared from the room.

"Finally, we can get out of this humid jungle…only to end up in another part of this humid jungle." Valarie sighed in a mixture of annoyance and faint relief.

"No complaints from me, I'm ready to go." Braixen added, reclining by one of the walls.

"First thing I'm doing when I get there is getting Nim to the local doctors; I don't think she can last any longer in this heat." Aelita chimed in, her hand on the psychic's forehead as the latter was sweating up a storm at this point.

"I'll take your comments as an unanimous decision. Come on, let's get a move on; Julius can go first." Melia ordered, the young man making his way to the warp pad and stepped on it, waiting to be warped out of this confusing maze of trees and vines. However, he didn't feel anything, even after waiting 15 or so seconds.

"…Don't tell me." Julius muttered, hopping off momentarily to study the device, only to see that the light was deactivated, despite the laptop listing it as active. "Great, the thing's busted. Just when you thought we haven't had enough issues already; this gets thrown at us!"

"I-Impossible, it was working just a few seconds ago!" Melia exclaimed in shock, watching the young man walk towards the laptop, grumbling under his breath in irritation.

"Perhaps it was a temporary glitch; let me have a try." Valarie suggested, making her way to the pad and stepped on it. Like Julius, she waited for around 15 seconds, but to no avail. "Well since we can't use the warp pad, that means we'll have to go the long way…"

"A-At the very least, we can start looking for Saki. After all, that is what we were going to do after arriving at the village. Who knows, we may even find her on the way to the village?" Aelita chimed in, trying to find the bright side of this turn of events.

"I hate to admit it, but you have a point there." Adam commented quietly.

"It's not as bad as you think; we'll just have to walk through annoying patches of grass and deal with inconsistent weather, a confusing layout and who knows how many wild Pokémon." Melia replied, trying to hide her scathing sarcasm.

"Yay, that sounds a whole lot better than instantly teleporting to our destination, where we can get fresh food, nice beds and even a warm shower." Julius retorted sarcastically, causing the rest of the group to groan in annoyance as they all slowly made their way out of the treehouse and back to the hot and humid jungle.

 **0000**

The hour-long trek through the jungle had taken its toll on everyone, most notably Nim who was on the verge of collapsing and had to be supported by Aelita and Julius. Melia tried her hardest to keep a positive vibe in the group, but even she was succumbing to the horrid conditions. Naturally, the petty jabs at each other that Adam and Braixen were shooting at each other didn't help, most notably Valarie who managed to silence them after spouting a few choice words at the duo, her headache reaching migraine status at this point. Their irritation and weariness soon turned to relief upon seeing a small wooden bridge over a crystal-clear lake running south towards the beach.

"Finally…we're at the last stretch. I'd say that walk wasn't as bad as we make it out to be…but then I'd be lying." Melia sighed in relief, wiping some sweat off her forehead.

"Unfortunately, we weren't able to find Saki during our trek. Perhaps she already made it to Kakori Village before us?" Aelita pondered, taking a quick glance at Nim as she stepped away from her and Julius, opting to take in a few deep breaths.

"Ahahaha, no. Saki's sense of direction is…below average to put it bluntly. Heck, she could barely get around Axis University without me." Braixen interjected, chuckling under her breath.

"We'll have the rangers form a search party once we get to Kakori Village, after we get Nim to a doctor; her condition's getting worse by the minute." Julius pointed out, with Nim slowly making her way to the bridge, before suddenly falling to her knees. "Nim!"

"I-I'm sorry…" Nim weakly replied.

"Nim, you don't need to apologize, it's all right." Melia knelt beside her, comforting the young girl.

"Y-You don't understand…" She replied, making her way to the bridge. "I-I can't hold them back anymore…"

"Nim, what are you—" Aelita called out, only to get cut off by the young girl screaming in pain as a purplish-black light enveloped the area, temporarily blinding everyone nearby. When the light died down, the rest of the group saw that Nim had become a statue made of solid stone, a trio of menacing figures staring down the startled heroes.

"Nim!" Julius cried out, as he and Melia stepped up towards the bridge, only for the echoing laughter of a fourth figure to pollute the area, the young man's blood freezing upon hearing the chuckle. _'T-That voice! I-It can't be—'_

"Well isn't this a perfect day? I had only begun my search and already I succeeded." The figure emerged from the bushes and walked towards the three Xen admins. "Not only that, but I found my sworn nemesis…"

"Finally, we're outta—wait, who's this dude?" Zetta inquired, the three admins turning around and noticed Professor Larkspur walking towards them.

"Ah, you must be the agents I was tasked to locate. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Professor Friedrich Larkspur of Tandor, latest agent of Team Xen." The bespectacled man introduced himself.

"Great, as if we needed another old geezer in our ranks…" Geara commented sarcastically, crossing his arms. "Well as long as you aren't against us, I can tolerate you, barely."

"Pffft, I never knew Team Xen were garbage collectors in their spare time. After all, they have to have no standards whatsoever if they chose to recruit you, Larkspur…" Julius snarked viciously at the old man.

"Hah, your scathing remarks means nothing to me, after all I heard about what happened to Nancy-kins…" Larkspur mocked back, causing the young man to flinch in a mixture of sadness and raw fury.

"Who are you lot, and where did you come from?!" Valarie demanded, narrowing her eyes at the group of villains.

"Well the old fart beside me introduced himself already, so I introduce myself. The name's Geara. I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you all…but it's really not that way is it?" The raven-haired man greeted.

"And there's no need to introduce that guy over there, _Jenner_ …" Melia interjected, her voice filled with hate as she glared at her "father".

"M-Melia! Thank goodness you're alright, but you look different. What exactly happened to you?" Jenner expressed his concerns, only for them to get shot down brutally.

"Don't you dare try and act concerned! I know how you really felt about me, so drop the act. I don't want to hear it." Melia retorted viciously.

"Look, I didn't sign up for some father-daughter drama show, and I'm sure the old man didn't either. That being said, I am Zetta and the thr—four of us are part of Team Xen." Zetta chimed in.

"Team Xen? I thought we dealt with you back at Blacksteeple Castle!" Valarie exclaimed in response. "How the hell did you find us so quickly?!"

"Evidently all of your good genes went towards your body…" Geara snarked back, giving her a good look over as the blue-haired woman shot him a glare so vicious that it's a surprise he didn't drop dead right there.

"In that case, we better explain it reaallll slow-like for here and that idiot standing beside her." Zetta commented, pointing his thumb at Adam.

"Long story short, we didn't find you, nor were we looking for you. We were brought here by that girl." Geara began, briefly glancing at the petrified Nim. "We were trapped in an alternate dimension parallel to this one, a cell without a door so to speak. We stumbled upon the girl while we were there, using her as an opportunity to escape."

"Like I'm scared of you chumps. Even with Professor Creepface over there, we still outnumber and outmatch you. We'll mop you all in an instant!" Melia reminded the villains, stepping forward towards them.

"Exactly. I've been waiting to deal with you for a long time, Larkspur." Julius regained his courage, standing alongside Melia as Larkspur cackled in response.

"Ohohohohoho! This is rich, did you find yourself a new girlfriend, Julius?" He sneered, startling the two of them as they stammered in surprise and looked away from each other in embarrassment, fierce blushes on their faces.

"Melia…when have you gotten so…aggressive?" Jenner inquired, taking a step forward.

"The day you abandoned me." She regained her composure, her response causing the man to flinch internally.

"Pssst, Geara. I know we're acting cool and all, but can we really take on all of them at the same time, especially when Julius already clean both our clocks a while ago?" Zetta whispered to his comrade.

"No way, we'd get destroyed. Even with the newcomer, I doubt we'll be able to get out of this unscathed. Just look for something you can use…" Geara whispered back.

"You mean the Dimensional Rift?" Zetta inquired.

"No, the getaway car. Of course I'm talking about the damned Rifts!" Geara hissed, his gaze soon focusing on a Carnivine hovering beside the river, minding its own business. "Ah, a lucky break for us."

"Well look what we have here…" Zetta smirked, turning to face the Carnivine, who floated towards the man in curiosity. Emitting a reddish ball from his hands, he fired it at the Carnivine, who squawked in surprise as it was enveloped by the ball of energy, alerting the heroes as to what Zetta was doing.

"N-No!" Melia cried out, watching as the ball glowed and warped on the spot before growing into the thing that marked her descent down the treacherous path she's on, with Larkspur cackling in glee over the sight of the Dimensional Rift.

"Heeheeheehee! Just as the boss told me so; you can make Dimensional Rift's with your power!" He cheered, his eyes twinkling at the terrifying, if spectacular sight.

"T-That's the same thing I saw back at Carotos Mountain!" Aelita exclaimed in fear. "I had hoped to never see it again."

"Eugh! It's horrifying!" Braixen recoiled in disgust, stepping back a few feet.

"As much as I hate to admit it, Melia's right; we lack the strength to stop you all. But if we take out her most important piece, then we may have a chance against them." Zetta informed the group, glancing at Julius, the young man tightening his fist.

"Everyone, this may be an uphill battle ahead of us, but if we work together, we can do this!" Melia rallied her allies for support.

"I'll stand by your side until the bitter end." Julius declared.

"Sure, I ain't afraid of these chumps." Adam replied.

"Right, I'll make sure Geara eats his words." Valarie chimed in.

"Heh, just like back then, eh Julius?" Aelita added, the group standing together in unison at the end of the bridge with Braixen joining suit.

"Listen up, Zetta, Geara, Jenner, Larkspur. No matter what obstacle you put us through, no matter what sort of hell you cook up. We'll destroy you, each and every time. We'll make you all regret the day you ever decided to screw with us!" Melia boldly declared.

"Big talk for such a small girl, no wonder July-boy is enamored with you…" Larkspur mused, raising a hand to his chin. "If you're gonna spout such threats, then you better have the bite to back your bark up!"

"Right, but I hope you don't mind if we…evened things up." Zetta smirked, ordering his rift to suck Julius up, the young man barely having any time to react before the rift consumed him, catching the heroes off guard as Melia tried in vain to rescue him.

 **0000**

"Ugh…I don't think I'll ever get used to this…" The young man groaned, wearily getting up off the grassy floor and surveyed the surrounding area. As he came to expect, the plant life in the rift was a dull, lifeless grey instead of the vibrant green that he spent the last hour or so getting used to. But what was most intriguing to the man was the mysterious woman with her back facing him, a small chip lying a few feet away from her. Quietly pocketing the chip, Julius slowly made his way towards her, only for the woman to turn around, her icy blue skin standing out from the otherwise drab surroundings.

"Carnivine, hear my plea. Give them suffering, for they cannot flee!" She spoke ominously, pointing to a patch of grass behind her as the ground started to rumble and quake, the mutated form of Carnivine emerging from the cracks. It now took on a more serpentine appearance, a trio of red, slender tongues flopping out of its plantlike jaws. Though it lacked any eyes, it was able to detect Julius' presence using the antenna on the top of its head, its leafy wings flapping aimlessly on its back as they were too small to grant it any flight capabilities.

" I see how it is…in that case, I'll go for Chimaconda!" Julius declared, the Chimera Pokémon roaring proudly and glared at the serpentine beast. He was hoping to end things quickly so that he can assist his friends in the real world, but was confident that they'll defeat the Xen admins. Almost immediately, the Carnivine spewed a cloud of noxious spores from its mouth, with Chimaconda firing a weak stream of flames to incinerate the incoming spores. Now that it can counter attack safely, the Chimera opted to go for a Flamethrower, the hot stream of flames enveloping the hostile Pokémon as is hissed in pain, its body flailing on the spot. However, it soon broke free of the oppressive attack and called forth a giant vine from the ground, the attack pushing Chimaconda back several feet.

' _That attack did less than I expected; perhaps the mutation granted it additional resistance to Fire type attacks.'_ The young man mused to himself, studying the situation carefully. If he couldn't go for Fire type attacks, then hopefully Poison type attacks would work. "Change of plans; go for Sludge Bomb!"

Agreeing with the plan, the Chimera Pokémon reared it's tail as the snake head spewed a barrage of noxious sludge at the Carnivine, the serpentine beast hissing once more as its body was coated in the poisonous substance, a faint purple hue appearing on its tongues. Julius smirked at this; now that it was poisoned all he had to do was survive whatever desperate onslaught his foe would launch, and victory will be his. The Carnivine extended its tongues, the slippery appendages burrowing through the ground before breaking through the ground and ensnared Chimaconda's paws to the ground. It slithered up to its foe and began smacking it with its wings, the Chimera hissing in pain upon every slap dealt to it. Once it was done smacking it around, the Carnivine opened its massive jaws, hoping to consume its prey, only for Chimaconda to fire a hot stream of flames directly into its mouth, the Bug Catcher Pokémon violently thrashing in pain as it was being incinerated from the inside out, releasing its grip on its prey. Julius flinched at the brutal sight; despite it being his foe he felt pity for it since it was only minding its business before being ensnared in Zetta's rift. Whatever small mischief it played by growing those vines in the jungle were not enough of a danger to warrant such a horrifying end. However, a small mercy would be granted onto it as the Carnivine soon left this world, it's charred body disappearing into the ether as the rift shook violently before the young man and his comrade were ejected out of the space.

 **0000**

Zetta growled under his breath; not only were he and his companions defeated by Melia and her friends, but Julius managed to escape from the void, having defeated his Rift Carnivine.

"Better luck next time!" Julius poked his tongue out at the man, his Chimaconda growling at the villainous group.

"Oh thank goodness you're alright!" Melia sighed in relief, the rest of the group showing signs of relief as well. "You defeated that thing in record time, as I expected. Unfortunately, you missed out on us devastating these chumps, but it couldn't be helped."

"I'm sure Geara's regretting his choice of words used to describe me, isn't he?" Valarie chimed in, shooting a smug look at Geara, who flipped her the bird in response.

"H-How do you keep defeating all of my Dimensional Rifts?! Just who the hell do you think you are?!" Zetta roared, having reached his breaking point.

"Take it from me, the kid's a highly competent battler. He's foiled more of my plans then I care to admit." Larkspur chimed in.

"Ugh, now you tell us…" The blonde man scoffed under his breath.

"See, this is why we're better than you. We work well together and don't break down into petty squabbling every five minutes." Melia retorted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Truth be told, I'd rather die than lose to complete idiots like you."

"Idiots?! I'll show you who the real idiots are…" Geara seethed, outstretching his arm and used his power to drag Nim's petrified body towards him, surprising the heroes as he chuckled darkly. "Hah, you may have won this battle, but the war rages on! I hope you don't mind if I take a trophy home with us…"

"By the look of this place, it appears to be Terajuma Island…" Zetta mused, turning towards Geara. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Heheheh…I know exactly what you're thinking." Geara smirked back, turning towards the heroes. "If this is Terajuma Island, then we'll be taking a quick expedition to Valor Mountain. You bring Melia to the peak and hand her over, or else this girl's going to have a nice hot bath…in molten lava!"

"Y-You bastard!" Julius hissed at the man, with Larkspur cackling in response.

"Ohohohohoho, this is perfect! Forcing Julius to choose between his friend, and his girlfriend. I do love sadistic choices." The old man sneered, his glasses sparkling in the sunlight.

"Y-You wouldn't—" Aelita began.

"I would, and if you question me again—" Geara cut her off, only to get cut off himself.

"She get's it Geara. No need to repeat yourself." Jenner tried calming him down.

"Bite your tongue! I don't recall giving you permission to speak, worm!" The young man viciously snapped at his elder. "Know your damn place before spouting nonsense like that."

"Look, we can save the arguing for another time. We're in no shape to withstand any more attacks, so we better get a move on." Zetta broke up the squabbling duo.

"I agree. After all I need to report my success to Madame X regarding your retrieval. And if all goes well, then this successful capture shall redeem you three in her eyes." Larkspur chimed in, quickly typing out a message on his Team Xen PDA.

"Fine…" Geara scoffed at the duo, directing his attention to the heroes. "Valor Mountain. Be there or else…" He continued, using his power once more to conjure up a clod of smoke, enabling the villains to escape successfully. Once the smoke died down, the heroes contemplated the situation quietly, with Julius recalling his Pokémon as a sour look grew on his face.

"Damn him!" He snapped, picking up a rock and threw it into the lake. "Why did that bastard have to come back of all times?!"

"Julius…is there something between you two that you're not telling us?" Melia inquired, a concerned look on her face.

"…I'm not ready to talk about it." He replied, digging his hands inside his pockets as he opted to walk ahead of the group towards the village, the groups' morale having hit an all-time low.

"…Well that was a complete disaster." Valarie commented bitterly, sighing to herself. "Just when I thought we'd be free of them, they come back with a vengeance."

"I guess it was too much to ask for a moment of peace…" Braixen sighed as well.

"So what do we do now…?" Aelita inquired.

"We go to Valor Mountain…and heed the ultimatum." Melia chimed in, her attitude a lot different than it was a few minutes ago.

"N-Now hold on there, let's not think about that now! I-I can detect Saki's aura, she must be nearby." Braixen interjected, her muzzle picking up a familiar scent.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. Kakori Village is up ahead and I don't think we should keep Julius waiting." Melia conceded, the group slowly crossing their bridge and made the final leg of the trek to the village. Soon enough, they saw the young man waiting patiently by the gates, the rangers on guard eying him and the group suspiciously.

"Halt! Who goes there?" The first ranger demanded.

"Halt? We're not barbarians, there's no need to be that rough…" The second ranger shot her partner an odd glance. "They're just trainers who spent the last couple hours travelling through the jungle."

"Yeah, we've had to go the long way because of all the vines, and the faulty warp pads." Melia backed up the ranger's statement.

"Ah yes, the vine problem. Rest assured we'll get it wrapped up soon—" The first ranger began.

"There's no need, sir. I…took care of the issue." Julius chimed in, the first ranger chuckling in disbelief.

"Hah, you expect me to believe such a ludicrous claim? Our top rangers couldn't even deal with them, and you expect me to believe you?!" He snorted.

"Look, whether you believe us or not, we would greatly appreciate it if you let us in." Melia brushed the issue aside, the two rangers moving in closer to whisper to one-another, having reached a decision a few moments later.

"We're sorry to inform you that you are denied access to the village. Please exit the way you came and have a—" The second ranger began, only to get cut off by a mysterious voice.

"That voice…it couldn't be? Melia?" The voice spoke from behind the gates. "O-Open the gate's this instant!" He called out, surprising the two rangers.

"Gah! Y-Yes sir, Crawli!" The first ranger squeaked, having lost his arrogant attitude as they both scrambled up to their respective posts and quickly raised the gates, as a young man with light brown skin and short green hair stepped out to greet the newcomers. His outfit of choice were black shirt and trousers that were made up of tough yet comfortable fabric to accommodate for the humid climate, and a short, sleeveless red vest over his shirt. Additionally, he wore a pair of tinted glasses over his eyes.

"I knew I heard your voice, it's been far too long since we last met, Melia!" Crawli smiled at her, the duo shaking hands with each other, as Julius shot an interested glance at the man. He had heard about him during his time in Tandor where he assisted the Pokémon Rangers there and figured he might have a brief chat with him.

"It has been a while, I apologize for not saying my goodbyes back then, but it was not under my control whatsoever." Melia replied.

"Ah it's water under the bridge…but who are the people with you?" He inquired, gesturing to the group.

"They're friends of mine; Crawli, this is Valarie, Adam, Braixen, Aelita and—" The blonde girl began.

"And Julius?" Crawli cut her off, catching Melia by surprise. "I got a message from Cameron a while ago regarding Julius' presence in the region."

"So you do know Cameron? Well this is a pleasant surprise; I was hoping to have a chat with you regarding a few things." The young man chimed in. "That said, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"And it's a pleasure to meet you all. I assume you're all exhausted from wandering the jungle for hours. In that case, I can rent you out a couple rooms for a night or two." Crawli offered, sighs of relief coursing through the exhausted travelers.

"Thank goodness. I for one could use a shower, preferable a warm one." Valarie smiled.

"I wouldn't say no to one either." Julius admitted, wiping some sweat off his forehead.

"In that case, you two can go in at the same time. I'm sure Saki wouldn't have it any other way…" Braixen smirked, causing the young man to jump back in surprise as a fierce blush appeared on his cheeks.

"B-Braixen!" The young man protested, the rest of the group laughing at his detriment.

"Look, you're cute and all hun, but I don't share my showers with anyone." Valarie chimed in, amused at the young man's predicament.

"I'm glad that the trip hasn't dampened your spirits. Meet me at the Ranger HQ in the north-western part of the village. We can talk more there." Crawli stifled a laugh, gesturing the group to follow him into the village.

 **0000**

Following a quick tour of the village, Crawli escorted the group to the towering Ranger HQ in the furthest corner of the area, the building also serving as the local gym. Upon entering the building, the young man showed everyone which room the meeting would be held as they proceeded to enter the enclosed space. But before Julius was able to step inside, he felt a light tap on his shoulder, the young man turning around and noticed Melia staring at him, an odd look in her eyes.

"He Julius, I know this may be a bit silly considering our situation, but could the two of us have a small walk together before we begin?" She requested, shooting Crawli a quick glance with the green-haired man nodding slowly in agreement.

"Sure, I can do that for you." Julius replied, a small smile forming on Melia's face as the two ducked out of the building and left the village temporarily, making their way to the wooden bridge where they had their showdown earlier and sat peacefully on it, watching the water flowing down the river.

"Ahhh…it's nice being alone with someone I know." The blonde girl sighed in content, stretching her arms in the air. "The others are nice, but I don't feel like I can open up with them yet. I'm worried they might take me less seriously."

"I doubt they'll take you any less seriously, especially after you lead them to victory against those assholes back there." The young man reassured her.

"You don't understand! It's because of that display that they have such high expectations of me, I can't even show a moment of weakness lest I disappoint them!" Melia snapped, raising her voice momentarily before realizing her error. "I-I'm sorry…I've been felling stressed out lately, I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"Hey, no need to worry about it." Julius comforted her, resting his hand on her shoulder. The blonde girl found this simple act of kindness to be…soothing so to speak, a faint blush forming on her soft cheeks. "Besides, I'll lend you an ear whenever you need to vent or anything."

"Thanks…" Melia smiled at the young man, sighing to herself once more. "You know, I think about Venam and Ren a lot, how I never got to say goodbye to them. I'm sure both of them have some questions they want to ask me, not that I can blame them or anything."

"I'm sure a reunion between the four of us would be nice…I hope. After all I don't think Ren would ever want to see me again." Julius replied sadly, his gaze shifting to the river.

"Don't worry, I'm sure me and Venam can help you two fix your friendship, I promise." The blonde girl answered, vowing to uphold her promise. "That aside, I should've paid more attention to Nim while we were walking through the jungle. I guess I still have a lot to learn about being a leader."

"It'll come with experience. After all, I had to learn all the ins and outs of battling during my original journey." The young man chimed in.

"I guess you're right, I just need to put my right foot forward and learn from my mistakes!" Melia declared boldly, her voice brimming with confidence. "There's one thing that's been bothering me for a while. Professor Larkspur made a comment about you finding a new girlfriend. What's the story behind that?"

The young man's blood froze upon hearing her question; he was nowhere near ready to tell Melia the dark secret he's kept to himself for so long, but it seems that he didn't have much of a choice. "…before I came here, I met this girl named Scarlett. She was the nicest person one could ever hope to find. During our journey in Aevium, we had a chat about our future plans one night and decided to get married once our journey had finished…" Julius began, his body posture slumping.

"So what happened next?" The blonde girl inquired.

"Larkspur killed her, an act of revenge for ruining his plans in Tandor. The bastard even made me watch as he rubbed my state of helplessness in my face. Why?! Why did she have to die?! She did nothing wrong; it's ME who should've died that day!" The young man ranted, hurling several small pebbles into the river before collapsing to the ground and started sobbing to himself, with Melia leaning over to comfort her grief-stricken friend. Though she could tell that there was a bit more to the story then he was letting on, she opted not to press him any further, he was already going through enough grief as it was.

"There, there…" Melia consoled her friend, hoisting him off the ground and embraced him in a friendly hug. "It'll be alright; I'll won't leave your side, no matter what happens."

"Th-Thanks Melia…" Julius replied, wiping his tears away as the sound of rustling leaves could be heard behind him.

"Heh, I figured you two would have some quite time together." Aelita smiled to herself, walking up to the duo as they quickly broke off their hug.

"A-Ah, Aelita! How much did you hear?" Melia stammered in surprise, taken aback by her sudden appearance.

"Enough to know that you two are human beings. Don't worry, your secret's safe with me." The purple haired girl smiled, sitting beside Julius. "Whenever I pulled the whole 'should've, could've, would've card', my father would repeat them back to me differently; we could've done a lot, we should've done more, we would've if we had known beforehand, in his words. That aside, neither of you two are God's nor some other deity. You can't do everything, hence why you have friends to help you out. I learnt that while I was travelling with Julius."

"Exactly; it's good to maintain some independence from others, but at the same time it's alright to have your friends help you out in sticky situations." Julius continued, his mood perking up a bit.

"Some solid advice Aelita, thank you very much." Melia smiled at the purple-haired girl.

"You're welcome, just don't let defeat get to you, cause that's when you've lost for good." She replied, smiling at the blonde girl. "Besides, after all you did to help us escape Blacksteeple Castle, we can consider each other good friends."

"I guess you're right…" The blonde girl replied as well, getting up off the bridge. "Well we better make our way back. The last thing I want is for the others to accuse us of making out."

"Yeah, especially since I'm the one who always gets laughed at." Julius chuckled lightly, getting up off the floor as well as the trio some made the quick walk back to Ranger HQ. upon arriving there, they already saw everyone else sitting down at the table in the center, with Crawli sitting at the table head.

"Welcome back, I take it you two enjoyed your walk?" He smiled at Melia and Julius, the duo taking their seats alongside Aelita and the others.

"Yeah, helped me clear my mind on a few things." Melia admitted, running her hand through her hair.

"Good. Now that we're all here, we can begin this meeting. As you may know, I'm the Ranger Chief of Kakori Village and to some extent, the entirety of the Aevium Region." The green haired man began.

"Ah, well that explains the fancy suit." Adam commented.

"Quite right, now to our first topic of discussion; Team Xen. For a while, they've left this island virtually untouched, but now it seems that they've sent several of their admins at the same time. This issue is only more concerning with the news about Professor Larkspur's allegiance to them. The Rangers throughout the various regions have been on a global manhunt for the guy, something which Julius could attest to." Crawli continued.

"Indeed. Following my escape from his laboratory in Silverport Town, I immediately notified Cameron about what he was doing, briefly working with him to try and capture the man, but unfortunately more pressing issues arose, leaving us no choice but to focus on that instead." Julius chimed in.

"I've heard about the CURIE Incident from some reports my aides handed me. I'm thankful that it didn't get any worse that it already was." Crawli replied, directing his attention to the rest of the group. "Now then, I heard that you wish to go to Valor Mountain?"

"Yes, we wish to rescue our friend; she was kidnapped by Team Xen during our encounter with them." Melia requested. "That way, we can infiltrate their base and take them down."

"In that case, I'll allow you to access Route 5. I'll inform the rangers posted there to grant you all—" The green-haired man began, before the area was rocked with a quick but sudden quake.

"W-What was that?!" Aelita inquired, rattled by the sudden shaking.

"That was Valor Mountain. Legend goes that the mountain can feel emotions; it seems to be changing phases right now…which hasn't happened for years."

"So if the mountain just reacted, that must mean that someone's inside it." Braixen deduced.

"Yes. Team Xen must be trying to get to the top as we speak." Crawli responded in a serious tone of voice.

"Wait…are you telling me that some huge rock can feel anger? An angry rock?" Adam inquired, not fully understanding the situation. "You've got to be kidding me…"

"Yes, Adam, and the giant rock can fall in love with other giant rocks. And together they can get married and have small rock children and—" Braixen rambled on and on.

"Braixen, now's not the time for joking around." Valarie reminded her friend.

"Phooey on you Valarie, I was just having a little bit of fun." The bipedal fox scoffed.

"Ahem!" Melia cleared her throat to break up the squabbling, redirecting her attention to Crawli. "This is a personal request, but I'm not sure what exactly they might be preparing on Valor Mountain; I want this rescue mission to be as quick and clean as possible, so if you could help us out, that'll be greatly appreciated."

"As much as I want to help you out Melia, my hands are tied at the moment due to the issues surrounding that Angie woman in Kristiline Town." Crawli shot down her last request. "Ever since the initial reports about her surfaced a month ago, I haven't heard anything since. The rangers I sent to investigate haven't reported back to me in days."

"In that case, would you like us to help you out once we've rescued our friend? I'm sure I can handle whatever that crazy lady throws at me." Julius offered.

"That'll be appreciated." The green-haired man smiled, sighing in relief. "I just sent two of my best rangers, Alex and Sam, to Telia Resort to see if they can find anything out. Hence why I'm unable to offer any additional support."

"It's understandable. We can manage on our own." Melia replied, a little upset over it, but chose to hide it. "Anyway, that's all we wanted to talk about—"

"Crawli! Why did the earth just shake as if my mother was shakin' her hiney on the first night on—" A rainbow-haired man stormed into the room, catching everyone off guard as they turned to face him, with Julius recognizing the man.

"D-Dad? What are you doing back so early?!" Crawli exclaimed in surprise.

"Don't ask me, I just battled him a few weeks ago…" Julius muttered, with RorrimB locking eyes with the young man.

"Well if it isn't Julius. I told you that I never wanted to see your face again, but you just couldn't resist…" RorrimB replied, his voice hiding his annoyance. "I still remember the sound thrashing you gave my Pokémon, uhuh, yep!"

"I see…" Valarie mused under her breath, not knowing what to make of this situation.

"Whatever, the past is yesterday's dance craze. One that I shall redeem myself on by besting the one who bested me." The rainbow-haired man playfully chimed in, his feet dancing on the spot.

"Well now isn't the best of times, but I'll be happy to have a rematch with you." The young man agreed.

"Wonderful! My newest dance moves will make you regret trying to out boogie-woogie me. Until next time, Julius, Ciao!" RorrimB smirked confidently, dancing out the room as the heroes watched the scene in complete bafflement.

"That was certainly an interesting experience…" Melia stated, amused at the spectacle.

"What can I say? My dad's quite the interesting character." Crawli replied, readjusting his glasses. "Anyway, I wish you all the best of luck in your rescue mission."

The heroes bowed respectfully to the head ranger, exiting the room as they opted to begin any final preparations for the mission, their hearts hoping that it'll be more successful than the previous showdown.

 **Done. A bit of a short chapter this time, but I figured it would be a nice breather from the last couple of chapters. Thank you all for reading, I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	23. Chapter 23

**Welcome back to Pokémon Rejuvenation: Rise from the Ashes. When we last left off, Nim was kidnapped by the wicked cabal of Team Xen admins, leaving the heroes to head towards Valor Mountain to rescue her. Will they succeed? Let's find out in this chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Having fallen behind the group by a bit, Julius took the time to take in the new surroundings, as this was his first time traversing through Route 5. The area for the most part was an ashen grey, probably due to being within the vicinity of a large volcano. Unfortunately, the ash caused the route to smell of rotting vegetation, despite the plant life being surprisingly lush and vibrant. Covering his mouth with his sleeve to mask the horrid stench, he continued forward, crossing a sizable river before stepping onto a small, sandy island in the middle, the rest of his friends staring down an all-too familiar figure.

"My apologies, I got a little lost back there." The young man apologized to the group.

"No need to sweat it, Zetta was kind enough to meet us down here." Melia chimed in, the young man staring down his adversary.

"Pffft, don't get used to it. I just wanted some time away from the old men, and that angry little shit Geara. Man, that guy has some serious issues." Zetta commented to himself. "But that's enough about me, I wanna know how you're holding up."

"Us? We're doing just fine. Not sure if you will be, once we're done with you!" Braixen declared boldly, breathing out a few small embers from her snout.

"Oh man! I'm quivering in my boots over here…" The blonde man started trembling, though it was evident that he was messing around with them. Once he had his fill of fun, he sighed to himself, staring once more at the group. "You know, you kids always think you known what's goin' on in the world when you don't! Your entitled attitudes never cease to piss me off."

"Hah! If we don't know anything about the world, then you really must be suffering!" Melia retorted, with Zetta laughing sarcastically in response.

"Man, you are on fire with all these comebacks today. Oh well, at least I know where I got it from…" He mused to himself.

"Where you got it from, is there something that you're not talking about? Because right now you're making no sense whatsoever." Julius questioned the older man.

"Look, I know how desperate you are to be Melia's personal bootlicker, but the time for talking is over. You want answers, then come fight me!" Zetta retorted, sending out his Absol, the quadrupedal Pokémon kicking up a bit of sand.

"It's been a while since I kicked your ass, so excuse me if I'm a bit excited for it. Haagross, let's teach this guy a lesson!" The young man smirked, sending out his first Pokémon, the large hagfish lying down on the sandy terrain, rolling around in glee.

"Julius. In the highly unlikely possibility that this chump beats you, we'll make sure to clean his clock afterwards." Melia informed the young man.

"Thanks, but as you said I should be able to take care of this cretin easily. Haagross, use Sludge Wave!" Julius replied, calling out his first order. The large hagfish got onto its feet, its body oozing a poisonous liquid and forming a puddle before its feet, kicking up the puddle to create a dark purple wave that pushed the Absol into the water behind it, the greyish-blue river now taking on a dark purple as the Disaster Pokémon thrashed around in obvious discomfort. Paddling back to land, it shook its body violently to dry itself off, it's sickle-shaped horn glowing a vivid magenta and lunged at Haagross, the hagfish gurgling in pain as it was pushed back a few feet, its ooze coating the once clean horn of its foe. Retching at the smell of the pungent ooze, Absol trotted towards a nearby tree to wipe it off its horn, enabling Haagross to regain the initiative. With a few faint sparks crackling out of its horns, it fired a bolt of electricity at its foe, electrocuting it as the Disaster Pokémon howled in pain, stepping backwards and teetering to either side, before collapsing onto the sandy terrain.

"Tch, you got a lucky hit there." Zetta scoffed in annoyance, recalling his Pokémon before promptly selecting another one to send out. "But this new critter of mine will teach you a lesson; Typhlosion, burn that insolent slug to ashes!"

The stocky badger lunged out of its ball, generating a potent ball of fire in its mouth before releasing it in an unrelenting stream, the powerful attack pushing Haagross into the water as it squirmed back to land shortly afterwards. Almost instantaneously, the large hagfish lunged at its foe, wrapping it with its slippery body as the badger thrashed violently in order to break free, its fur heating up by the second. Haagross soon relented, the heat emanating from its foe becoming too much for it to handle as Typhlosion got back up on its hind legs, its body cloaked in flames as it charged at the weakened hagfish, sending it flying towards a tree and crashed into it, sliding down the trunk and laid still beside the roots, knocked out from the potent Flare Blitz.

"Hah! How'd you like that lesson?" Zetta jeered, his Typhlosion shaking its head to recover from the attack, as Julius checked up on his fallen friend, the young man sighing in relief when he saw that Haagross was gonna be alright.

"Guess all that time in that dimension did you some good." The young man commented, recalling his friend before making his next choice. "Too bad all your training is now match for my four-dimensional plays. Go, Fafninter!" He called out, the fuzzy dragon emerging from it's Pokeball, letting out a low roar as a chill was soon felt throughout the area.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I must say I'm disappointed; I thought you knew by now that Fire is strong against Ice." The blonde man replied in mock disappointment, wagging his finger in the air.

"For a teacher, you really aren't that great if you think type-advantage is all that matters." Julius retorted, crossing his arms as Zetta's smug look turned to raw anger.

"Let's hope your bite lives up to your bark; Typhlosion, use Brick Break!" He demanded, pointing at the large dragon.

The Volcano Pokémon lunged at is foe, it's right forearm glowing a faint orange as it swung it down onto it's foe, its eyes widening in surprise as it saw its foe take the attack like it was nothing. Fafninter soon pushed the badger away with its head, stepping back a few feet and used its antlers to lift a large rock up off the ground, throwing it into the air and spat out an icicle to shatter the rock. Typhlosion got on its stomach and covered its face, protecting it from the small rocks that assaulted its back, leaving a few nicks and cuts behind. Opting not to let its foe regain the advantage, the Snow Guardian Pokémon barreled towards its foe, its body cloaked in a harsh orangey-red aura and tackled the badger, sending it skidding across the sandy terrain before it came to a dead halt before Zetta's feet, with Julius grinning at him confidently.

"See, I told you there was more to Pokémon battles than type advantage, especially if my comrade's fur coat lessens damage from physical attacks." The young man replied, with Zetta recalling his Pokémon.

"Alright, I'll admit that you slightly threw me off-guard with that monster of yours. But my Weavile's attacks will break through its fur coat like a hot knife through butter, as I'll so kindly demonstrate to you…" Zetta smirked back, sending out his next Pokémon, it's sharp claws shining in the light of day.

The nimble Pokémon lunged at its much larger foe, its sharp claws raking Fafninter's back and sides as the Snow Guardian moaned lowly in pain, tufts of fur falling to the sandy terrain as it glared at its foe. Blowing cold air out of its nostrils, it barreled towards the Sharp Claw Pokemon, its body cloaked in the same aura as before as it tackled it, sending Weavile flying back, but it was able to recover by grabbing the tree and twirling back down to the ground, a small smirk on its face as it saw its foe stagger on the spot in confusion. The Fafninter stumbled side to side, kicking up sand with its tail as it swung it wildly, the group of trainers stepping back a bit to avoid it. The Weavile took this opportunity to deliver a Low Sweep, its foot sending the large dragon crashing into the ground, snapping it out of confusion. Wearily getting up off the ground, it stomped its paw on the ground, causing the earth to tremble as Weavile soon lost its footing, falling to its hands and knees. Fafninter then proceeded to charge at its foe, its head smashing into the Sharp Claw Pokémon and sent it flying towards the tree once more, breaking a branch off as the nimble Pokémon crumpled into a pile, the attack knocking it out.

"Like a knife through butter, eh? Must've been a rusty one." Julius quipped, with Zetta scowling as he recalled his Pokémon.

"What is it with you and Melia lately, spouting off badass quotes as if you two think you're top shit? Well it's about time I had the last laugh; Type: Null, let's shut this kid up for good!" The blonde man called out, sending out his last Pokémon with the chimera staring down it's foe, the Snow Guardian Pokémon panting in exhaustion from its previous battles. In an instant, Type: Null's eyes glowed, a series of illusionary swords spinning around it's body before transforming into balls of light, which soon entered its body to heighten its physical capabilities. The Fafninter stood it's ground, opening its mouth as a torrent of sharp shards of ice flew out of its mouth towards its foe. The chimera ran towards its foe, dodging the incoming shards and leapt off the ground, raking its sharp claws along its foe back before kicking it in the head, sending the Fafninter tumbling to the ground as Type: Null trotted back to its side of the field, pleased with itself over his victory.

"Hey…are you alright?" Julius inquired, kneeling down beside Fafninter, the latter nodding weakly in response. "Don't worry, I'll patch you up once this is all done and dusted."

"Aw, how sweet…too bad there's nothing you can do against my Type: Null." Zetta retorted confidently, the young man recalled his Pokémon and quickly selected his third teammate.

"Nothing I can do, eh? Perhaps my Majungold would make you think otherwise…" The young man smiled, sending it out as everyone stepped closer to get a better look at it. It was a tall, bulky creature that stood on two legs, it's short purple tail wagging slowly as it's brown and purple scales shone in the light. It had a helmetlike crest on his head made out of solid gold, with it's arms from the elbow down resembling large gold ingots. Thought they were very heavy; its extraordinarily strong muscles were able to lift them up easily. "Impressed, are you? Then perhaps I should show you it's battle capabilities; a nice Rock Wrecker would do."

Agreeing to the idea, the Gold Bar Pokémon waddled towards a very large boulder near the islands' shore, picking it up effortlessly and hurled it at the Type: Null, the latter too bamboozled over the amazing feat it just witnessed to dodge the attack. Though the boulder crushed the poor critter, its enhanced capabilities enabled it to shatter the boulder, sending the shards or rock everywhere, as it crawled out of the small sand pit created by the impact. The chimera lunged at its opponent, the Majungold too busy recovering from the last attack to respond as its body was slashed hard by the enemy Pokémon, growling lowly as it stepped back a few feet. Turning its head briefly to see Julius giving it a thumbs up gesture, it reared its right fist in the air, the ingot glowing a glorious gold as it pummeled the chimera, sending it flying backwards towards Zetta and crumpled into a pile, with dozens of golden coins littering the area near Majungold's feet.

"Heh, it was foolish of me to believe I had a chance…" He muttered to himself bitterly, recalling his fainted Pokémon as Julius scooped up the gold coins on the ground.

"Well you know what they say, it's foolish to go up against the one blessed by the Midas Touch." The young man chimed in, looking to his companion for approval, with Majungold nodding slowly. With a quick flick of his wrist, he showered his friends with the coins, the five of them appreciating his little gift.

"Truth be told, I wish you got to feel my flames, but the free money makes up for it." Braixen quipped.

"I knew you weren't all that great when we swept you back then, but even in a one-on-one battle, you disappoint me." Valarie chimed in.

"Yeah, if that was all you had then it's no wonder you failed in your mission back then." Aelita added.

"Oh shut up, I'm in no mood for any of the peanut gallery to spout nonsense at me, especially since none of you battled whatsoever!" Zetta hissed at them in response.

"You've lost Zetta, now move aside!" Melia demanded, the blonde man chuckling dryly at her.

"Ha, wouldn't you like that?" He replied, looking up to the sky and smirked. "Excellent, my ride's here."

"Ride…?" Adam asked, the group stepping back in surprise upon hearing an eldritch shriek, the colossal form of Giratina appearing behind Zetta.

"G-Giratina?! B-But how?!" Melia spluttered in shock, with Julius scowling at the man.

"Geara managed to catch it back at Wispy Tower. Somehow, I managed to hold my ground against it…" The young man answered, with Zetta chuckling confidently.

"Yes, it's the main reason I even tolerate the man. Now let's see if you can catch me." He sneered, hopping onto its back as it flew off towards the mountain.

"A-After him!" Melia called out, with Julius recalling his Majungold as they followed their enemy in hot pursuit, using the small patches of land littered throughout the water to cross to the other side. The chase lasted for a few moments, the group barely managing to catch up to him as Zetta saw the entrance to the mountain, a smirk on his face as he leapt off of Giratina and landed on the rocky ground beneath him. Just as he was about to enter, he felt a rumbling beneath his feet, the man stepping back and watched the area where he landed crack, lave oozing out of the cracks as it sank and formed a small pool separating him from his pursuers.

"Look, we didn't expect this to happen when we planned out this exchange. So keep all your angry comments to yourself, it'll make my day a lot easier." Zetta chimed in, the heroes scowling in frustration upon seeing the pool of lava before them.

"We were never interested in your negotiation; we're only here for one thing, and that's our friend." Melia retorted.

"Not even an ass-kicking?" Julius inquired, gazing at the cocky man. "Because I'm sure this chump has more than earnt one in my books."

"Business before pleasure, Julius." Melia giggled back at him, Zetta rolling his eyes at the duo in response.

"Ugh, enough of this sappy shit! There's no way any of you runts can scale this beast; you all need to become much stronger than you already are. Oh, and a way to cross lava and magma would help." He retorted, puffing his chest out boldly.

"Hah, you're talking down to us as if you won, but if I remember correctly, we destroyed you, twice." Melia retorted smugly, crossing her arms in triumph.

*sigh* "Remember when I said that you kids think you know everything, when you really don't?" Zetta sighed. "Well that was the truth; while you were wasting time fighting me, we made our next move. By bringing all your power pieces this way, you left your most vulnerable spot in the open."

"Most vulnerable spot…the ship!" Julius exclaimed, with Zetta chuckling to himself.

"Yeah, that's right. You left the shore unattended, giving us an opportunity to attack the ship. Now I don't know if it's still under attack, or completely wiped out, but I suggest you check it out." He replied, his laughter continuing as he turned around and entered the cave, the heroes unsure on what to do next.

"I don't know about you, but there's no way I'm leaving everyone on the ship behind. We can deal with that creep once we're done!" Valarie called out, quickly making her way back down the mountain.

"Val, wait for us!" Adam chimed in, as he and Braixen followed her in hot pursuit, leaving Melia and Julius alone.

"This is bad, Julius. We screwed up majorly." The blonde girl told the young man.

"No need to blame yourself, you had no idea they would pull a stunt like this. Besides, we can make it up to them by saving them from whatever they threw at us." Julius replied, with Melia nodding in determination as they quickly followed their friends down the mountain.

 **0000**

The once tranquil beach had now become a battleground; several of the ship's passengers watched in awe and horror as they saw the heroes fight off an army of Deoxys clones. Julius flinched at the initial sight of them; recalling the memories on how he narrowly escaped a grisly demise following the attack on the S.S Oceana, how he failed to rescue his mother back then, which could've prevented her death in the long run. However now was the time for action, he can mull things over once the battle was over. The young man noticed one of the clones floating towards him in an aggressive manner and opted to act now.

"Alright Yatagaryu, let's give these things a taste of their own medicine!" He called out, the majestic Stormbringer Pokémon emerging from its ball and flew into the air, charging up a Dragon Pulse and fired it at the clone, who groaned in pain before vaporizing soon afterwards. This had caused the dragon to raise an eyebrow in curiosity; Deoxys could regenerate most injures after getting attacked, yet this one was killed almost instantaneously.

"It's not an issue, these clones must be weaker than the original entity." Julius reassured his companion's suspicions, scanning the beach momentarily to see how his friends were doing. He saw Melia's Togekiss slice up a pair of Deoxys with quick blades of air, sending wriggling appendages everywhere, as Valarie and her Primarina froze a third Deoxys with Ice Beam. He also saw Aelita and her Blaziken incinerate another Deoxys, the clone letting out a glitched, guttural bellow as it melted into a puddle, as Adam and his Gigalith crushed another with the latter's bulk, the Compressed Pokémon wiping the gunk off its feet, all while Braixen stood on the ships bow, warding off any potential intruders with Flamethrower. Just then, Yatagaryu's ears pricked up, quickly flying behind Julius as a pair of Deoxys emerged from the jungle and confronted the serpentine dragon. The Stormbringer Pokémon charged up electricity in its horns, firing it at the two foes with the first one dodging it. However, the second was grazed by the bolt, the clone gurgling in pain as it crashed into some rocks near the shore, splattering all over the place. The first clone, extended its tentacles to swipe at Yatagaryu, only for the latter to snip them off with its beak, before retaliating with a quick Dragon Pulse that obliterated its head and chest, sending its remains falling to the ground. Having defeated the duo, the young man and his companion made their way to the east, where he saw his four friends and their Pokémon surrounded by the remaining clones.

"Ah good, it seems that you held yourself pretty well out there." Melia smiled, the young man opting to join the group.

"These things seem really determined to defeat us, but we won't let that happen." Valarie chimed in.

"Yeah, but they're nothing special. I could defeat them with my eyes closes." Adam smirked confidently.

"We'll defeat them together, teaching them not to mess with us." Aelita added, the Deoxys choosing this time to strike now, the trainers Pokémon opting to intercept the attack. Blaziken and Gigalith maintained control of the ground, the latter utilizing its impressive defenses to tank the incoming attacks while Blaziken retaliated with blindingly quick speeds, its flame-cloaked kicks sending the Deoxys flying towards the water, where Primarina used her power to engulf them in a series of vicious waves, sending their charred corpses to the depths below. Meanwhile, Togekiss and Yatagaryu worked together to gain total dominance of the skies, the former slicing up the hostile clones with blades of air, while the latter vaporized any stragglers with its draconic energy. The trainers and their Pokémon continued the drawn out battle, unaware that they were being watched from afar…

 **0000**

"Ohohohohohoho, this is simply fascinating. The way they struggle against the inevitable is a sight to behold, almost as if they believe they have a chance at succeeding." A chilling voice echoed through the large church, a Dimensional Rift showing the five trainers engaging the Deoxys clones. The church was lavishly decorated with numerous valuables and idols depicting the legendary Arceus, a gilded throne of sorts overlooking the main lobby. Resting on it was a middle-aged woman, a maniacal gaze in her crimson red eyes as her long blue hair was done up in a single ponytail, her maid uniform sporting not a single bit of dirt whatsoever. "It's a most pleasurable sight to watch them scramble around."

"Do you need anything, my lady?" A second woman walked up to her, tiding up her short black hair before bowing slightly in respect. Her outfit was a lot like her mistress' only it was black and red instead of black and white.

"Yes, Cera. You are to continue observing them, I wish to gather more intelligence on them, a couple of them in particular are most fascinating, namely the blonde girl and the young man beside her." The first woman ordered.

"Your wish is my command, Lady Angie." Cera bowed once more, quickly making her leave as the now named Angie continued to watch the spectacle before her.

"Yes…show me what you're truly capable of!" Angie smirked ominously, her eyes glowing brightly, illuminating the area around her.

 **0000**

It has been a few hours since the group had engaged the swarm of Deoxys clones. Though exhausted from the ordeal, the trainers came out on top, quickly making their way back to the Ranger HQ in Kakori Village to give their weary Pokémon a well-earnt rest. As Julius stepped out of his temporary room to check up on Yatagaryu, he soon noticed Melia casually sitting down by herself, the blonde woman noticed him as well.

"Julius, just the person I was looking for." She smiled at him, gesturing for the young man to sit with her.

"That was one crazy battle we had back there. I'm still amazed that we managed to get out of it in one piece." The young man replied.

"Well when we all unite as one, anything is possible!" Melia huffed proudly, sticking her chest out slightly. "That aside, I called you over here to tell you something. I'm planning on hosting another meeting with everyone and Crawli; unfortunately, some harsh decisions will be made, and I doubt everyone will be happy over it."

"I see. That's part of being a leader Melia, you gotta make decisions that seem shitty at first, but end up being the best option of the ones available." Julius pointed out, showing some sympathy towards her. "I should know, I've been in your position before."

"Heh, I guess this is the best way for me to gain some quick experience." She smiled casually, hopping off her seat. "Come on, let's not keep the others waiting."

Opting to follow her, the young man got off his seat and make the quick walk with her to Crawli's office, where everyone else had already taken their seats. "Well here we are again, what do you have to report?" Crawli inquired, watching Melia and Julius take their seats.

"We bring unfortunate news; things didn't go as we had hoped or planned. Zetta of Team Xen was able to retreat to the mountain, the path being blocked off by a pool of lava." Valarie answered.

"And if that wasn't bad enough, Team Xen sent their army of Deoxys clones to attack our ship, the six of us barely managing to fend them off." Aelita added.

"Which brings me to a topic I really wish I didn't have to bring up. As a result of the attack, we're left with no choice but to play a little safer than before, just in case they try something like this in the near future." Melia commented, sighing lightly to herself before turning to face her friends. "Which is why I'm asking for two volunteers to stay by the ship at all times."

The group became eerily silent, mulling over who to have guarding the ship and who gets to go forward, until Adam stood up off his seat. "I'll stay and guard the ship. Truth be told, I don't have much purpose being out here besides the one who takes all the hits. I have no issue with it per say, but I feel like this is all more important to the rest of you. N-Not to say I don't care about it at all, but I feel I'm the best person to stay behind." He explained his case, with Julius finding a newfound respect for the usually quiet man.

"I also think I should stay behind as well. I miss Saki a lot, and I desperately want to find her, but the jungle is too rough for me. I've always felt like I'm the weakest link in the chain, and I don't want to hold anyone back." Braixen confessed as well, with Valarie mulling it over in her head.

"Well that's that issue solved, I guess. Just don't get into too many scraps while we're gone, I'm in no mood to be cleaning up your blood." The blue haired woman reminded her companions.

"Duly noted." The bipedal fox chimed in, leaning slightly towards Julius with a sly grin on her snout. "Hey, Julius. Just because you'll be the only male in the group, doesn't mean that you can let your teenage hormones get the best of you."

"No wonder you and Saki get on so well, you're like two peas in a pod…" The young man sighed in defeat, the rest of the group chuckling lightly at his detriment as Melia helped get the conversation back on track.

"Now that we've solved that matter, we need to figure a way to travel through Valor Mountain, most notably the lava pools." The blonde girl inquired, with Crawli quickly pondering to himself.

"There is one way to cross lava; there's a TM custom made for Terajuma Island called Magma Drift. It was designed specifically for Gym Leaders on the island due to the riskiness of Valor Mountain." The green-haired man answered. "Unfortunately, I don't own a spare copy, nor is it distributed or produced. There IS a person in Kristiline Town that used to make copies of the TM, however that's were we've been having issues with Angie, as I mentioned before."

"No matter, we'll deal with her, get the TM and make our way back here. Sounds like a plan." Aelita chimed in.

"It's not going to be as easy as you say, but I admire your enthusiasm." Crawli smiled at her.

"If that's the only option we've got left, the we'll have to deal with it. Besides, we can fix your problem while we're down there, just as I offered back in the first meeting." Julius said, his mood perking up from before, a smile forming on Crawli's face.

"Well since we've gotten all the essentials covered, why don't we all rest up for the night? I've gotten some engineers to fix the warp pads; she, alongside her crew will be here to fix them tomorrow." The green-haired man informed the group, who sighed in relief upon hearing the good news.

"Thank you for that information, that'll make our life a lot easier. Now then, we all better hit the hay." Melia chimed in, the group bowing respectfully to Crawli as they proceeded to exit his office.

 **The next morning: Terajuma Shore**

The sun had just rose over the horizon, the shallow waters near the shore radiating in the morning light. A small white yacht was slowing down to a halt near the docks where the large ship was resting, deafening rock music blaring from the ship's interior.

"Will you shut that music off?! None of us got a wink of sleep due to that infernal racket!" One of the engineers complained, tying up the yacht to the dock.

"Hell no! this is my favorite song, you'll just have to deal with it!" Venam protested, the older man grumbling under his breath.

"Stuff it, I'm turning it off—" He began, reaching for the boombox.

"Touch it and the hand comes off!" The purple-haired teen threatened, staring down the man as they spent the rest of the trek arguing between themselves.

 **0000**

"G-Gah!" Julius yelped, sitting up in an instant and raised his hand to his head. The young man had the misfortune of having a nightmare once more, the angry voices berating him for his failure to save Nim. Realizing that it was too late for him to fall back to sleep, he sighed to himself, dressing up for the day and preparing for his trek to Kristiline Town. As he had finished getting dressed, he saw Melia step into his room, the young woman dressed up for the day as well.

"Morning, Julius. Is everything ok? I heard you scream before…" She began, eying him up calmly.

"Y-Yeah, everything's alright." Julius replied, not wanting to tell her about his nightmare. "So how are you doing, Melia?"

"Me? I've been thinking over what to do next once we acquire Magma Drift. From what I've heard, it's considered to be part of the move category that gets printed onto HM's, leading me to think that we'll need a sufficient number of badges to use it outside of battle. Mind you, Gym Leaders don't have to follow this rule, which is a little unfair if you ask me. Asides from that, I'm doing just fine." The blonde woman smiled at him.

"Well we could always fly over the magma pits. Heck, we could do that right now." The young man suggested, with Melia shaking her head in response.

"It won't be that easy. Sure, both of us can fly over the pits, but I don't think the others can, which would leave us both at a major disadvantage should all four Xen admins decide to battle us." She replied, raising a hand to her chin. "You have five badges, correct? In that case. We can postpone our trip to Kristiline so that you and Crawli can have a gym battle, awarding you with his badge." She continued, the sound of loud music soon echoing through the building.

"Now who on earth could be playing such a racket at this time of day? Do you want me to check it out?" The young man offered, with Melia giving him a slow nod of approval. Making his way out of the room, he quickly walked down the hall and into the lobby, where he saw Venam chilling in one of the spare seats, a few of the other engineer's sporting annoyed glares at the girl while covering their ears. "V-Venam?"

"Julius!" She smirked, the duo giving each other a firm handshake. "Been a while since we last caught up, hasn't it?"

"Y-Yeah, it has. A whole lot has happened since we last saw each other. By the way, there's something I really need to show you." Julius replied, a puzzled look appearing on the young girl's face.

"Can't you just tell me what it is?" She inquired, with Julius shaking his head in response.

"It's not just something I can tell you; you have to see it with your own two eyes." He informed her, with Venam making a quick decision.

"Alright, I'll follow you. But if this is some sort of trick, your ass is going to get a serious kicking. Got it?" She warned him, the young man gulping quietly in fear before nodding, the young woman picking up her boom box before following Julius upstairs. Soon enough, they made it to the room he was borrowing temporarily, the duo entering it as Venam placed her boom box on the nearby table. "Ok, what is it you wanted me to—" Venam began, her eyes quickly scanning the room before widening as she gasped audibly.

They say that a happy reunion is a meeting left up to the whims of destiny, an event that so very few will ever get the privilege of experiencing in their short lifetime. Venam was one of this lucky few, raising her hands to her mouth as tears poured down her soft cheeks, her gaze fixated at her dearest friend. "T-This isn't real…y-you're supposed to be…" She began weakly, with Melia making her way to the purple-haired girl.

"Dead? Come on now, what do you take me for?" Melia smiled at her friend, who lunged at her and embraced her, the purple-haired girl sobbing into Melia's shoulder.

"Melia! Y-You're such a dumb idiot, stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Venam cried, hitting her gently as her tears stained Melia's outfit, the later returning the hug and began petting her back gently. "Why…why didn't you say anything if you were alive this time?!"

"I'm so sorry Venam, I never intended for things to happen this way. Had I gotten the chance I would've told you everything." The blonde woman apologized profusely, tightening her hug slightly. Julius found the sight to be endearing, and heart-warming at the same time. The young man thought they looked really cute together, his mind seeing them living out the rest of their lives together, being able to detect a few small signs hear and there. At the same time his heart began aching slightly, almost as if it was breaking for some indiscernible reason. Did he have feelings for Melia? For Venam? For the both of them?

"I-I'll take that excuse for now…" Venam sniffled, the duo breaking off their hug as she briefly turned her head to face Julius. "T-Thank you for showing me, you're a real pal."

"N-No problem. I-I'm sorry if I was intruding on your special moment." The young man replied.

"At the very least, I know you're the same Venam that I grew up with; playing loud music to the chagrin of other people." Melia smirked playfully, with Venam chuckling sheepishly in response.

"Well you know me, I wouldn't change a bit even if my life depended on it." She replied, eying up Julius cautiously. "So how long did YOU know about this…"

"…less than a week; she saved me and my friends from Team Xen over at Blacksteeple Castle. We would've informed you earlier, be we got caught up in so much trouble, that we simply ran out of time." He answered, the purple-haired girl narrowing her eyes temporarily, before her expression softened.

"Alright, I believe you." She smiled, a thought popping into her mind. "Hey, weren't you looking for your mother; how's that going for you?"

The young man clammed up upon hearing the question, his gaze shifting to the ground as tears started welling in his eyes. Venam didn't need an answer to know that the worst case scenario had happened. O-Oh my…Julius, I'm sorry for your loss."

"…it's fine. I appreciate your concern." He answered quietly, maintaining his focus on the ground.

"So what are you doing here, Venam? I didn't expect you to willingly visit the jungle." Melia inquired, a hint of concern appearing in Venam's eyes.

"W-What am I doing h-here? S-Stuff, yeah that's it. Cool stuff!" She blurted, the blonde girl raising an eyebrow in response.

"What kind of stuff?" Melia pressed further. "Why do I get the feeling that you're up to something illegal?"

"Because…it might be…" Venam replied nervously, causing Melia to sigh to herself.

"Alright, spill the beans." She demanded, resting her hands on her hips.

"Okay, okay, I'll tell. So I was minding my own business in the Abandoned Sewers, watching the engineers fixing up the place when another one walked up to the group, talking about a high-paying job from Crawli of Kakori Village. Intrigued, I walked up to the group and said that I had plenty of experience as an engineer, hoping to get a bit of the cash reward. But truth be told…I have no idea. P-Please don't tell Crawli about this, I needed the money badly!" The purple-haired girl confessed, with Melia and Julius exchanging glances with each other before coming to an agreement.

"We'll keep quiet, on the condition that you hand the majority of the money to the workers, the actual engineers." Julius answered, with Venam's eyes widening in shock.

"Bu-bu, I wanted 75% of the cut." She protested, with Melia sighing to herself before making her way to the exit. Panicking, Venam quickly thought to herself on how she could save her hide. "A-Alright, I'll settle for 20%!"

"That's much better." Melia smiled, turning around as the purple-haired girl sighed in relief, taking a seat by the table.

"The things I do for you…" She commented, catching her breath as Melia sat beside her.

"On the topic of Crawli, have you seen him today? I wish to ask him for a small favor." The blonde girl inquired, with Venam thinking to herself.

"As a matter of fact, I did. I saw him taking a boat to go elsewhere, but I have no idea where." She answered. "Why'd you need him anyway?"

"Long story short, Team Xen's causing trouble again. Nim was keeping Zetta, Geara and Jenner in some alternate dimension before the stress became too much for her, the resulting energy blast turning her into stone. There, the trio were joined up by that Professor Larkspur chump Julius warned us about ages ago, the group of four kidnapping Nim and relocating to Valor Mountain. However, we need Magma Drift to explore the mountain, hence why we need to collect as many badges as possible." Melia explained the situation to Venam.

"Those bastards don't know how to quit. I for one want to sock that freak Zetta in the jaw for what happened back in Amethyst Cave." The purple haired girl replied, a thought popping up into her mind. "Hey, why don't we ask his dad where he is."

"RorrimB…that is a good idea. I'm sure he'd tell Julius if he gives him the rematch he's desperate for." The blonde girl agreed with the plan, turning to face Julius. "I hope you don't mind if you do this for us, I want some private time with Venam."

"Not a problem, I'll be more than happy to do it for you two lovely ladies. Enjoy your time alone." He smiled, winking at them as he exited the room, the duo chuckling lightly to each other. At the very least, they were glad that they can count on him when they needed to.

 **Another shortish chapter, but I wanted to end things on a happy note with the reunion between Venam and Melia. And yeah, Venam X Melia** **is one of the cutest ships of all time, but I haven't thrown in the towel regarding my initial pairing. As I mentioned on my profile, I'll be taking a quick break from this fic so I can play the latest chapter of Rejuvenation once it gets released. I'll see you all later.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Welcome back everyone; when we last left off, we were treated to one of the most heart-warming scenes in the game. However, this next chapter will feature a rather intense confrontation between a familiar face, so it'll be quite the thrilling experience for you all to enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Julius let out a small groan to himself upon fully realizing the situation; he had asked a few of the rangers around town regarding RorrimB's location and was told that he was in the jungle somewhere, searching for Bug Pokémon near a waterfall. Trouble was, the young man didn't recall seeing a waterfall anywhere during his previous trek through the jungle, which meant that it was probably in the deepest reaches of the jungle. Having finished getting himself ready for the quick trip, he walked out of the town and began his search, hoping that he wouldn't end up getting lost himself.

There were a few benefits to the solo trek through the jungle, namely that it gave the young man time to reflect on his journey so far. His first thought was a morbid one, which tends to be the norm for Julius; he pondered on whether he had any right to stick around with the group. He saw just how happy they were, especially when talking with one another and felt like an unwanted eavesdropper at times, even when they were talking to him. Part of him wanted to continue his journey alone, so he doesn't get the others caught up in trouble that they were not involved in. But then he remembered the bonds that he inexplicably formed with them; with Melia, with Venam, with Aelita. Getting up and leaving them behind would be a despicably selfish act on his behalf, and could even be seen as a betrayal, especially since they all helped him out during one of the lowest points of his life. Julius chose to shelf those thoughts for now, after all he had a job to do and there was no point wasting energy on depressing thoughts.

However, as soon as the negative thoughts left his immediate conscious, a new one took its place; surrounding the sheer mystery of the events that he had experienced. There were several questions that plagued the young man, that he lacked the answers for; questions that couldn't be answered right now due to the severity of the situation he was in. Perhaps when there was a chance, he can revisit areas he had been through, exploring them a bit more thoroughly so that he can uncover as many secrets as he could. After all, he could uncover some very useful information regarding Team Xen's endgame, information that Melia would greatly appreciate.

His heart tightened upon thinking about Melia once more; was he really in love with her? After all, his heart panged upon seeing her hug Venam, though whether it was in joy or sadness was still a mystery. If it wasn't her that his heart was longing for, then could it be Venam? Or in what some would consider a cruel twist of fate, did he love both of them? Regardless on who his hidden feelings were for, Julius wasn't ready to step back into the love game, especially since the man who murdered his last sweetheart was still at large and is actively aiding the group who kidnapped and murdered his mother. Figuring that it's been a while since he last saw her, he unzipped his bag and opted to bring out his Maria plush, only for his eyes to widen in surprise.

Hanging around the doll's neck was a beautiful gold pendant, with a bright blue sapphire in the middle, sparkling in the bright sunlight shining down on it. He turned it to look at the back and saw that it had someone's name etched on it, 'Anju' to be precise. This had greatly alarmed Julius; he doesn't recall picking this up, nor does he remember Maria gifting it to him back then, so why on earth does he have this pendant? He pondered on it for a bit before his mind focused on that weird fog that warped them to the island in the first place, an idea forming in his mind. Did that fog somehow gift him this pendant while he was unaware? If so, then for what purpose? Who even was this Anju that owned the pendant in the first place? His barrage of questions were soon halted by the sound of rhythmic humming, the young man gingerly placing the doll and the pendant back into his bag and searched for the source of the humming. There, looking up at a tree next to a waterfall was RorrimB, the man he had been searching for this whole time. The young man crept up to him, not wanting to startle the older man before him, the latter searching around the thick tree.

"Mmmmhmmm, you can't hide from me, Bug Pokémon! I saw you crawl up this tree like you were dancing in September." RorrimB commented, the sound of rustling leaves alerting him as he quickly spun around and spotted the young man. "Well, if it isn't Julius. Come to infest my life once more?"

"Well I was hoping you'd tell me where Crawli's off to today. My friend needs to talk to him regarding the matter at hand." Julius answered, his hands behind his back.

"You wish to know where my son's off to right now? I don't hand that info out willy-nilly; besides, you still owe me a rematch after what you did back on Route 3." The rainbow-haired man retorted, vividly remembering his defeat.

"So if I accept your challenge and beat you, will you divulge the information to me?" The young man inquired.

"I suppose I could do that, mainly because I won't lose to you a second time. Get ready for the beating of a lifetime! Lights! Cameras! Dance-Off!" RorrimB declared, sending out his trusty Ludicolo while striking a dynamic pose.

The young man watched the Carefree Pokémon dancing happily on the spot, frolicking in an environment that was perfectly suited for it. If he were to win this "dance-off" as RorrimB put it, he would have to match him in elegance. "Get ready for the surprise of a lifetime; Dunseraph, I choose you!" He called out, his opponent's eyes widening slightly at the sight of the new Pokémon. It was a long, serpentine creature with four wings; two on its back and two on its head. It's slender blue and yellow body had a tail that ended in a drill of sorts, much like that of a Dunsparce; though it lacked any hind legs, it did have two forelegs that were clasped together, as if it were praying. Additionally, it had two blue whiskers that stemmed from its chin, that twitched in the air as if they could detect even the smallest of breezes.

"So you wish to start things off with a newcomer, eh? A risky play, but I like it. I've heard tales able how lively Dunsparce are when they dance, so let's see if its evolved form can walk the walk. Start thing's off with a Rain Dance, hun!" The rainbow-haired man called out, the Ludicolo conjuring a royal blue ball of water and hurled it in the air, watching it explode as a relentless rainstorm showered down on the area, the Carefree Pokémon jumping up and down in joy as its movements became more refined and quicker. Opting to try and regain the speed advantage, the God Snake Pokémon flew up in the air, using its wings to conjure up a whirlwind to bolster its speed, putting it on equal footing with its foe. The Ludicolo slipped and slide in the rain, conjuring up energy in its mouth before firing a chilling beam of ice at its for, with Dunseraph managing to dodge the attack, but winced as its tail was frozen by the beam.

Narrowing its eyes in disgust at the meddlesome Pokémon, it outstretched its legs and pointed at Ludicolo, manipulating the air around it to hoist it up in the air, the Carefree Pokémon realizing the magnitude of the situation and attempted to break free from its foes grasp, only for Dunseraph to fling its arms downwards, the Ludicolo hollering in fear as it crash landed into the ground, a heavy burst of wind pushing it down. Wearily getting up off the ground, it shook its head and got back into the game, spewing a stream of boiling hot water that scalded the God Snake Pokémon, who hissed in pain as a few painful burns appeared on its slender frame. Eager to finish off its foe as soon as possible, it charged up a ball of draconic energy with its forelegs, firing it at the ground before Ludicolo, causing it to stagger on the spot. It then used this slim opportunity to snatch its foe up in its grasp, flying up in the air before hurling it towards the lake from which the waterfall flows into, the Carefree Pokémon crashing into it as a sizable amount of water splashed onto the trainers. Ludicolo's unconscious form soon rose to the top of the lake, unable to continue any longer.

"I see you haven't been slacking off young man…" RorrimB commented, recalling his fainted Pokémon. "All comments aside, how dare you crush me a second time! The first time was bad enough, but this is an absolute disgrace! Rest assured, I will not forget this, not for even a second!"

"Wha—but you wanted to have a rematch with me!" Julius rebutted, recalling his Pokémon as well.

"I did, but that was because I was sure I'd win this time. But I lost and you will pay for humiliating me, again." The rainbow-haired man declared boldly, his simmering anger dripping in his tone of voice.

"Look, I'll leave you alone now, but not before you fulfill your end of the deal. Where's Crawli at the moment?" The young man pressed his elder, who sighed to himself before opting to come clean.

"Fine, but only because I have a small sliver of begrudging respect for your skill. Crawli is on a secret shore behind Sheridan Village. It's so secret that there's no entrance to it in Sheridan Village, meaning you'll have to go there via boat, or fly there on your Pokémon. Now leave me be, I need to find that Bug Pokémon from before." RorrimB answered, turning to face the tree once more.

"Thank you for your help, mister. I shall leave you be." Julius thanked his elder, turning around and making his way back to Kakori Village, using the river beside him as a natural path to his destination.

 **0000**

"—And then Ren fell into the sewage! Ahahaha, that was classic; he smelled horrible for a week." Melia chuckled, lying on the plush bed alongside Venam, the two women wrapping the arms affectionately around each other.

"Yeah, I guess you can say he was a…shitty person." The purple-haired girl joked, the duo chuckling loudly once more, a knocking on the door echoing throughout the room soon afterwards. A few seconds later, the door opened, with Julius stepping into the room as he saw the two playful girls relaxing on the bed.

"My apologies for disturbing you two, but I found out where Crawli is." He began, the two young women sitting up on the bed to face the young man. "Turns out he's relaxing at some secret shore behind Sheridan Village."

"Hmmm? I didn't know such a thing even existed, and I've visited Sheridan multiple times." Melia commented. "Then again, I guess that's why it's called a secret shore."

"Can't you stay a little longer? You just got here and already you're planning another adventure?" Venam protested, only for Melia to begin petting her shoulder.

"I've had my fill of fun, but now it's time to get serious. Besides, you can come with us." Melia offered, with Venam eagerly accepting the offer.

"As much as I want to join you two, I've got a…obligation to fulfill, what with the warp pads and all that jazz." She smiled, with Melia giving her an understanding nod before she and Julius made their way out of the room, walking through the lobby before Aelita noticed them leaving.

"Oh, hi there, where are you two going?" Aelita inquired, putting down a book she had been reading earlier.

"The two of us are going to search for Crawli; he's in some secret shore located behind Sheridan—" Julius began.

"Behind Sheridan Village?! In that case, can I come as well?! I need to see this for myself!" She asked desperately, with the young man chuckling lightly.

"No need to get worked up, you can come with us." Melia replied.

"Thanks Melia, I'll make sure to give it my all!" The lilac-haired girl beamed proudly, making her way out of the lobby with the duo following her outside and towards their ship.

 **Secret Shore**

The group of three arrived at the shore an hour later, a small shower of rain falling upon the area. Landing by the entrance to the Sheridan Wetlands, they noticed a stark contrast between the brightly colored beach nearby, and the murky swamp before them, large puddles of water all over the forest floor. The smell of wet foliage permeated throughout the area, though it wasn't especially repugnant. However, the sheer humidity of the place made the three of them rather uncomfortable.

"Well this looks like the place to go if you need some Bug Pokémon; guess that's why Crawli loves this place." Julius commented, surveying his surroundings.

"I can't say I share the same opinion as him; Terajuma Jungle was bad enough, but the humidity here is even worse." Melia complained, taking a sniff in the air before holding her nose in disgust. "Ugh! Why does it smell like sulfur all of a sudden?"

"Let's just get this over and done with as quickly as possible, I have a bad feeling about this." Aelita chimed in, the trio making their way through the dismal swamplands.

"Hey, Melia…I hope you don't mind me saying this, but you and Venam look cute together." Julius chimed in, with Melia lightly slapping the back of his head.

"Stop it, you remember what Braixen said about you and your hormones." She giggled, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Oh this is sweet…a squabbling between lovebirds." Aelita teased, chuckling to herself as both Melia and Julius yelped in surprise, fierce blushes appearing on their faces. This had caught the young man off-guard; just why on earth was Melia blushing as well? Could it be that she also has feelings for him? But his train of thought would soon be interrupted as he trod on something, the young man crying out in surprise as he fell face first into the mud.

"Argh…damnit!" He growled in annoyance, picking himself up and looked at what tripped him over. It was a broken piece of machinery in the shape of a cylinder, a small tube to the side being what tripped him over.

"Are you okay Julius?" Melia inquired, as she and Aelita ran over to him to see if he was injured or anything.

"I'm fine, but I've got no idea what this thing—" He began, before taking a closer look at it. "Hey, Aelita. Does this thing look…familiar to you?"

"Yeah, they look a lot like those machines we saw back in the Xen Lab at Carotos Mountain. The bases' self-destruction must've sent debris flying everywhere. Still, despite her somewhat hostile attitude, I owe my life to Crescent; had she not teleported us out of that base, we would've ended up dying." Aelita replied. "I'm surprised, but thankful that all the debris ended up back her; it would've been terrible if Sheridan Village was pelted by the debris."

"A plausible explan—wait, did you say Crescent?" Melia inquired, a serious expression on her face.

"Yeah, why'd you ask?" The lilac haired girl inquired back, with Melia turning to face the broken machine.

"I've spoken to her a few times, but that's a conversation we can share over tea and desserts when this is all over. The fact that she's meddling with Team Xen doesn't necessarily mean she's our ally, but I believe we can come to an agreement. For now, we have a job to do." Melia informed the duo, who nodded in response before continuing their search through the swamp. As the young man had expected, the path became more cluttered with debris as they went deeper into the swamp, crossing over a fairly wide river and continued down a small dirt path before they saw a most baffling sight.

Standing right before the trio was a large, red and black building right in front of a cave of sorts. Despite how far it was from civilization, it looked almost brand new, as if it had recently been built, but for what exact purpose was unknown. Could Crawli have anything to do with this, and if so, why?

"Well this isn't something you see everyday. Just what on earth is this doing here?" Julius asked outloud.

"Based on how far it is from Sheridan Village, or in retrospect how close it was to the Carotos Lab, this could be a hidden Team Xen base, possibly serving as a back-up in the event that the initial lab gets compromised." Aelita proposed.

"If so, then that means that Team Xen is trying to reestablish their Shadow Pokémon program, and that's something we can't just ignore." Melia stated, bringing out her Snag Machine and put it over her hand. "Watch out Team Xen, I'm coming after you!"

"Yeah, we halted their program once before, we can do it again!" Aelita joined in, adrenaline coursing through her veins.

"What are we waiting for? Let's kick some ass!" Julius called out, the trio letting out a quick cheer before storming the large building before them. But despite his previous show of confidence, the young man felt a strange feeling in his gut, as if something seriously wrong was about to go down. As they made their way into the lobby, Julius' hunch was proved dreadfully right, his heart sinking down to his stomach. Standing before him was Ren, ordering a small group of Vigoroth to move boxes of supplies to various locations in the base.

"Get a move on you lot; there's some extra treats in it if you finish early." Ren promised, his words encouraging the Pokémon to worker harder and faster than before. "These data files need to be shipped to Grand Dream City immediately! If we don't hurry, Nastasia's gonna be mad at us, and you don't want her to get mad, do you?"

"R-Ren?!" Julius cried out, attracting the young man's attention.

"Yes, yes, that's my name. now what do you…want…?" He replied, turning around to face the trio, only for his face to pale upon realization. Both young men started at each other, horrified gasps etched on their faces, with Ren's eyes widening upon seeing Melia. "M-Melia…? H-How are you…"

"Why Ren?! Did I upset you that badly in Goldenleaf Town? I never, ever wanted it to happen like that, but we were naught but pawns in an unfair game of chess! Ren, I'm so sorry about that, I'm so sorry about everything I've done to ever upset you; so why did you join the people who nearly killed Melia; the people who killed my mother?!" Julius cried out at the top of his lungs, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"W-What's—going—I—I don't—what?!" Ren stammered, sweat pouring down his forehead as he was at a loss as to how to reply. True, he was a little surprised that Julius had no ill feelings towards him over that day, but he didn't plan on meeting him so soon.

"Ren…you're working with Team Xen?" Melia spoke softly, her eyes expressing the feeling of betrayal and hurt she's currently going through.

"B-But how?! How are you alive, Melia?! I thought you were dead!" The young man exclaimed in a joyful manner, tears streaming down his cheeks as well, before it soon dawned onto him. "Sh-She lied to me…"

"This is kinda awkward…best if I stayed out of this…" Aelita commented, before noticing Melia storm up to the young man, rearing her hand back before slapping him across the cheek, with Ren yelping in pain as he jumped back a couple feet.

"Yow, what was that for?!" He exclaimed.

"H-How dare you stand there and cry after betraying us. How could you do this?!" Melia snapped at him, anger and hurt brimming in her tone.

"Y-You don't understand…I-I thought you were murdered…" Ren tried explaining the situation to her, but to no avail.

"I may not me dead, but you…you're dead to me." The blonde girl coolly retorted, bringing out one of her Pokéballs. "Send out your Pokémon, Ren."

"B-But I don't want to fight you…" Ren protested.

"I said, send out your Pokémon!" Melia demanded, walking closer towards the young man, who backed away from her.

"I…I…I didn't intend for any of this to happen!" He cried out, making a break for it deeper inside the base as the trio watched him flee.

"Get back here, you coward!" The blonde girl yelled at the retreating figure, with Julius slowly walking up to her, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Melia…even though you don't have him, you've still got Aelita and I to watch your back." The young man reassured her, with Melia taking in a deep breath to calm down.

"I suppose you're right…thanks for trying to cheer me up." She replied, turning around to face the young man. "From the look of things, there's two paths we can take; left or right. Aelita and I will go down one path and you go down the other. Since you're on your own, I'll let you choose; left or right?"

"L-Left, please." Julius replied, not wanting to anger her. He had seen firsthand just how terrifying she can be when sufficiently enraged, and he didn't want to test her any further.

"In that case, Aelita and I will go right." Melia replied, with Aelita walking up to her.

"A-Are you ok, Melia?" The lilac haired girl inquired.

"Absolutely peachy." Melia replied, a smile on her face, though both Aelita and Julius knew she was seething on the inside. With their plan of attack figured out, the trio split off and went in their designated directions.

 **0000**

Ren started pacing up and down the room frantically, clutching his head within his hands as Nastasia calmly typed away on her personal computer, which had an inbuilt hover seat connected to it. It was evident that the young man was freaking out over what had happened back then, his pacing intensifying in speed.

"Would you please stop prancing around the room like that?" Nastasia requested, not looking up from her computer screen. "I'm trying to download all the data needed to further our plans, and I don't need your waltzing around in the background."

"I would, but I'm too enraged and furious to comply." He snapped, clamping his mouth upon realizing his mistake as the Xen Admin sighed to herself.

"And why is it you're furious right now, it's because you ran into your friends, isn't it?" She deduced correctly.

"N-No, it's because I was lied to by someone! Melia was alive this whole damn time, and I was tricked into thinking she's dead. Now's she's after my head, Aelita's after my head, and I'm fairly confident that Julius is after my head because I'm working with the damned creep who murdered his friends back in Ayrith!" Ren retorted.

"Larkspur? Ah yes, that reminds me, he managed to complete his task and find our wayward agents. Right now, they're planning an exchange at Valor Mountain. As for Melia, we've known that she was alive for quite some time, actually." Nastasia replied in her usual cold, methodical manner.

"Wait, you knew this whole time?! And you didn't let me know about this?!" The young man snapped at his superior. "Why on earth didn't you tell me?!"

"Because it didn't concern you, not like it matters anyway. Once we've reclaimed all the data from Madelis' Shadow Pokémon program, we're out of here." The Xen Admin commented, typing away on her computer. "Oh and if you reply to me like that again, you'll regret it, dearly."

"I-I understand…" Ren replied bitterly, his gaze shifting to his feet. "I still don't understand the point of Shadow Pokémon; you don't even care if they get snagged or not."

"Correct. It seems you're not completely dense after all." Nastasia complimented the young man. "You're right, we don't care if they get snagged or not. Conversely, we're running out of them so we need to provide our grunts with more."

"Whatever you say, Nastasia." Ren said, before a sudden beeping noise echoed throughout the room. "What was that?"

"Oh…? It seems your friends already accessed the bridge switches. A little quicker than I anticipated but I managed to recover the data we needed, so we can leave this place now." Nastasia answered, turning her computer off with the duo walking briskly down the hall and towards the escape tram within the cave. Briefly looking around the small, damp cave, Ren sighed in relief upon seeing nobody else skulking around and followed his superior to the small tram. But just as they were about to hop on the small locomotive, they were soon ambushed by a young man unfamiliar to the duo.

"What the—who are you and how'd you get down here?" Nastasia demanded, pointing at the stranger.

"I should be asking you two the same question! What gives you two creeps the right to build a factory in front of MY secret base?!" Crawli demanded back.

"Sorry, but you weren't here at the time of this cave's discovery to file a dispute. Thus ownership had the right to do whatever we wanted." The Xen admin quipped back, frowning at the green-haired man. "Now move out the way, or I'll make you regret it."

"Not a chance." Crawli stood his ground, with Nastasia sighing to herself in annoyance.

"Tch…why must people always have to go for the hard way?" She muttered at him. "It'll be easier to just give up as oppose to fight at every waking moment of your life."

"Like we're gonna throw in the towel to the likes of you!" A voice called out from within the cave, as Melia, Julius and Aelita confronted the villainous duo, with Ren gulping in surprise.

"Uhhhhh…h-hey g-guys…" Ren called out awkwardly.

"Save it, Ren! You can't run away from us any longer. I'll make you regret betraying us!" Melia declared, bringing out her first Pokéball.

"Count me in! It's been ages since I had a good battle!" Aelita chimed in, bringing out her own Pokéball.

"Ren…I'm sorry about all this, but I must put an end to Team Xen, for all their wrongdoings. Should you stand in my way, then I'm afraid I have to defeat you." Julius apologized, repeating his friends' motions.

"Deal with them; I'll take care of this interloper." Nastasia ordered Ren, maintaining her focus on Crawli as the young man sighed to himself.

"Ugh…how did I get myself into this mess…?" He asked himself, selecting three of his Pokéballs and threw them, sending out a Cacturne, Scizor, and Arcanine. Melia, Aelita and Julius threw their own Pokéballs in response, sending out a Pyroar, Hawlucha and Majungold respectively.

Both sides stared down each other for a few quick moments before they went in for the kill, with Hawlucha making the first move by leaping high into the air and struck Arcanine on its side, the large canine howling in pain as it staggered back a few feet. The Scizor then lunged towards Hawlucha and knocked it back a couple feet, before flying towards Majungold and launched a barrage of quick punches with its metal pincers, the Gold Bar Pokémon using its solid gold arms to shield itself from the assault. A few seconds later, it pushed back the Scizor, the Pincer Pokémon staggering back a couple feet and watched as Majungold slammed its fists into the rocky terrain, picking up the broken rocks and hurled it at the three Pokémon. Cacturne shot out a barrage of spiny quills from its body to repel the attack, shattering the incoming rocks into a slew of pebbles that only injured them a small bit. But as they recovered from the attack, Pyroar ran towards them at top speeds, narrowly dodging an interception from Arcanine before firing a stream of potent flames at Cacturne, the Scarecrow Pokémon crying out in pain as it was flung back several feet, too exhausted to continue battling.

' _That attack was a lot more powerful than I anticipated. Perhaps her Pokémon can sense her anger and have been empowered by it somehow…'_ Julius thought to himself, watching a terrified Ren gulp in fear before recalling his Cacturne and sent out his Reuniclus who upon entering used it's mental power to warp the dimensions of the cave, surprising Hawlucha, Pyroar and Arcanine as their movements felt sluggish all of a sudden. Though on the flipside the other three combatants were amazed at the sudden energy boost they received from the Trick Room and were eager to dish out some pain.

"U-Use Flash Cannon, Reuniclus!" Ren called out hesitantly, pointing at Majungold. The cheerful homunculus chirped in response, generating a ball of metallic light in its hands and flung it at its foe, the Gold Bar Pokémon letting out a sharp roar in pain as it was pushed back a few feet, kicking up some dust as it skidded back. Once it had recovered from the attack, it lunged at the Reuniclus, its firm arm smacking it on the back of its head, which caused the small set of glasses on its head to fall off. Meanwhile, the Hawlucha was in a bit of a predicament, as it was caught in a loop of blocking seemingly endless attacks from the much faster Scizor, the Pincer Pokémon unrelenting in its attacks. In what could be considered a desperate strike, the Wrestling Pokémon lunged at its foe and gripped it tightly, leaping up into the air and threw it into the cavern floor, before following up with a Flying Press, crashing into the Scizor as a sizable amount of dust was kicked into the air. The impact caused the Reuniclus to avert its gaze, enabling Majungold to strike it once more with its arm, sending the homunculus flying into the same pit as its comrade. When the dust died down, it showed that both Scizor and Reuniclus were knocked out from the swift assault.

"What's the matter Ren? Don't have the guts to stand by your choice?!" Melia taunted, an unusual action for her, but both Aelita and Julius chalked it up to her releasing her pent-up anger.

"I-I told you, I didn't want any of this to happen!" Ren tried to defend himself, but it fell on deaf ears. Sighing sadly to himself, he recalled his fainted Pokémon and sent out his last combatants, a Flygon and his trusty Greninja. It was around this time that the twisted dimensions returned to normal, with all the Pokémon sans Majungold chirping in joy upon regaining their much-needed speed. The Arcanine attempted to regain the initiative, cloaking its body in flames and charged at the Hawlucha, the Wrestling Pokémon letting out a shrill chirp of pain as it was flung several feet backwards and crashed into the rocky terrain. The Flygon soon proceeded to fly high in the air, gesturing at Arcanine to find a safe location to stay as it swooped towards the ground and began slamming into it with its supple tail, sending a series of vibrations that caused Pyroar and Majungold to stagger on the spot, rendering the both of them vulnerable to a large tidal wave that Greninja conjured up from the cavern water. The sweeping wave nabbed the both of them alongside the weakened Hawlucha, the trio letting out cries of shock and fear as they crashed into the cavern wall a few times before submerging below the surface. When the water died down, it showed that all three Pokémon had been knocked out from the powerful combo.

"Heh, you ain't half bad, Ren. A shame about the betrayal, otherwise we could have matches like this all the time." Aelita chimed in, as she, Melia and Julius recalled their defeated companions before selecting their next choices. In an instant, they sent out their Blaziken, Togekiss and Astronite respectively, with Togekiss raising an eyebrow upon seeing Ren in his current state.

"Don't worry about him, Happiness; he's not worth our time anymore. Use Moonblast on his Flygon." Melia told her companion, the Jubilee Pokémon sighing sadly upon sensing her trainer's anger before charging up a ball of lunar energy and fired it at the Mystic Pokémon, who let out a low screech in pain as the attack collided with it, sending it back a few feet. The Blaziken lunged at the Greninja and attempted to kick it, the latter leaping back to dodge the attack before conjuring a set of watery shuriken and threw them at the Blaze Pokémon, who opted to repel them with a series of quick punches. Meanwhile, the Astronite used its mental energy to hoist up several rocks and fling them at Arcanine, the Legendary Pokémon charging towards it, stepping side-to-side to dodge the incoming rocks. It tackled into its extraterrestrial foe, the Traveler Pokémon letting out a garbled cry as it was pushed back a few feet.

Opting to retaliate as swiftly as possible, the Astronite used it's mental energy to hoist Arcanine up in the air, the large dog letting out a quick yelp as it struggled in vain to break free of its foes grip. With a quick flick of its right arm, it sent the Arcanine flying into Greninja, the two Pokémon crashing into each other, with Blaziken using its impressive strength to hoist them into the air. Cloaking its fists in intense flames, it spun the hapless Pokémon in a circle rapidly, the duo quickly become dizzy before throwing them at Flygon, the attack knocking the dragon out of the air and into the ground. Togekiss conjured up another ball of lunar energy, the bright pink ball growing in size as the attack was shot towards the downed trio, acting as the finishing blow and caused a sizable cloud of dust to get kicked up. When the dust died down, it showed that Arcanine, Flygon and Greninja were all knocked out from the triple-threat.

"As I expected…" Ren sighed in defeat, recalling all three of his Pokémon as the trio before him maintained their gaze at him, all three of them sporting different expressions while the recalled their own Pokémon.

"Wow-wee! That was a nice way to finish that battle!" Aelita cheered, clapping her hands together.

"Ren…I still don't understand why you opted to join Team Xen. I wish there was something I could've done to prevent this from happening…" Julius sighed sadly, digging his hand into his jacket pockets as Melia continued to glare at the raven-haired teen, too angry to talk to him. However, their confrontation was broken off by an arrogant chuckle, the trio turning their attention to Nastasia, as a shocked Crawli stepped back a couple feet.

"Ahahah…is that the best you can do? How you can call yourself a Gym Leader is beyond my sheer intellect; guess the standards for becoming one have fallen dramatically is someone as weak as you can get the position." Nastasia taunted her opponent, the green-haired man glaring at her in response.

"Nastasia, I-I…" Ren began, trying to come up with a reasonable excuse.

"Evidently, you had no luck in the winning department either. Remind me to teach you a few things later, that way you won't be such a burden in the future." The purple-haired woman retorted coldly, the young man before her flinching at her harsh words. Taking a brief glance at the tram beside them, Nastasia whipped out a small smoke bomb out of her pocket and threw it on the ground, creating a thick blanket that caused her adversaries to cover their eyes and fall into a momentary coughing fit. Once it had died down, the group soon turned their attention to the tram, its horn blaring loudly as both Xen agents hopped into the driver's cabin and started it up, the large machine slowly kicking into life.

"Hey, get back here! This isn't the last you've seen of us!" Melia roared in anger, running up to the tram as it picked up speed, the blonde girl unable to keep up with it as it sped off down the tracks. Letting out a low growl under her breath, she kicked a small rock across the room, as both Aelita and Julius looked at her with concern.

"Don't worry Melia, we won't let them get away for long. One way or another, they'll pay for crossing our path." Aelita declared, hoping it'll cheer up her friend.

"…I suppose you're right." The blonde girl sighed, contemplating the recent events in her head. "I just don't understand why he'd betray us like that?"

"I'm not sure either, but if I had to take a wild guess, he's probably trying to destroy them from the inside, as revenge for "killing" you." Julius proposed, with Melia shaking her head in response.

"I doubt that. Besides, even if he wanted to crush Team Xen, it would've been better to work with us as opposed to betray us." Melia knocked back the suggestion, with Crawli recovering from his stupor from before.

"My sincerest apologies for botching up that fight; I let my arrogance get in the way." The green-haired man apologized for his defeat.

"Don't sweat it, had I not been caught up in that last battle, I would've been able to help you out." Aelita replied.

"Besides, we'll meet Nastasia again, only this time things will end differently." Melia added, internally promising to defeat the twisted admin.

"Thank you for your support, I appreciate it greatly." Crawli smiled at the trio, with Julius stepping up to his elder.

"There's one thing I want to ask; how did you find this place?" The young man inquired, with Crawli chuckling lightly to himself.

"I visited these wetlands in order to hang out at my favorite spot once more, but when I got here, I was startled to see this huge factory standing there. I thought about walking in, but I opted not to, since that place gave me the chills. As I opted to walk east of the factory, I found a small entry way to what I assume was the railnet, and walked down the tracks, which was when I saw those two make a run for it. Had I been just a bit stronger, I could've dealt with them before you three showed up." The green-haired man recalled his tale.

"Well what's done is done and we can't change that. We should leave; staying here would only amplify our bitter feelings. Right now, we need to keep a clear head and focus on our side-mission; helping Julius acquire enough badges to—" Melia began.

"Sorry to cut you off, but am I assuming that you wanted me to challenge Julius to a Gym Battle? Say no more, a good battle should help me rejuvenate my spirit." Crawli interjected.

"Really? Thank you so much!" Julius thanked his elder.

"Not a problem. Just make sure to land a punch on Professor Larkspur once you get the chance at Valor Mountain." The green-haired man chuckled lightly.

"Don't worry, I intend to do more than a simple punch…" The young man replied, dark thoughts forming in his mind with Aelita noticing the change of aura in the air.

"W-Well what are we waiting for? Let's head back and get the show started!" She called out to the trio, briskly walking out of the cave, the others exchanging quick glances at her before opting to follow her.

 **I apologize for the wait, but I was a little lost on ideas for this chapter. Don't worry though; once I've played the latest episode, I should be back in full form, with a nice Gym Battle for you all to enjoy.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Yagami Kuzuki: Thank you for your comment and while I understand your concerns, I'm keeping Melia x Venam in the fic since it's by all means and purposes a canon ship in the game. Not to worry though, there will be plenty of Melia x Julius moments in the future chapters.**

 **Well wasn't Episode 12 an amazing experience? It was arguably the best episode so far, with several exciting twists and turns, some intense moments that sent shivers down my spine, and even a few heart-warming moments that made me tear up a bit. All that said, here's another chapter for you all to enjoy, with an exciting gym battle to spice things up!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

The trip back to Kakori Village was quiet, and rather nerve-wracking for the young man, his mind still buzzing with Ren's decision to join Team Xen. Julius still maintained hope that it was all for the greater good and that things will work out in the end, though even he wasn't so sure on what his endgame was. Regardless, he would have to put those thoughts aside as he had a more pressing matter at hand, that being the upcoming gym battle. Unsure on what he would expect, the young man took the time to give his Pokémon a rest, mulling over his gameplan for the upcoming battle, with the nurse handing him his Pokémon back half an hour later. With his companions now in tip-top shape, Julius made his way to the gym, entering through the glass doors before stepping into the first room, where a pair of rangers were waiting for him.

"Hey…you're that Julius kid everyone's been talking about." The first ranger commented, gesturing her partner to turn towards him.

"Well would you look at that, it is Julius after all!" The second ranger chimed in.

"Yeah, that's me. I'm just passing through here to battle Crawli. Hopefully it would take to—" The young man began, before the door behind him opened abruptly, a tall, intimidating woman stormed past the young man and glared at the two rangers, who gulped audibly in fear.

"And what are you two good-for-nothin' rangers standing around here for?!" She demanded, resting her hands on her hips with her voice imitating that of a drill sergeant.

"W-W-We were just surprised to hear about Julius challenging Crawli to a gym battle, Miss Holly—" The first ranger began.

"If you ranger had paid attention like you're supposed to, you'd know about this already!" The now named Holly snapped, stomping her foot on the ground with the two rangers jumping in fear. "Must I seriously be the only person who gets things done in this goddamn place?! And who exactly is this trainer over there? He doesn't look all that in my eyes…"

"Lady, if you've been through ALL the shit that I'VE been through, then you wouldn't be saying such things." Julius retorted, both rangers eyeballing him as if he had done something suicidally wrong. "That being said, I'm the Julius that everyone's been talking about."

"Is that so? I must say that you're ballsy for talking to ME like that; but it'll take far more than that to be granted the honor of challenging Crawli." Holly replied, musing to herself on what trial she should put the young man before her up to. "Here's the plan; I'm going to whip you up into shape, PRONTO. You will go through the exact same course that all my rangers went through before getting their position. If you can't even go through a simple obstacle course, then your sorry ass wouldn't last a minute against Crawli."

"Alright then, I'll take you and your challenge on. Just don't be surprised when I come out on top." The young man accepted the terms.

"Heh, quite the enthusiastic one, aren't we? It won't last though, especially after you see what's in store for you." The tall woman smirked, ordering the young man to follow her to the next room, the rangers quickly going back to their designated posts. Upon entering the room, Julius was surprised to see several logs strewn about the area, blocking off narrow pathways that lead to the next room. Additionally, there were also a few Ariados scuttling around the area. "Your goal here is to move the logs around to make a pathway, as well as call upon the help of the Pokémon here; after all a Pokémon Ranger is nothing without their Pokémon. It's understandable if it's too much for you; weak-hearted trainers don't have the courage to continue on from here." Holly explained the rules, staring intensely at the young man.

"I-I can handle it; shouldn't be that difficult." Julius replied, wiping a bead of sweat off his forehead.

"Heh, we'll see about that." Holly chuckled, exiting the room and left the young man to his own devices. He looked to his right and noticed a tree sprouting various fruit besides a small pathway, a clever idea forming in his mind. Taking his hat off, he plucked several fruits off the tree and walked down the pathway, pushing a few smaller logs out the way before stopping beside a much larger on, a fairly large Pinsir resting idly by the log.

"Hey…" The young man whispered to the Pokémon, its eyes fluttering open as it stared at the person who interrupted its slumber. Taking a fruit out of his hat, Julius placed it on to of the log, the Stagbeetle Pokémon sniffing it suspiciously as the young man pointed at the log before making a clamping motion with his hands. Determining the fruit to be safe, it picked it up, bisected the large log with its pincers before waddling away with its prize, the young man nodding in appreciation. Making his way past the now broken log, Julius walked down the path, hopping over another log and soon saw Holly standing by the entrance to the second room. "Bu-bu—"

"I could do this course with my eyes closed; of course, I would've beaten you to the mark." The tall woman retorted. "Anyway, that first room was very simple; even a five-year old could've passed. This next room however, is what makes or breaks a challenger; behold, the Infested Labyrinth!"

Looking over to where she was gesturing at, Julius saw a confusing mess of fallen logs resting on top of muddy terrain, various species of Bug Pokémon thriving happily in these conditions. "What a…fitting name you gave it." He chuckled hesitantly.

"Indeed; it's where souls are lost, dreams are crushed. Those who cannot pass it are more than deserving of my scorn and ridicule. So…you think you can pass my labyrinth?" Holly sneered, her drill-sergeant-like voice echoing in the young man's ears.

"I'll pass your labyrinth with flying colours!" Julius stood his ground, the older woman chuckling at him once more.

"Heh, have fun. Just don't come crying to me when you get stuck." She replied, making her way to the next room, no doubt in record time. The young man spent the next ten minutes surveying the area, trying to find the quickest way through the labyrinth, but to no avail. As he sat down on a nearby rock to think things through again, it hit him, why not just go over the labyrinth? It seemed simple at first glance, the logs were firm and wide enough to hold his weight, and in the event that he fell off, the worst he'd suffer would be a scratch or a bruise. Taking a deep breath, he hopped up onto the first log, slowly walking across it as he made a small leap towards the second log, and the one after that. Julius was making progress when he was suddenly greeted by the sight of Bug Pokémon swarming towards him, no doubt put in place to prevent rangers from cheating the course.

The young man tipped the contents of his hat, the fruit rolling onto the ground as he quickly made his way across the logs, hoping that the bugs would opt to go for the fruit instead. Fortune seemed to favor him this time around, as the Pokémon sniffed the fruit cautiously before snacking down on it, with Julius arriving at the end of the course and picked a few more fruit before making his way to the next room, where Holly was standing, as he had expected.

"Impressive…I didn't expect you to handle that course so easily." She commented, a slight hint of respect in her tone. "This next part is simple, yet hard at the same time. Befriending Pokémon is an essential part of becoming a ranger; without doing so, you'll fail before you even begin. I'm fairly confident that you can complete this room and finish the course. Do not disappoint me."

"Don't worry ma'am, I won't let you down." Julius replied, entering the next room and surveyed the area. The door to the other side was on a small rocky ledge, too smooth to simply climb over. Additionally, the logs were not tall enough to be used as a stepladder of sorts. Somehow, he would have to get up there another way, which was when he noticed a group of Ariados skittering by the ledge. With an idea in his mind, he showed the fruit to the Long Leg Pokémon, pointing towards the ledge while making a gesture to climb up the ledge. Accepting the fruit, the Ariados quickly devoured it before they shot a sticky thread from their abdomens, their nimble legs quickly weaving a strong, sturdy ladder of sorts. The young man nodded in appreciation to the Ariados, climbing up the ladder as the Pokémon continued their feast. Once he reached the top, he made his way through the door and into the next room, where he was soon confronted by a woman with long brown hair, a white, wide-brimmed hat and a sky-blue dress.

"Ah…you made it. Somehow, I knew you would succeed." She smiled at him, with the young man taken aback by what he was seeing. "What's the matter, you don't recognize me? Well perhaps if I did this!" She continued, spinning around in a rapid manner before coming to a halt, her outfit turning into one that Julius recognized almost immediately.

"H-Holly…?" The young man stuttered, with the older woman chuckling to herself.

"Caught you off-guard, didn't you? If this was an actual mission, it could've ended in your death. As to why I acted the way I did? Well you must look and act tough in order to whip these rangers into tip-top shape. Ah but where are my manners, I am Holly, Crawli's surrogate mother." Holly formally introduced herself. "His actual mother was my sister, but she died while giving birth to him, so I took on the role."

"My condolences for your loss, ma'am." The young man expressed his sympathies.

"Appreciated, but it's in the past so there's no need to hold onto it." Holly replied, the door behind Julius opening up as the older woman's eyes lightened up. "Ah, you made it as well."

"As well?" Julius muttered to himself, turning around and spotted a recognizable face. "Aelita! You decided to challenge Crawli as well?"

"Yep, I didn't want to be a burden on you guys anymore, so it's about time I stepped up to the plate. Phew, that course was something else though…" Aelita chimed happily, wiping the sweat off her forehead. "Maybe once we earn our badge, we can have a quick warm up against each other."

"I would like that a lot, thank you very much." The young man smiled at his friend, with Holly chuckling lightly to herself.

"As nice as this reunion is, only one of you can battle Crawli at a time. However, before that can be decided, you two must face one last test. Follow me…" She called out to them, with both trainers looking at each other briefly before following her through the door, where they found themselves on a ledge overlooking a rather large hole in the ground, with several rangers applauding the duo for their efforts. "Alright kids, here's the trial; take a Leap of Faith and jump down the hole. Every ranger had to do this at some point in our life, so it's only fair if you have to do it as well."

"T-That's a pretty deep hole…" Aelita commented, peering down into the depths below.

"Clever observation; do the both of you trust us with your very lives? All us rangers, no matter how much hell I give 'em, are like family to me. Doesn't matter whether it's for a day, or for the rest of your life, you're both rangers in my eyes. Now…time to take a Leap of Faith." Holly replied, as her eyes, and that of her rangers stared at the two trainers. Giving each other a determined look, Aelita and Julius stepped back a few feet before jumping into the hole, the duo letting out cries of surprise.

 **0000**

The duo had closed their eyes during the fall, letting out surprised yelps when they bounced on a few spider webs placed at the bottom of the drop, descending a bit before landing safely on the soft dirt below the ledges. Aelita soon opened her eyes and breathed a sigh of relief upon her safe descent, surveying the lush depths before her.

"Phew…that was rather exhilarating, if a little scary." She commented, resting a hand on her stomach.

"Yeah…that was exhilarating. Now if you could get off me, that'll be appreciated." A voice spoke out from beneath her, with Aelita looking down and noticed that she was sitting on Julius' back, the young man lying down in the dirt.

"A-Ah! Sorry about that!" She apologized quickly, hopping off the man and helped him back up, with Julius giving her a quick nod of appreciation. "Well I now know what they meant when they said the test was about trust."

"Crawli should be around her soon, but that leads us into a small problem; which one of us gets to fight him first?" Julius inquired.

"Hopefully we get to fight him at the same time, but in the event that only one of us gets to fight him at a time, I'll let you go first; I'm still a bit shaken up from that fall." Aelita offered.

"Thanks for the kind offer, but let's see how this all plays out." The young man replied, the duo walking through the room before arriving at a large metal door, covered in inscriptions of various Bug Type Pokémon. A camera soon emerged from the door frame, zooming in to analyze the two trainers before retracting back to its abode, the door slowly opening afterwards. Both Aelita and Julius exchanged a quick glance with each other before stepping beyond the door, the duo soon taken aback by what they saw next.

They found themselves in what looked like an underground lake, the water from the ceiling falling down to give the area an illusion that it was raining. The arena itself was on a small islet in the middle of the lake, connected via stone pathways, with several large pine trees on the edge. Beside the path to the arena on their side was a small warp pad which they assumed would warp them back to the entrance to the gym. Additionally, there were dozens of Bug Pokémon flying around in the air, particularly Yanma who were minding their own business. As the duo walked to the arena, they soon noticed Crawli walking up to them, a confident smirk on his face.

"Finally, I was waiting for you two." He smiled at them. "I take it you're both interested in challenging me to a battle?"

"Yep, but if it's a one-on-one battle, I'm willing to wai—" Aelita began, before the green-haired man raised his arm.

"No need to worry, as a matter of fact I'm willing to take you both on at the same time, with a special handicap of course." Crawli offered, piquing the duo's interest.

"Go on…" Julius inquired, curious as to what Crawli has in store for them.

"I'll be more than happy to challenge you both at the same time, however you two can only use a maximum of three Pokémon each, after all a 6-on-12 battle isn't that fair. Additionally, Fire type Pokémon cannot be used in this battle, though Fire type moves can still be used, provided that the Pokémon you select can use those moves. Finally, neither of you two can start off with a Pokémon that shares a similar typing. For example, the both of you can use a Rock-type Pokémon, but if Aelita starts off with hers, then Julius cannot start off with his. Are those terms agreeable?" The green-haired man explained, the two trainers before him whispering to each other before coming to a conclusion.

"We accept your terms and conditions!" Aelita declared boldly, impressing the older man with her confidence.

"Excellent…I shall give you a bit of time to determine your team for this battle." Crawli said, watching the duo make their way to the entrance to select their combatants for the battle before shifting his gaze to a pair of Yanma building their nest on a tree near the back entrance. Around a minute later, both Aelita and Julius stepped up to the arena once more, each of them having three Pokéballs clipped to their pants.

"Ever since I heard all the good things about you two, I've been hoping to battle you in a serious manner. A little off topic but do you know how I found this hidden paradise? Well when I was young, I fell into a cave and was trapped down there for weeks. As I was finding my way out, I soon stumbled upon this place, the peace and tranquility blowing my young mind. The resident Bug Pokémon helped me survive until the day I was found; ever since then I've devoted myself to protect the Pokémon down here, as thanks for saving me that very day." The green-haired man recalled his tale, with both Aelita and Julius taken aback by the fascinating story.

"That's so nice to hear…I bet the Pokémon here are thankful for your efforts in keeping them safe." Julius commented.

"Indeed, hence why so very few get the honor of battling down here." Crawli replied, taking in a deep breath. "Some people think that Bug Pokémon are weak and frail, however I'm here to show you just how terrifyingly powerful they are. Ariados, Galvantula! Let's teach these two just how strong we are!" He called out, sending out his Pokémon as both spiders skittered on the dirt floor. Gazing quietly at the two Pokémon, both Aelita and Julius selected their first Pokémon, with Aelita choosing her Hawlucha and Julius selecting his Escartress.

The Escartress was a large snail with a blue and white body, a white crest like appendage surrounding its pointy head. Its neck had three gills on either side, while its body had several small flippers that helped it walk on land. Its shell looked a lot like a sandcastle and was far more durable than one would expect it to be. From the way it clapped its front flippers, it could be determined that it loved the rainfall.

"Interesting choices, but it's nothing to be afraid of. Ariados, start off with Barbed Web! Galvantula, use Thunderbolt on Hawlucha!" Crawli declared, with both his Pokémon getting into action. The Ariados climbed up the nearest tree it could find before spinning a web near the opponent's side of the field, the sticky thread picking up dozens of small, sharp rocks in its wake to create a devastating trap. Meanwhile, Galvantula was scuttling towards the Wrestling Pokemon, the spider charging up Electricity between its jaws before firing a bolt at its foe, with Hawlucha narrowly dodging the attack. It retaliated by climbing up a tree and leapt off it, a sky blue crystal around its neck shining brightly before disappearing, before nimbly striking its foe with graceful movements in the air, the EleSpider Pokémon letting out a quick screech before flying back a few feet, picking itself up from the dirt.

Escartress on the other hand, opted to conjure up several stones with its innate power, placing them in strategic areas in the arena to set up a trap for its opponents, making sure they're well hidden. Once it had finished laying out its trap, it soon slid into the nearby lake, using its power to conjure up a large wave to flood the nearby island, with Galvantula and Hawlucha managing to climb up a tree in time. Ariados let out a surprised yelp as it was swept into the lake, the Long Leg Pokémon trying in vain to stay afloat but was soon submerged by the monster wave. A few seconds later, the spider floated back up to the surface, knocked out from the boosted attack.

"Seems like the rain that protected your friends can be used as an effective weapon against you." Julius quipped, with Crawli smirking back as he recalled his Pokémon.

"Utilizing the area around you to the fullest extent can lead to victory, for both rangers and trainers. However, as someone who spent a good chunk of my life down here, I know all it's ins and outs, and my Escavalier is gonna teach you the hard way!" The green-haired man retorted, the Cavalry Pokémon emerging from its Pokéball and surveyed the area, before it was suddenly encased in a rocky prison, no thanks to the Stealth Rock that Escartress laid out earlier. It's hard as steel armor helped lessen the damage it inflicted, with Escavalier pushing the rocks away in a bold effort, gazing quietly at its slippery foe. Lowering its right lance-like arm, it charged at Escartress at surprising speeds, its arm picking up fallen leaves, grass, and other plantlife. It soon slashed at the large snail, who cried out in pain as it was flung backwards several feet, before landing right before Julius' feet and was unable to continue battling.

"No way…" Aelita commented, watching her teammate's Pokémon get knocked out so easily. Somehow, all that foliage that the Cavalry Pokémon picked up turned it's attack into a Grass-type move, which must've been devastating for the Escartress. Julius, having consoled his fallen comrade recalled it and made his next choice, opting to go for his Harptera, figuring it to be an optimal choice for the battle. As it was hovering in the air, it was able to avoid the web that Ariados had laid out earlier. Realizing that she herself was at a slight disadvantage, she opted to go for what she deemed was the safest play possible. "Use U-Turn on Galvantula!"

Nodding in approval, the Hawlucha climbed up a tree and dove towards the EleSpider Pokémon, tackling it before leaping back towards its trainer and re-entered its Pokéball, with Aelita opting to send out her Golem next. Based on the beard made out of iron sand on its face, and the rocks on its head that acted as a charger, it can be determined that it was the Alolan variant of Golem. As soon as it landed on the web, its feet got ensnared by the sticky substance, though it's rock-sloid body protected it from the sharp stones. The Golem let out a determined cry before hoisting a large boulder in the air and struck it with a quick bolt of lightning, electrifying the rocks as it pelted down onto the enemy Pokemon. Though Escavalier was able to withstand the barrage, the Galvantula was crushed by the falling rocks, pinning its body underneath the rubble. The EleSpider Pokémon used the last of its strength to free itself from the rubble before collapsing on top of it, unable to continue battling.

"Interesting, seems that you to have done your research on me and my strategy…" Crawli mused in respect at the young lady, recalling his fainted Pokémon and selected his fourth battler. "But let's see if it can stand up to my Pinsir!" He called out, the Stagbeetle Pokémon emerging from its ball before the Stealth Rocks soon homed in on it and encased it's large frame. Grunting quietly in pain, it used its raw strength to break free from the trap, shattering the rock and rendered the trap useless. Picking up one of the fallen rocks, its crushed it with its impressive pincers, and hurled the remaining rocks at its foes, with Harptera narrowly dodging the attack while Golem stood still and weathered the attack. Opting to go on the offensive now, the Dragonfly Pokémon flew towards the Pinsir at rapid speeds, striking it nimbly with the Stagbeetle Pokémon hissing in pain as it was pushed back a few feet, retaliating with a swift chop that strike the Harptera's throat, the nimble bug flying back in recoil as it shook its head a few times to ease the pain.

Meanwhile, the Golem and Escavalier squared off against each other, staring each other down before the Megaton Pokémon opted to make the first move, its stubby fist cloaked in electricity. It tired to land a punch on its foe, however the attack was soon blocked by the Cavalry Pokemon's right arm, the tip of the lance poking into Golems' beard, a small amount of sand staining the appendage. The two heavy hitters clashed their attacks against each other, hoping to overpower their foe as quickly as possible, with Golem managing to overpower its foe and deliver a powerful punch to its face. However, the Escavalier managed to recover quickly, picking up some foliage with its lance before slashing at Golem, the bulky Pokémon roaring in pain as it was pushed back a few feet. Aelita took a quick glance at the scenario regarding Harptera and Pinsir and saw that both Pokémon were in a stalemate was well, neither one securing an advantage, which forced her to think up a very risky strategy. The lilac-haired girl shot a glance at Julius, her eyes betraying her next strategy. Though the young man wasn't too keen on it, he knew that in this current state, neither side would emerge victorious for a long while.

"I'm sorry about this Golem, but if you could use Explosion, that'll be greatly appreciated." Aelita requested, shooting her friend an apologetic look. Though a little surprised by the request, the Megaton Pokémon accepted it, shooting the Harptera an apologetic look before opting to charge up a massive amount of electricity in its body. The resident Bug Pokémon, noticing the Golem charging up an Explosion, opted to retreat into their hidey-holes, where they knew they would be safe. With surprised looks on their faces as well, both the Pinsir and the Escavalier attempted to retreat from the area, but they were too slow to avoid the massive shockwave, the electricity striking all over the field as all three trainers were blown back by the attack, a large amount of dust strewn up in the air. Around half a minute later, the dust died down, revealing that all four Pokémon were knocked out from the souped-up attack, with the trainers rushing to check up on their friends. Thankfully, none of them suffered serious injuries, though it was clear that the attack took its toll on them.

"I can't say that I'm a fan of that attack, but there wasn't that much damage inflicted on it, so I'll let it slide this time." Crawli called out, recalling his Pokémon with Aelita and Julius doing the same. "You may have gotten me into a pinch, but this is where things get interesting; Golisopod, Araquanid, time to submerge our foes!"

The two imposing Bug Pokémon emerged from their Pokéballs, with Golisopod clasping its two large arms together while the Araquanid gazed at its foes quietly from within its protective bubble. Both Aelita and Julius selected their next Pokémon, with Aelita choosing her Hawlucha once more, while Julius went for his final option, his trusty Frosthra.

"Whew, that's a most magnificent Bug Pokémon you got there." Crawli whistled in awe. "Perhaps when I get some free time, I might take a trip to Tandor to learn about the native Bug Pokémon there."

"Well if it's appearance left you in awe, then I'm sure it's power will impress you even further. Freeze-Dry!" Julius called out, catching the green-haired man off-guard as the large moth began flapping her wings quickly, a chilling gust of wind causing both of Crawlis' Pokémon to shiver on the spot, with Araquanids' bubble starting to freeze up. The Water Bubble Pokémon retaliated by heating up the water in its bubble, thawing it quickly before shooting the boiling hot stream of water at Hawlucha, who winced in pain from the attack, though thankfully it wasn't burnt. The Wrestling Pokémon, hopped up a nearby tree and dove down towards Golisopod, striking the Hard Scale Pokémon with a swift assault of punches and kicks before the towering Bug Pokémon knocked it away with its firm arm, with Hawlucha squawking in surprise as it fell in the dirt, before getting up and dusted itself down.

Letting out a shrill squawk, the Hawlucha spun on the spot rapidly, a set of illusionary swords floating around it in a ring before they clashed together, the Wrestling Pokemon's spirit heightened greatly. Soon afterwards, it used its newfound strength to pick up the large Golisopod, its eyes widening in shock as it was spun rapidly in Hawlucha's hands, before the nimble bird chucked it at Araquanid, the Water Bubble Pokémon squeaking in surprise before the two Pokémon crashed into each other, leaving them in a vulnerable position. Frosthra used this opportunity to deliver another Freeze-Dry, the chilling wind striking the duo especially hard as their bodies were soon incased in an icy tomb. The ice soon proceeded to crumble in the bright light streaming down from the hole in top, shattering to reveal that both Golisopod and Araquanid were knocked out from the combo attack.

"Woo! We did it Julius!" Aelita cheered, the duo hi-fiving each other with their respective Pokémon bowing respectfully to one another.

"Ha…that was quite the intense battle; as I expected from you two." Crawli smiled, recalling his Pokémon before walking up to the duo, handing each of them a badge that had a white oval in the center, and six red appendages that resembled wings, making the badge look like a Volcarona. "Consider the Infested badge, yours!"

"Thanks, you very much, Crawli. It was an honor to fight you." Julius bowed respectively to the man, as he and Aelita recalled their Pokémon, before a bright white poster bearing the insignia of Arceus soon appeared in the center of the arena, catching the trio off-guard. "Woah! Where did this come from?!"

"Looks like Angie's up to her old tricks again…" Crawli sighed in frustration, bending over and tried to pick it up, only to realize that it was stuck to the floor via some unseen force. "Ack! Can't pick this damn thing up. Listen, if you can help me fix this issue with Angie, that'll be appreciated."

"No worries! Just let us rest up at the Pokémon center and we should be good to go!" Aelita smiled at the head ranger, as she and Julius hopped on the warp pad and were teleported back to the beginning.

 **0000**

Having successfully obtained his sixth badge, Julius had exited the Pokémon Center after using it, with Aelita informing him that she's gonna stick around town for a while to restock her on-hand medication, stating that she'll see him soon enough. As he was walking towards the path that lead east out of Kakori Village, he soon spotted Melia and Valarie chatting to each other, the two women soon directing their attention to the young man.

"Hey Julius, I assume that you had no issues with Crawli?" Melia inquired, with Julius taking out his Trainer ID and showed them his newly acquired badge.

"Well done! Only one more badge to go and you're good to go!" Valarie congratulated the young man. "I take it Aelita's challenging Crawli now?"

"As a matter of fact, we battled alongside each other in a handicap match. It was close, but we persevered in the end. As for Aelita, she told me that she's gonna do a bit of restocking while she can, saying that we don't have to wait for her." The young man explained.

"On the topic of gym battles, I was informed that the Teila Resort in the next town has a Gym, which works out pretty well for us." The blonde girl commented, fiddling with her CyberNav for a bit before putting it away. "Well let's not dawdle around here any longer, we've got a job to do!"

The trio proceeded to walk out of town together and soon stepped into the vibrant Route 6, which was a lot different from the jungle they spent so much time in. Rather than thick vegetation and a constant level of humidity, the air was nice and clear, with a couple of small beaches to the north of the route, populated by several fishermen. A few small rivers in the route lead into the vast Terajuma Jungle, where they no doubt ended at the shore to the south. But the most standout feature of the route was the large cave in the middle of the route, dubbed Aquamarine Cave. Local tales about the cave say that the water inside it is so clear, that one could see the bottom of the lakes that populate the cave. The three trainers soon entered the cave, with Valarie letting out a sigh of relief.

"Phew…this place is fantastic! It's a lot more comfortable than that horrible jungle." She commented blissfully, resting on one of the dark blue rocks scattered throughout the area.

"Yeah, even I have to admit that this place feels great. An ideal spot for one to ponder their thoughts in peace should they need it." Julius agreed.

"The lack of sunlight in here, coupled with the water must be the cause for the more pleasant atmosphere." Melia deduced, surveying the immediate area before her.

"Once this is all over, we should plan a quick trip here, where we can relax for a while and even go for a quick swim. I'm sure a _certain someone_ wouldn't say no to seeing both of us having a nice swim." The blue haired woman suggested, smirking at the young man, who's eyes widened in surprise before jumping back and falling onto his backside.

"Ack, I guess this atmosphere did improve Val's spirit after all…" Julius winced, covering the fierce blush on his face as both women chuckled at his predicament.

"Jokes aside, that sounds like a lovely idea." Melia agreed, before the sound of someone crying out in fear echoed throughout the cave, alerting all three trainers. "That sounds like Saki; she must be in trouble!"

"Come on, we have to save her!" Valarie called out, the trio quickly getting into action as they ran down the cool, moist path, unaware that they were being watched momentarily by a teenage girl. She had light brown skin, ruby red eyes, and matching red hair that's done up in a long ponytail, a bang covering her right eye. Her outfit consisted of a black, short-sleeved shirt, with a red plaid skirt. She also wore red sneakers, with matching red socks, and also has some red hair decorations shaped like fire. Overall, she was quite the attractive, yet fiery girl. She took a quick glance at the trio before huffing to herself, resuming whatever it was she was doing.

Walking down a set of inbuilt steps, the trio ran down the sandy path, passing through a large, royal blue door which sent a slight shiver down Melia's spine for some odd reason, when they saw what had terrified Saki. The black-haired girl was stuck on a small islet, a trio of Sharpedo swimming around the islet in circles, waiting for her to make a wrong move. Turning towards the cave entrance, Saki was relieved to see her friends had come to save her.

"Val! Jules! Melia! You came for me! Thank god you came for me!" She cried out in joy, with the trio quickly making their way to this islet and formed a protecting circle around the terrified girl.

"Of course, we'd come for you, we wouldn't dare leave you behind!" Melia replied, a question soon forming in her mind. "But how did you even get here?"

"Look, I'll tell you later, just deal with this Sharpedo already!" Saki requested, with the trainers quickly making their selections. Melia and Valarie sent out their trusty Togekiss and Primarina respectively, while Julius opted to go for Coatlith, the three Pokémon immediately intercepting their watery foes. As they were wild Pokémon as opposed to trained Pokémon, they weren't all that strong. Togekiss flew up into the air, charging up an orange ball of energy imbued with her aura before firing it at the first Sharpedo, causing it to hiss in anger as it was pushed back several feet. Primarina followed up on her teammates act by climbing up onto a rock poking out from the lake, luring the second Sharpedo over with her hypnotic voice before striking back with a ball of lunar energy, pushing it back as well. Finally, the last Sharpedo was locked in battle with Coatlith, attempting to bite it with its ice-cold teeth, but the Forest Lord Pokémon dodged it and retaliated with Energy Ball, sending the shark flying back to where it's companions were. Realising that they were outmatched, the Sharpedo fled the area, with the trainers letting out a small cheer in victory.

"Phew, well there's that problem fixed." Melia sighed in relief, the three trainers congratulating their companions before recalling them.

"Hehe, thanks for the save, you three were really cool out there, you know?" Saki thanked her saviours, with Valarie eying her a little suspiciously.

"Saki, I know about your skills as a Gym Leader, you could've easily defeated those Sharpedo. So why didn't you take them out yourself?" The blue haired woman inquired, with Saki jumping back in surprise before letting out a small sigh.

"Look, truth be told, sharks creep me out. Haven't you seen the move, Sharpnado?" She inquired.

"Ugh, don't remind me! I saw that movie back in Tandor, and it was the most absurd shit I've ever seen. The fact that it got so many damn sequels is proof that the movie industry is messed up." Julius scoffed, cringing internally at it's horrible CGI. "That said, how did you end up here to begin with?"

"Oh yeah, I was gonna tell you three about it. Long story short, I landed in Terajuma Jungle, when I was helped out by this girl with red hair, can't remember her name though. We walked around the area until we found this cave and entered it, ending up at that huge blue door you just passed through. Somehow, she got that door open and we were able to step inside; all of a sudden this HUGE blue Pokémon came out and attacked us! She managed to defeat that beast, but soon vanished afterwards. A few moments later, those Sharpedo wanted a taste of my cute lil' ass, which was when you all found me." The black-haired girl recalled her tale.

"Well that was a bit more detailed than I expected, but I'm glad that you're safe." Melia smiled at her friend.

"I am as well, but can we get out of here? It's cold and wet and soggy and—" Saki began.

"Sure, let's get out of here as quickly as we can. We've got some business to attend to." Valarie replied, the group of four leaving the room and made their way back to the main path, with Julius loaning Saki his jacket to warm her up a bit.

"Th-Thanks Jules!" She shivered, a small smiled gracing her face. "So what happened to the group while I was away?"

"Unfortunately, we've hit several roadblocks. For one thing, Nim was kidnapped by several agents of Team Xen, including a certain someone who I refuse to mention. That want us to exchange her for Melia over at Valor Mountain, trouble is that without the TM for Magma Drift, neither of us can get through the mountain reliably. Hence why we're making a quick trip to Kristiline Town to obtain the TM, however we're making a pit stop at Teila Resort to secure ourselves another Gym Badge." Julius explained the situation as briefly as he could.

"In that case, I'll be happy to help you out! Come on gang, don't keep me waiting!" Saki cheered, boldly making her way through the cave, the trio amused at her hyper activeness as they pushed through the final leg of the cave, exiting it and arriving at the entrance to Teila Resort.

The Resort was, as the young man had expected, a marvel to behold. There were several small houses where the citizens and resort workers lived in relative peace and tranquillity. Additionally, there were several tourist attractions including a 5-star restaurant, a fairly large beach to the south of the area, and of course, the large resort itself, towering over the area. In the northwestern corner of the area was a large three-story mansion that shone bright in the morning sun. the group of four sighed in awe at the breathtaking resort.

"Well here we are, Teila Resort. It's as amazing as I expected it to be." Melia commented.

"This place looks rather exquisite, a little too pretentious for my liking, but I wouldn't say no to spending a week here." Valarie added, as Saki began mulling a few things in her head, before slowly turning to face the other three.

"Hey guys, if this resort has a gym like Jules mentioned earlier, then wouldn't this be Julius' last…resort?" She cracked a joke, with all three trainers staring at her, internally cringing from the poor attempt at comedy.

"I-It was a good attempt; I'll give you that…" Julius winced in response, shaking his head to get the joke out of his head. "Anyway, it's best if we got down to business already. Wouldn't want to keep Nim waiting any longer than we have to."

The trio agreed with his suggestion, the group of four splitting off momentarily so that they can explore the resort for a while before resuming their task at hand.

 **Another good chapter done and dusted, I hoped you all enjoyed it. Regarding the fight against Crawli, I wanted to try something a little different in order to have it stand out from the other Gym Battles in the story. Now I have a few plans for the next chapter that, although different from the story, I'm confident that you'll all enjoy it. Thank you all for reading, I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Welcome to the next installment of Pokémon Rejuvenation: Rise from the Ashes. While this part would keep in touch with the first part of the Teila Resort act, the order of events will be a lot different to that from the game. The ending to this chapter would bring a little closure to Julius' past, so I hope that you all enjoy it, since it'll be a nice Julius x Melia moment.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

As he explored the small resort, Julius was soon struck with all the childhood memories he had of this place, during his vacations here. He would hang out with Tesla's daughter, Amber, the two of them usually goofing off at the beach while their parents would catch up on their lives with each other, over a cup of coffee of course. His gaze soon focused to the hot spring located in the cavern to the north, where he would usually relax for an hour or so to ease any stress he had built up. However, it seemed that the hot spring was in the midst of its monthly maintenance, so he wouldn't be able to take a dip today. Sighing in disappointment, he made his way south towards the beach, where he saw Valarie dipping her toes in the cool, refreshing water.

"Ahhh…now this feels amazing. This place is absolutely beautiful." The older woman sighed in bliss, before noticing the young man walking up to her. "Come to enjoy the beach as well?"

"Maybe later, I'm just spending a bit of time exploring the place, finding out what has changed since I was last here." Julius answered, looking out over the beach as well. "One thing I know hasn't changed is the view; still as beautiful as when I first saw it."

"I've changed my mind regarding vacation locations; this place clearly takes the cake. Unfortunately, the price will be on the steep side, but I'm sure if we all pool in our fair share, we can spend a week here." Valarie commented.

"Quite right. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got a bit more exploring to do." The young man stated, making his way down the wooden pier to get a closer look at the resort lodgings. As he had expected, the lodgings were vastly upgraded from their original designs, now standing at an impressive two stories high, with at least half a dozen separate buildings on each side. He turned to his left briefly and noticed Saki standing by one of the empty buildings, pouting over the fact that she couldn't get inside and live a life of luxury. Shaking a bemused smirk off his face, Julius left the lodgings pier and began the quick trek to the resorts crown jewel; the Teila Resort building itself. Often compared to the legendary Chrysolia Hotel Resort in Gearen City, it has all the luxuries that one could ever hope for; a casino, in-door swimming pool, and even an arena where trainers can spar against one another. As he was about to enter the large building, he was soon halted by a familiar voice calling out to him, the young man turning around and soon saw Melia running up to him.

"Hey, Jules! Were you about to take on the gym already?" She inquired, the young man shaking his head.

"Not just yet, I might do a bit of catching up with my aunt and all, since she does own this here resort." Julius replied, with Melia quickly putting the pieces together in her head.

"Your aunt owns the…wait, you never told me that TESLA was your aunt!" The blonde girl exclaimed in shock, with Julius laughing lightly.

"Well technically she isn't my aunt, but that's what I called her when I was young, or at least that's what she tells me. Why'd you ask?" The young man inquired.

"Because, she's my biggest source of inspiration for becoming a trainer! Easily my favorite member of the Elite 8 by far!" Melia answered quickly, her eyes sparkling with joy as she quickly grabbed Julius by his wrist. "Well come on then, don't keep me waiting!"

"O-Ok, Melia…" He replied, startled by her sudden eagerness as she dragged him into the large building, the blonde girl quickly scanning the lobby for her idol. There, sitting by the lobby desk filling out a few forms, was the graceful woman herself, sighing quietly to herself in content as she had finished filling out the last form before her.

"There we go…a little less business than I hoped for, but things should pick up once Angie goes—" Tesla began, looking up from the desk as her eyes soon focused on the two newcomers. "Julius! It's been quite a while since we last saw each other. How's it going?"

"I-I'm fine, thank you very muc—ack!" The young man answered a little hesitantly, before being enveloped in a warm hug by his enthusiastic aunt. "B-Be careful, auntie…"

"Can't I be affectionate to my darling nephew?" She replied whimsically, breaking off the hug as her attention soon focused on Melia, who was fairly nervous from being in the presence of her idol. "Is everything alright miss?"

"Y-Yeah…I'm just thankful that I'm in the presence of Tesla Von Brandt, Elite 8 member and wielder of the Golden Flame." Melia replied, bowing in respect to her elder. "It's an absolute honor to be in your presence."

"Hahaha, no need to be that formal with me, Melia. We're all equals in my resort." Tesla chuckled lightly, a surprised Melia taking a step back.

"Y-You know my name?!" She inquired.

"Why of course I'd know, a friend of your popped in here a few minutes earlier, going on about how thankful she was that her friend had come back from the dead or something." The older woman answered.

"Wait, does that mean…" Julius began, before the door to the right of the lobby opened, a familiar figure entering the room.

"Yep, I finished my task and opted to treat myself. I earnt it after all." Venam smirked playfully, walking up to the trio. "About time you two got here!"

"V-Venam! I didn't expect to see you here so quickly." Melia exclaimed, the duo giving each other a quick but warm hug.

"Well you know me, I'm not one to miss out on a good time!" The purple-haired girl chuckled lightly, her gaze shifting to Julius. "I heard from Aelita that you two defeated Crawli; congrats, mate!"

"Thanks. It was a pretty intense battle, all things considered. Which reminds me, I'm looking to challenge the Gym Leader here. Do you know where they are right now?" Julius asked Tesla.

"Amber? Oh, she should be coming bac—" Tesla began, before being cut off by the door opening, a young woman with a long, red ponytail entering the lobby. "Speaking of which, how was your trip to Aquamarine Cave, dear?"

"It was fine, not really much of your business by the—" Amber began, her gaze soon turning towards Julius, the young man's eyes widening in surprise. Letting out a quick huff, she stormed up to Julius and gave him a quick slap across his cheek, the young man wincing in pain. "How could you just get up and leave without letting me know?! I thought something bad happened to you!"

"S-Sorry, Amber. It's wasn't my intention to leave you in the dark, but my parents wanted to move to Tandor as soon as possible…" The young man replied, cradling his aching cheek.

"Well, as long as you don't get up and leave again, I suppose I can let it slide." The redhead accepted his apology, before shifting her glare to Venam, who glared right back at her. "And what is SHE doing here?! I never want to see you again after what happened that day!"

"Ugh! I can't believe that I have to see you again! And to think I was actually enjoying my time here…" Venam scoffed in annoyance.

"Hey, hey, hey. There's no need for arguing, I'm sure you can make it up to each other." Julius interjected, with Amber chuckling dryly at the young man.

"Hah! Like I wanna make it up to HER; she still owes me that CD she stole from me." The redhead retorted.

"You left that thing behind when you left Gearen City; finders' keepers as they say!" Venam retorted back, poking her tongue out.

"Please, just give it back Venam. I'm in no mood for any of this arguing…" Melia requested, taking a seat to calm her nerves.

"No need to worry about that, I could always buy Amber another copy of that CD." Tesla offered, with Amber huffing in annoyance.

"No way! I want MY CD back, not some store-bought copy." She snapped, sighing to herself. "How could things get any worse than they—" She began, the door to the lobby opening once more as a pair of figures stepped in, with Amber turning around and scowling at one of them. "Ugh! Not you too!"

"Amber! What the hell are you doing here?!" Saki retorted in annoyance, her gaze soon focusing on Venam. "And Venam too? What kind of hell have I stepped into now?!"

"And to think I was gonna have a good time relaxing here…" Valarie sighed in defeat, taking a seat next to Melia.

"It was bad enough that I have to deal with Amber, but now YOU too?!" Venam snapped at Saki. "You had the audacity to blame that fire on me, when it was one of your crappy inventions that caused it!"

"Hah, my fault? I'm not the one who uses Fire Type Pokémon like some immature fool who thinks she's a rock-star!" Saki snidely commented, shooting a glance at Amber. "Besides, my inventions are what will make me famous in the future."

"Famous?! You only get by since you're too busy riding on your grandfather's fame and money. Without him you'd end up in a dead-end job!" Amber snapped at the black-haired girl. "Besides, Venam was the one who started that fire, not me."

"Hah! You talk about Saki riding her grandfather's coattails, yet you're riding your mother's coattails yourself! At least I don't have to rely on my mother for any pocket money!" Venam retorted.

"Yeah, because she kicked you out for being a nuisance. At least mine loves me!" The redhead retorted, crossing her arms smugly as all three girls growled at each other, the conversation quickly making Julius especially uncomfortable.

"Ladies, now's not the time for arguing. It's evident that all this bickering is mentally draining you all, especially poor Melia, who's on the verge of collapsing." Tesla broke the fight up, her gaze focusing on Melia, who's face was rather pale from weariness. "I know, why don't I give you all a massage? That ought to ease the tension in the air!"

"I'd appreciate that a lot, miss. I'm sure Melia would as well." Valarie agreed to the idea, the blue-haired woman helping Melia get off her seat as the group of seven exited the lobby and made their way to the massage parlor on the ground floor. The massage parlor had several open vacancies, with five empty beds laying out in a row. Tesla, being the clever woman that she is, set up the girls in an order that prevented any of them from bickering to each other; from left to right, the order was Saki, Valarie, Venam, Melia and finally Amber. Unfortunately, there wasn't any spare beds left for Julius, meaning that he would have to sit this one out.

"Now if all goes according to plan, this should ease their tensions and help them relax. It was awfully nice of Julius to foot the bill on this one." Tesla smiled, watching her nephew sign out a couple forms, as several resort workers began massaging the lovely ladies.

"Yeah, real nice…" He grumbled to himself in annoyance, upset over not getting a relaxing massage as Melia sighed blissfully to herself.

"Thanks, Jules. You're a real pal. But would you mind doing another favor for me? See, I'm signed up to the Help Center App on the CyberNav, and occasionally I'd get help requests sent to my device. If you can complete a couple of them for me, that'll be fantastic." Melia requested, gesturing at Tesla to bring out her CyberNav, the older woman turning it on and saw that Melia had two new messages from the Gearen Help Center regarding new requests.

"Hmmm, seems that these quests are situated in Gearen City. In that case, I'll loan you my yacht; it should make getting there a lot less stressful than flying there on your Pokémon." Tesla commented, handing over a set of keys to the young man, as well as Melia's CyberNav for safekeeping.

"Got it. I should be back soon enough; enjoy your massage!" Julius called out, exiting the massage parlor, the girls waved farewell to the young man before lying back down on the bed to enjoy their massage.

 **Gearen City: Help Center Building**

The young man quickly made his way up the stairs to the building, his mind blown away by just how efficient Tesla's yacht was. Not only was it surprisingly fast, but he didn't even have to steer it; all he did was type the destination in the on-board computer and sit back. But now wasn't the time to be reminiscing about his ride here; he had a job to do. Entering the Help Center, he was surprised to see that it was quieter than usual; perhaps there wasn't as much business today. It was then that he remembered the Gather Cube he was given a while ago, opting to get it checked out while he was bust with the requests.

"Hello, Mei." Julius greeted the receptionist, walking up to the front desk. "I have a bit of business with Ayuda regarding an experiment I signed up for."

"She should be in the backroom, running a few tests to see if everything's working." Mei answered, the young man nodding in appreciation before making his way to the backroom door, knocking on it a few times. After getting the all clear, he entered the room and saw Ayuda finishing off her maintenance checks, turning around and saw the young man with the Gather Cube in his hands.

"Well how do you do Julius?" She greeted the young man, taking the Cube from his hands. "I take it you managed to gather 150 Zygarde cells like I asked you too?"

"Unfortunately, I've only managed to gather around 50 or so; the last few days have been quite hectic for me." Julius apologized, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"No matter; I should be able to get some research done with the cells you have so far." Ayuda smiled, inserting the Cube into the machine as it soon whirred to life. "In the meantime, why not take on a couple of requests? I'm sure the time would fly while you're out and about."

"As a matter of fact, that's the next thing I was gonna say. I decided to help out Melia with a few requests she's got since she's busy dealing with some urgent business. Rest assured, I'll make sure that she gets the rewards once the request's have been completed." The young man explained his situation, omitting the fact that Melia's getting a 5-star massage right now.

"What a thoughtful young man you are; she's very lucky to have good friends such as yourself." The older woman cooed, redirecting her attention to the machine before her. "I'll need some private time to analyze the cells you gathered, so I guess this is goodbye for now."

"Yeah, I'll see you later." Julius said his goodbyes, exiting the backroom and waved farewell at Mei before exiting the Help Center. Once he got outside, he decided to bring out Melia's CyberNav to get a better understanding on what exactly these requests were about. The first one was a request from the Chrysolia Hotel receptionist, complaining about a strange woman who's loitering suspiciously in the front garden. Luckily the walk wasn't that far, so the young man dug his hands into his pockets and made the quick trek to the Chrysolia Hotel. Upon arriving there, he was taken aback by how immaculate the front garden was; there were several patches of flowers neatly arranged into rows, surrounding a couple water fountains. There was also several Grass and Bug Pokémon frolicking in the trees and bushes near the front entrance. However, it was the strange, but familiar woman casually staring at the hotel entrance that attracted the young man's attention.

"K-Karen?" Julius called out, snapping the woman out of her daze.

"Oh, well if it isn't the little dove. I know your name young man, but I find it easier to call you little dove. By the way, those three bandits you saw back then are doing well for themselves as my servants. I'll make sure to send them your regards." Karen replied, casually studying the young man.

"C-Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say that you'll have need of my services back then?" The young man inquired, his uneasiness surrounding the older woman resurfacing.

"Ah yes, I do remember that little comment back then. I'm in the midst of searching for the Hidden Library rumored to be under this city; however only certain people can open the doors to its inner sanctum, one of those people being yours truly." The older woman explained her mission at hand. "Based on the information I gathered; I've been able to pinpoint the entrance to three locations; this hotel, the abandoned factory to the west of Gearen Laboratory, and the large fountain in Gearen Park. We can already cross the hotel off the list as I've searched the area for a while now; I'd suggest we try searching the factory next, but it's a little too close to the water, and my research suggests that it was built away from the water."

"True, but the disaster that rocked this region years ago could've shifted it closer to the water. I'm not saying with 100% certainty that it's there, but it wouldn't hurt to check just in case." Julius suggested, a thoughtful expression appearing on Karen's face.

"I suppose you raise a point. Very well, we'll meet at the entrance to the factory. From there, I'll search the place while you deal with whatever ruffian seeks to ruin my day." She conceded, making her way down the stairs with the young man following behind her. After all, it would be wise not to keep her waiting; who knows how she'd punish him for his tardiness. Soon enough, they made their way to the abandoned factory, the exterior looking a whole lot cleaner than the young man expected. Entering the large building, they were soon confronted by a bespectacled man wearing a tattered scientists' outfit, his purple hair spiking up to the left. The man started chuckling at the newcomers in a maniacal manner, before Karen pushed him out the way, clearly not in the mood for whatever he had in store for them.

"Quiet down, Jenkel!" She snapped, the mad scientist quieting down a bit before Karen outstretched her arms, chanting some sort of ancient spell as she began floating above the ground, moving briefly over the water flowing underneath the floor before making her way back to land, a dejected look on her face. "Tch, it's just as I expected, this place isn't it."

"Hehehehehehe…how intriguing…" Dr. Jenkel spoke up, eyeing the older woman with intrigue in his eyes.

"Oh, would you just shut up already?! In the five or so years I've known you, that's the only damn phrase you've ever said! You're nothing but some mad scientist who can't talk coherently if your life depended on it!" Karen snapped at the man before her, who chuckled back at her in response.

"Oooooh, someone's sassy…" Dr. Jenkel chimed in, with Karen's glare at him intensifying as a dark red aura cloaked her body.

"Call me that again, and I'll have you maimed and bisected! Bisected you hear?! No, instead I'll have you burnt alive until you're on your last breath, before I rip out your intestines and strangle you with them! Then I'll push your still breathing body into the river for the Sharpedo to eat you alive, only to bisect those Sharpedo because they'll be covered in your filth!" She threatened the man, with Julius' face paling upon hearing the sheer brutality of the threat, the young man on the verge of fainting.

"S-S-So I take it we're leaving this place?" He stuttered, sweat pouring down his face.

"Yes. Make sure you come alone." Karen demanded, storming out of the factory as both he and Jenkel watched her go, the latter doing some sort of odd dance on the spot.

"…I think I'm in love…" Dr. Jenkel commented to himself, his gaze shifting towards the young man.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night." Julius replied, his gaze shifting towards some sort of badge pinned to his jacket; it looked like a dark green, misshapen 'B'. A memento from his old job? Whatever the case, there were more pressing matters to attend to, the young man making his leave and began the walk towards the large fountain. Luckily, he didn't have walk that far to find Gearen Park given how it was resting to the south of the sprawling metropolis. Entering the lush park, checking to make sure he wasn't being followed, he spotted Karen gazing at the fountain and made his way to her.

"Good, you came alone. As you can see, this is my—our last hope until we gather more info surrounding the library." The older woman stated, outstretching her arm as she began chanting that same spell once more. But even after five or so minutes, nothing had changed; the water still kept on flowing as if the duo had never entered the park at all. Angered by the lack of results, Karen picked up a small rock and threw it at the large Lilligant statue in the middle of the fountain, the ground quaking under their feet in response. As if by magic, a stone path rose up from the basin and formed a path to the statue, the inscription rising and revealed a hidden entrance to the duo.

"Well…that worked I guess." Julius chimed in.

"That wasn't what I expected. Oh well, at least there's no need for anybody to cry on my shoulders." Karen commented, her mood picking up slightly as she walked down the stone path, the young man following behind her. As they descended down the stone steps, they stopped by a closed door in a room peppered with lit candles, Karen's eyes lighting up upon noticing a strange symbol on the door, one that she immediately recognized. "Amazing…after all this time I've finally found the Hidden Library!"

"That's nice and all, but what exactly are you looking for down here?" The young man inquired, a curious expression on his face.

"A multitude of things, things that I won't spoil for you. Well what are we waiting for? Let's get this door open already!" The older woman brushed his question aside, pressing her hand on the stone door as she chanted a different spell under her breath. The stone door started shaking, letting out a low groan as it slowly opened until the gap was wide enough for both of them to pass through.

As the duo walked past the door, Julius let out an awed gasp at the sight before him. There were dozens upon dozens of bookshelves that were more than twice as tall as him, chock full of books long thought to have disappeared from the sands of time. Who knows what ancient and mysterious knowledge was kept hidden away from the prying eyes of outsiders? Once he and his friends were finished with their conflict against Team Xen, he might suggest a trip to this underground library, as a means to relax after all they've been through. His mind soon wandered to Karen, questioning where she had gone while he was busy eyeing up the gorgeous locale. He soon spotted her at the back of the library, chuckling to herself as she stood over an altar standing in front of some massive statue with a long prophecy written on the stone plaque.

"Finally, after all this time I've found what I've been looking for!" Karen cackled with glee, the young man walking up to her to see what exactly she had found. Resting in her open hands…was a Mega Ring?! How could something as advanced as that have existed during the time of the Garufa? Were they more advanced than he had expected, or did they somehow master the ability to travel through time?

"There was a Mega Ring down here…?" Julius inquired, his mind still doing flips over how it could've existed back then.

"Yes, and it's mine, all mine!" The older woman cackled with glee, placing it over her wrist. "This was the only one there, so that leaves you with no ring whatsoever. If you're gonna cry over it, at least do it on your mother's shoulders—" She continued, the young man shooting her a most vicious glare, the woman having struck a rather sore spot on the young man's psyche.

"I-I see…" Karen replied, understanding why her last comment had stung the young man so badly. "You know, I cried an awful lot when my Momma and Papa died horribly. Once the tears were gone, I started laughing. Laughing really hard. Was that what you were trying to do, make me laugh?" She continued, chuckling to herself.

"I-I guess…" Julius mumbled under his breath.

"I like you Julius, you know how to get the job done without raising too many complaints. Why don't you take this as a token of my appreciation?" The older woman replied, picking up a book that rested on the altar alongside the Mega Ring and handed it to him. "That's no ordinary book; it can effortlessly translate Garufan writings and since it's installed with Garufan magic, there's no need to learn the language. Just don't go handing it to every random person you see; in the wrong hands it could lead to unforeseen consequences."

"T-Thanks, I'll keep your warning in mind." The young man accepted the kind gesture.

"Why don't you try reading that plaque behind me? I'm sure it'll help you out in the long run. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some other business to attend to; Ta-Ta!" Karen suggested, gesturing towards the large statue behind her before making her leave, the young man briefly watching her go before walking towards the statue. Sitting down beside it, he opened the book and was taken aback, his mind flooded with ancient knowledge as the once illegible writing on the plaque was soon rendered readable to the young man. Looking over it, the text was separated into two different paragraphs, titled _Light Prophecy_ and _Dark Prophecy_ ; the exact same thing that Indriad brought up back when he was stuck inside his manor.

Julius opted to read the Light Prophecy first, his mind drawn to it for some particular reason. _"With death there is also life. With life there is also death. On the darkest day, on the darkest night, tragedy shall befall the Earth. All those caught in the lord's shadow shall be drained and destroyed. The world can be brought to peace again with four lights not born of man. They shall preserve and save the land, and break down the establishment to single layers of sand. Light shall once again be restored to the world. Prosperity and peace shall mesh in one giant swirl. And the land shall be guided by a new light, the strongest of the four lights. To rid this world of everlasting evil and blight."_

Intrigued by the prophecy before him, the young man figured that it would be best to read the Dark Prophecy as well. _"With life there is also death. With death there is also light. On the darkest day of humanity, the world shall shake, houses will burn, people will be killed. The land shall shift, and innocent beings shall fall between the crevices. Four darknesses born from man shall reign supreme and create a world in their own likeness. The balance of life and death shall be shattered. The balance between light and dark shall tip. Snuffed out and destroyed forever. A world born out of hatred, evil, jealously and prejudice. Disaster shall be the only known hope in creation of yet another world."_

As the young man took the time to digest the information, he clutched his head in pain, a powerful migraine striking him when he least expected it. Initially, he chalked it up to a side effect of the Garufan magic, however this felt…different. He could scarcely believe it himself, but it was as if he played a role in these prophecies yet was neither a 'Light' or a 'Darkness'. Some secret third party perhaps? Either way, now wasn't the time to dwell on it; he still had a request to complete. Picking up the ancient book and putting it into his bag, he got up off the ground and left the vast library, hoping that it wouldn't be as complicated as this request was.

Around ten or so minutes later, Julius had arrived at the Oceana Pier as he was told to by the second request. It mentioned how a trio of Litleo has been rummaging through the garbage and have been known to act aggressively towards other trainers, hence they need to be moved from the area as soon as possible. The young man turned his gaze towards a pair of apartments and saw the culprits snooping around the area, scavenging for any scraps they could find. As he stepped closer towards the small pack, the lion cubs reared their head to glare at Julius, snarling and hissing at him as they advanced towards him. Backing away slowly from the advancing Litleo, the young man saw someone opening their apartment window, whistling to themselves as they were polishing off what looked a multi-colored stone of sorts, before it slipped out of their grasp.

"Oh crap! The highly expensive stone that evolves a Pokémon much sooner than normal has fallen from my hands and conveniently into the path of those advancing Litleo!" They cried out, the leader of the Litleo walking towards the stone and pressed its nose on it, before getting enveloped in a bright light. The light soon died down, the newly evolved Pyroar checking its new body out before roaring at Julius, the young man sighing to himself in annoyance.

"And to think this was gonna be an easy request…" The young man complained, taking out one of his Pokéballs and sent out his Herolune. "Alright buddy, let's start things off with a Bone Rush!"

The Vigilant Pokémon let out a howl to bolster its spirit, bringing out its trusty tool and charged at its foes. A pair of Litleo lunged at the large canine in an attempt to bite it, only for it to knock them away with its bone, the duo landing on a ruptured trash bag. Now on its own, the Pyroar was able to go all out, bolting towards Herolune and snatched its bone up in its mouth, before promptly tossing it to the side. The Herolune swung a few punches at the lion, the latter roaring quickly in pain before ducking under the thick arms and tackled the bipedal dog, knocking it off its feet. The Vigilant Pokémon quickly got back up and charged at its foe, dodging an incoming Flamethrower before delivering a swift Drain Punch to its flank pushing it to where the Litleo were. Realizing that they were outmatched, the three Pokémon quickly fled the area, with Julius letting out a sigh of relief.

"Phew, now that went a lot smoother than I expected." The young man congratulated his canine companion, recalling it back into its ball before shooting an annoyed glare at the person who dropped the stone.

"Uh…hi?" They chimed in, quickly closing the window and resuming their business, the young man shaking his head before making the trek back to the Help Center. Upon arriving there, he informed Mei of his success with the two requests, the young lady verifying that the requests were completed and handed over the rewards to Julius, as well as the Gather Cube he had dropped off earlier.

"My hunny-bun's impressed with the data that she gathered from the samples you brought back but would like it if you could collect some more." Mei smiled at the young man, who promptly placed it and the rewards in his bag before saying his goodbyes and exited the building.

 **0000**

Having completed the tasks at hand, Julius hopped back on the yacht and opted to take a quick nap, believing that he had earned it. Now he could look forward to some rest and relaxation at the resort, preferably with his friends. When the yacht arrived back at dock, the young man hopped off and made his way to the resort to hand Melia her stuff back, but what caught him a little off-guard was the group of five making their way to the beach, duffel bags in tow.

"H-Hey there, how was your massage?" The young man asked, bringing out Melia's CyberNav and the reward money from the requests. "Here, these belong to you."

"Thank you, but you can keep the money. May I suggest buying yourself a massage, because it was phenomenal." The blonde girl replied, accepting her device back. "By the way, we're heading over to the beach for a little fun in the sun. Want to join us?"

"Hah, like Jules would turn down the opportunity to see the five of us in swimsuits!" Venam playfully commented, chuckling to herself as a flustered expression appeared on the young man's face.

"Please; if I had to see you two in swimsuits, I'd probably claw my eyes out." Amber retorted, giving Venam and Saki a quick glare.

"Oh please, you're just jealous that you don't have a cute lil' ass like me." Saki chimed in.

"Cute? You've got the boniest ass I've ever seen!" Venam snapped back, the three girls now resuming their argument from before. "If anyone around here has a cute ass, it's definitely M—"

"You? Like you're any better than her!" Amber retorted, the trio getting into each other's faces, growling at each other.

"Ladies, there's no need for this petty arguing! If you really want your little contest or whatever, then get someone else to act as judge!" Valarie barked at them in annoyance, the three girls halting their argument for now as all eyes slowly turned to face Julius, the young man growing even more flustered at the prospect.

"Well I guess I can live with Julius acting as—" Melia began, her CyberNav vibrating in her bag, the blonde girl picking it up and saw that she got another Help Center request, this one from Sheridan Village. "Seems like I got another request. Hey Jules, mind doing this one for me as well? I'll let you keep the reward from this one as well."

"…sure." Julius replied, with Melia sending him the request to his own device, the young man walking dejectedly back to the yacht, the sounds of playful squealing echoing in the background as the girls made their way to the beach, where they will no doubt have a load of fun despite their petty squabbling from before. Entering the yacht, he programmed it to arrive at Oceana Pier, where he would get off and begin the long trek to Sheridan Village.

 **0000**

Having arrived at Sheridan Village, he noticed that the atmosphere was quieter that usual. Perhaps the townsfolk were still grieving over the loss of their beloved Sensei, Keta? His train of thought was soon interrupted by the sight of some shady guy pacing by the front entrance to the Help Center branch in this town. Julius waved at the man, showing the request on his CyberNav as the man walked up to him.

"Y-You accepted the job?" The man asked, looking side-to-side erratically in paranoia.

"Yeah, what did you want me to do?" Julius asked him.

"There's a really, really rare item that the Kecleon merchant over in Route 2 sells. A client of mine is willing to pay big bucks for it, but I need someone to steal it for me." The man explained, pointing out the location where the Kecleon likes to set up shop; a patch of dirt near the large cherry blossom tree.

"And what exactly does this item look like?" The young man pressed further.

"I don't know, but I know that it's kept safe in a green satchel bag. The job shouldn't be that hard, just go in and grab it. Easy money…" The shady man leered, hoping to tempt the young man to commit the crime.

"A-Alright…but if you double cross me, you won't live to regret it!" Julius warned his elder, the young man making his way towards his destination, the shady man breathing a sigh of relief. Given that he has been through Amethyst Cave several times before, the young man knew a fair number of short-cuts that reduced travel time by at least a third, utilizing them to arrive back on Route 2. Nostalgic memories soon flooded the young man's mind; his first encounter with Nim, the heated conflict with Zetta upon learning about Melia's "death". All of those and more were what helped the young man continue down the dirt path, crouching behind a bush as he soon found his prize. The Kecleon was busy counting the money it had made from the day's purchases, its back turned towards the green satchel. Creeping slowly towards the mat, Julius outstretched his hand, quietly picking up the satchel and tucking it under his jacket.

"Score!" The young man quietly cheered under his breath, creeping back towards the bush when a sudden clicking noise stopped him in his tracks. Turning around slowly, he saw the Kecleon glaring at him, its eyes glowing red as it enveloped Julius in an ethereal aura. Before the young man could even so much as scream, he was soon teleported out of the area, a faint smirk on the lizard's face.

 _ **Thief's Dungeon**_

"Ugh…where am I?" Julius groaned to himself, rubbing his aching head as he surveyed the area around him. He appeared to be on some sort of sandy island, the clear as crystal water crashing against the shore with several rocks lining the water around the island, preventing the young man from simply swimming off the island. The young man checked his jacket, sighing in relief upon discovering that he still had the satchel in tow, before noticing a note of sorts by his feet.

 _To the thief in question_

 _We propose a challenge of sorts; escape our dungeon with the stolen goods in tow, while avoiding me and my family who are out for your blood. In the highly unlikely event that you succeed, you get to keep the stolen goods. However, should you lose, you will be relinquished of all your items and money. One last thing, you are forbidden from using your Pokémon to help you._

 _Signed: Your Humble Merchant Kecleon._

Julius kicked the note aside, turning to the side and froze on the spot. There, starting at him was a Kecleon on all fours; it slowly rose to its hind-legs and let out a shrill cry, informing the rest of its family that it found its prey.

"D-Damn it! I'm getting out of here!" The young man cried out, running down the sandy terrain as fast as his legs could carry him, mentally cursing whatever deity thought up this twisted game. Here he was getting chased by an ever-growing horde of homicidal chameleons, while Melia was no doubt having the time of her life, frolicking in whatever gorgeous swimsuit she got for herself. Still, the satisfaction of outfoxing these roguish foes gave Julius the energy to continue running all over the place, desperately searching for whatever this exit looked like. However, the Kecleon were incredibly crafty; some would pop out from underneath the sand to ambush him, while others would emerge from the shallow water, hoping to ensnare him in a pincer strike. There were several narrow misses where one would lunge at him and the young man dodged to the side, as well as instances where he had to leap over an incoming row of Kecleon. After what felt like an hour or so, the young man soon laid eyes on a wooden ladder standing in the middle of a dune.

"Yes, the exit! Just a little more—" Julius smiled to himself, making it a few feet from the ladder before a hidden Kecleon tripped him over, causing him to land face first in the sand as the horde surrounded him, kicking and clawing at the young man. He shielded his face to protect it from the relentless assault, his outfit getting torn up as drops of blood fell onto the soft sand. Just when he had given up hope of coming out of this alive, a shrill cry echoed out from the distance, the horde ceasing their attack before running off towards the source of the noise. Julius slowly got up off the ground, checking himself over to see if his injuries were life-threatening. Thankfully, despite the sheer number of scratches, none of them were particularly dangerous, encouraging the young man to climb up the ladder and complete this godforsaken quest already.

 **0000**

"Y-You're back!" The shady man from before called out, wincing at the sight of Julius' battered, bloody body. "I-I take it went alright."

"If THIS is your definition of alright, then I hate to see what happened to those who failed!" He snapped, throwing the satchel at the shady man. "Now where's my reward already?!"

"Settle down man, the money's here…" The shady man tried calming him down, handing over an envelope filled to the brim with PokéDollar bills. "I was also gonna give you some Blue Moon Ice Cream as a bonus reward, but I grew bored of waiting for you, so I ate it. Catch you later peeps!"

Julius' eye began twitching in anger over the guys flippant remark, watching the man holler and cheer over the successful task as he walked away from the area. Grumbling to himself, the young man pocketed the envelope and made his way to the yacht, where he would spend the trip back patching himself up as much as possible. By the time he arrived back at Telia Resort, he docked the boat and made his way back to the main building, where Melia said that she and the group would be having dinner. Eager to have a good meal after going through so much shit, he entered the resort restaurant and soon walked over to where the group of five were sitting…only to see that they had all finished their meals without him.

"Y-You already had dinner?!" He exclaimed, the group of five turning to face him.

"Sorry, we would've waited but you were gone for so lo—oh my, what happened to you?!" Melia inquired, noticing all the cuts and bruises on his body.

"Long story short, I got attacked by a group of angry Kecleon. My god, were they persistent; they chased me for over an hour, only stopping their assault when they heard some other soul get lost in their territory." Julius recalled, omitting the part about him stealing the satchel. "But enough about that, it's time for me to dig in!"

"Uh…about that. I may have eaten your meal already…" Venam chuckled uneasily, scratching the back of her head. "It was getting cold and I didn't want it to go to waste, so you can figure out the rest from here."

"Hah, you say that as if you only had two meals! You just kept ordering and ordering as if it was your last fuckin' meal!" Amber called out, the purple-haired girl shooting a glare at her.

"Excuse me?! I wasn't the one who put so much spice on my food, it was rendered inevitable." Venam retorted. "Besides, Saki kept chewing with her mouth open!"

"And you didn't? Typical Venam, always acting like some holier than thou hypocrite!" Saki replied snidely.

"Please! Just put it to rest already; I'm sure we're all tired of this pointless arguing." Valarie requested, her face weary from the events from today, before perking up over her CyberNav vibrating. "Ah…our spa must be ready. Sorry Julius, you'll have to eat alone tonight."

"W-Wait, a spa?! When was this announced?" The young man inquired.

"We came up with it over dinner, in a surprising smart move from those two…" Amber answered, a casual smirk on her face as she pointed at Venam and Saki. "I put in on your tab Jules; consider yourself forgiven for leaving without letting me know."

"T-Tab? When did I get a tab?!" The young man cried out, watching the group of five leave their seats as he slouched down on his, unaware of the waiter walking up to the table.

"Ah, good evening sir. I take it that you're footing the bill for those lovely ladies back there?" He inquired, placing the bill in front of the young man. Julius slowly picked up the bill, carefully skimming over it before his eyes widened in surprise over the total cost, his jaw dropping open as a scream of rage and frustration escaped his mouth.

 **0000**

"Goddamnit!" The young man roared in anger, kicking a rock into the water as he began searching Route 6 for various berries to pick, his Vilucard hopping out of its Pokéball and sat on a fallen log. The restaurant bill had given the young man a serious beating; not only did he have to use up all his reward money from the requests, not only did he have to spend all his money on hand, but he even had to give up a couple Star Pieces that he had saved for a rainy day. And now here he was picking berries for the resort in order to make their famous lotions and oils, all while his friends were enjoying a five-star spa on his dime, nonetheless. He would have to give up the rest of his Star Pieces in order to pay that off. "Why can't I just catch a break for the day?! Can't I just sit back and relax without being led by the leash like some dog?!"

" _Vilu…"_ The Villainous Pokémon chirped sadly, sympathizing with its friend, with Julius handing it a couple of berries to snack on.

"There you go, that ought to brighten up your day—err, night." The young man chuckled lightly, sighing to himself. Though he was a little upset over how he got reduced to a workhorse for the day, at the very least they weren't pitying him. Otherwise he would have snapped and did something that he would most definitely regret in the long run. "You know, I wouldn't have minded paying for their spa, if I got to relax with them." He commented to himself.

Vilucard had picked up on his trainer's commented, cheeky thoughts coursing through his mind as to why exactly he wanted to relax with his friends. The Villainous Pokémon began chuckling at the young man, having figured out his endgame.

"I-It's not like that!" Julius blurted, his face flushed red with embarrassment as he got back to picking berries, his trembling fingers causing the occasional one to drop on to the grass. After a few minutes or so, the young man had finished his task at record speed, sighing in content to himself. "Phew, that should do it. Come on Vilucard, let's hand these over to Auntie Tesla."

The cat-bat chirped happily, hopping up onto Julius' shoulders as the young man began the quick trek back to Tesla's manor, the moon now up high in the sky. It was a rather brisk night tonight, the cloudless sky enabling the young man to look up at all the stars, twinkling brightly in the night. Soon enough, he arrived at the villa door, knocking on it a few times as he was given the all clear to step inside.

"Julius!" Tesla smiled at the young man, taking the basketful of berries from him. "Thank you for doing this small favor for me."

"It's fine…" The young man lied, a weary expression on his face. Digging into his bag, he handed the older woman his remaining Star Pieces as well as her yacht keys. "Here. This should cover the girls' session in the spa."

"You're a real gentleman you know that; paying for your friends' vacation like it was nothing." Tesla complimented her nephew, unaware of the scowl that started to grow on his face. Soon enough, the door opened once more, the group of five entering the villa as Venam, Amber and Saki still shot passive-aggressive snipes at each other, though not as vitriolic as before.

"Well today was a most wonderful day; I got a massage, a five-star meal, and even some time in a nice spa, all without paying a single cent." Valarie sighed in content, the lovely ladies taking a seat by the dining table, with Vilucard hopping onto a spare seat.

"Yeah; a free vacation is nice, especially if it's on the house!" Venam chimed in, before a thought popped into her head. "Oh shoot! We totally forgot about sleeping arrangements for the night!"

"Not to worry, there's two suites that are vacant, so you'll have to go in pairs." Tesla offered, walking over to Melia and Valarie, handing them over a key each. "Melia and Venam can have room 1A, while Valarie and Saki can share room 1B. Amber has her own room, so she should be fine with it."

"Thank you, Tesla!" Melia smiled, as she and Venam gave each other a hi-five, with Saki and Valarie giving each other a hi-five as well. This has soured Julius' mood one more; of course, he would get left out, as if he was due one last kick to the gut. If this day was a bundle of straws, he had drawn the short straw, only for it to get snapped in half while pulling it.

"Well, I guess I'm roughing it for the night. See you tomorrow." The young man replied bitterly, making his way to the door.

"W-Wait, Julius! Before you go, please hear me out." Tesla requested, the young man halting in his tracks to honor her request. "While you were out and about, Melia told me about what happened to Nancy back at that prison. As someone who lost their parents at an early age, I empathize with the pain you're going through. She was a close friend of mine who helped me out when I needed it the most, so I figured that I should keep an eye out for you in return. Which is why I decided to have you sleep in the spare room tonight, under my roof. I may not be able to replace her, but I can continue what she started. When all of this is over, I would like it if you could live here with Amber and I. We'd love to have you join our happy family!"

The young man froze upon hearing those words; this act of compassion, this sick act of pity was what he loathed the most. He hated the idea that someone would pity a man as wretched as himself, when it could've been given to someone infinitely more deserving. "…I don't need your pity…" He hissed under his breath, venom dripping in his voice.

"C-Come again?" The older woman inquired.

"I said, I don't need your pity!" Julius repeated himself, a little louder from before, catching everyone off-guard.

"Julius, this isn't an act of pity—" Valarie began.

"Hah, like I'm in the mood for a lecture! This day has been a complete shitshow; all of you got to life the life of luxury, be it massages, expensive dinner, and even a spa bath! But did I get to relax as well? Nooooo, I was busy searching for hidden libraries with a crazy witch, had to fight off conveniently evolving Litleo, and got mauled by a swarm of angry Kecleon! And to top it all off, I was forced to cover the cost for ALL of you, without so much as a nod of appreciation! I'm sick and tired of being your glorified errand boy while you get all the credit!" The young man began ranting, turning to glare at his friends.

"L-Look, you're getting worked up over no—" Saki began as well.

"No reason? No fucking reason?! Then what about all those pointless squabbles you got into with Venam and Amber?! I don't know what happened back then, nor do I give a shit, but just bury the damn hatchet already! And cut it out with the sex jokes; contrary to what you think, I'm not some brainless dick on legs!" Julius snapped at her, causing the black-haired girl to flinch in surprise.

"Hey man, there's no reason to snap at other people for helping you out!" Venam snapped back at him, getting up off her chair.

"And I thought you hated her; guess you're willing to bury the hatchet if it means ganging up on me." The young man retorted, fishing out his trainer card before throwing it on the floor. "You know what? I'm done with this damn league! Ever since I got back here, it's been disaster after disaster, and I bet it's only gonna get worse from here on out. Tomorrow morning, I'm taking the first boat out of here and heading over to Reborn; I bet this sort of shit doesn't happen there!"

"Julius, wait!" Melia called out, watching the man storm towards the villa door, his hand gripping the knob tightly as he stopped in his tracks. "Please, don't leave us. We care about you."

"Heh, like I deserve your pity…I'll be doing you all a favor by leaving you alone; sparing you a lifetime of pain and suffering by associating with a contemptible monster like myself…" Julius replied, his body trembling with sadness and anger as he opened the door, Vilucard shooting a sad glance at Melia and the rest before exiting the villa, the young man stepping outside and closed the door behind him.

"Oh Julius…what had happened to you that caused such pain and suffering?" Tesla asked herself, as everyone else was unsure on how to respond to such a scene.

 **Room 1A**

"What was up with Julius back there? He just snapped at us for no reason." Venam inquired, getting herself ready for bed as Melia took the time to gaze out the window. They had spent the last hour or so mucking around in their room to distract them from Julius' outburst back at the villa. The interior was a marvel to behold; with a large plush bed in the back that could easily fit two grown adults, much less two teenage girls, a widescreen TV with access to over 500 channels, a miniature kitchen to the right that came stocked with several high-quality meals, and many more luxuries.

"He had a pretty rough day from the sound of things; getting dragged all-over the place doing side-quests while we had the day off." Melia answered, turning to see that Venam had tucked herself into bed. "Besides, I doubt he'd really abandon us like that. He doesn't seem like that kind of person."

"I hope so, because from how upset he was back there, he seemed dead set on leaving." The purple-haired girl replied, patting the bed with her hand. "Why don't you hop in and get some rest? Maybe things will turn out for the best after all."

"Let me go check on him just in case, it shouldn't be too long." The blonde girl replied, putting on a complimentary bathrobe and a pair of fuzzy slippers before exiting the lavish accommodation. Stepping into the cool night, Melia took in a deep breath, the cold air revitalizing her spirits as she searched the immediate area for the young man. A quick search of the docks yielded no results, the young woman taking the time to think to herself when she was suddenly distracted by the sound of soft footsteps pacing up and down the wooden pier. She turned to the source of the noise and found…Vilucard? The Villainous Pokémon had ceased its pacing momentarily, glancing at Melia as it soon ran towards her, a concerned expression on its face.

"O-Oh, it's you. Is something the matter?" She inquired, crouching down to its eye-level as the bat began tugging lightly on her robe, pointing towards the beach as if it had wanted her to follow it there. "Y-You want me to go to the beach?"

Nodding its head profusely, Vilucard soon ran off towards the beach, with Melia running after it. Upon arriving there, the young woman soon realized why it had wanted her to go there; lying inside a sandbag under a palm tree was Julius; the young man tossing and turning violently as sweat poured down his face.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry for letting you all down!" The young man cried out in his sleep, shielding his face from whatever invisible specters were haunting his dreams. The Villainous Pokémon sat beside its trainer, chirping sadly as it looked on in a state of hopelessness, with Melia soon having a realization on what to do next.

"I see…if I can somehow enter his nightmare and save him from the terror that plagues him, then perhaps it would bring him some sense of peace." She deduced, with Vilucard's eyes lighting up upon hearing her idea. The bat spent some time pondering on how the nice young woman beside it could enter its trainers' dream, when a brilliant idea formed in its mind. Reaching into Julius' bag, it brought out a Pokéball and opened it, with Dramsama emerging from the ball, slowly opening its weary eyes before turning to stare at Vilucard. The Villainous Pokémon began explaining the situation to the Masquerade Pokémon, in a series of chirps and cries that Melia was unable to understand, the latter slowly turning to face Melia, eyeing her up to determine whether it could trust her or not. After realizing that she has the best intentions for its trainer, it pressed one of its feathers onto Julius' forehead, gesturing Melia to lie down on the cool sand beside it, the young woman doing so as Dramsama pressed a second feather on her head, causing her to fall asleep within a few seconds.

 _ **The Nightmare**_

" _Ugh…where am I?" Melia groaned lightly, getting up off the ground as she surveyed her immediate area. She had somehow stumbled into an abandoned underground laboratory of sorts, the large room a complete mess. Broken machines and test tubes were scattered all over the place, dozens of torn and crumpled sheets of paper were_ _haphazardly thrown_ _around the place, and there were several unidentifiable stains on the cracked tile floor. The young woman soon heard the faint sound of desperate whimpers coming from her left, turning around and ran towards the source only to stop in her tracks. There, pressed up by a wall was Julius, the young man cowering in fear as four malevolent shadow people encircled him, hurling vicious abuse at him._

" _Damn it Julius, why won't you just die already?!"_

" _It's bad enough that you got us killed, but now you've dragged more innocent people down with you!"_

" _You couldn't even protect your mother back there; what makes you think you can protect those "friends" whose lives you've ruined?!"_

" _And you even have plans to go challenge the Reborn league; who knows what disaster you'd bring upon the innocent people there?!"_

" _Please…I don't want to hurt anyone else…I'm leaving my friends as you told me to…" Julius weakly pleaded, shielding his face from his tormentors._

" _That's not enough! You must pay for your sins with your blood!"_

" _Yes, you will answer for your crimes!"_

" _You're due for your retribution, murderer!"_

" _Good riddance, Julius!"_

 _Melia was taken aback by what she was hearing; what exactly had happened to warrant such hatred and vitriol towards the young man? It was then that a second set of footsteps from behind walked up to her, a second girl around her age standing beside her._

" _It's such a sad thing to witness; the curse often known as survivors' guilt." She commented sadly, with Melia turning to face her. Standing beside her was_ _a very cute young lady, with short magenta hair and matching magenta eyes. Her outfit consisted of a red long-sleeved jacket, a short white dress, and black stockings that were topped off with a pair of pink sneakers. She also had a headband in her hair that was decorated with a bright red bow. "I take it you must be Melia?"_

" _W-Who are you, and how do you know my name?!" The blonde girl demanded, the stranger before her raising a hand to calm her down._

" _No need to be concerned; I've heard your name being dropped from the mouths of the shadow people. As for who I am, you can call me Scarlett." She answered, with Melia's eyes widening in surprise._

" _S-Scarlett? Are you by any chance the same one—" The blonde began._

" _That Julius dated back in Ayrith? Yes, that's me. I assume he told you what happened that day?" Scarlett answered._

" _Y-Yeah, he told me that you were murdered by Larkspur in an act of revenge for what happened back in Tandor." Melia answered back, with Scarlett raising her head up a bit before shaking it briefly._

" _That's wasn't the entire story. There were five of us that day; me, Julius, Ava, Connor and Hardy, we were all about to arrive to the Ayrith Pokémon League when we were ambushed in Victory Road. There, we were imprisoned in some underground laboratory owned by Larkspur, the madman going on about how he needed to recreate his data for some device that was capable of breaking and subjugating a Pokémons' mind, and was thankful he had some test subjects for his work. One by one he strapped us all to these weird machines, turning them on as incredibly powerful waves coursed through our brains. I still have vivid memories of that intense pain, the look of despair on Julius' face as he tried in vain to escape his restraints and save us. I shot him one last smile, letting him know that everything is going to be okay, but that was the last thing I remember." She explained, with Melia letting out a silent gasp as she digested the story in her mind. Was this what he meant when he talked about sparing them from his existence?_

" _I-I see…" The blonde commented, briefly glancing at the young man shivering before the shadow people, sobbing uncontrollably to himself. "But what do they have to do with anything?"_

" _Ask and you shall receive…" A twisted voice echoed out from the shadows, a fifth shadow person walking towards the two girls, the both of them instantly recognizing the man before them._

" _Larkspur! You have some nerve doing this to Julius!" Melia snapped at the bespectacled man, who chuckled at her in response._

" _Ohohohohoho! I'm surprised that you would willingly save him after that outburst he had earlier. Some fine work on my part, but I suppose dealing with you should provide me with the blow needed to end him for good!" The twisted man sneered, a sickeningly smug grin on his face._

" _I just don't understand; what did Julius do to you that warranted such pain and agony?!" Scarlett demanded, glaring at the older man with hate in her eyes._

" _Simple; he ruined my life's work. I was just about to complete a device that would enable trainers to steal Pokémon from other trainers, subjugating their mind to make them completely obedient to the wielder. I had several villainous organisations willing to pay big money for these devices, but that bastard destroyed the prototypes and my research before I could complete them. Not to mention that he knew about my involvement with the Epsilon Plant explosion; he was a threat to me, and I had to eliminate him as soon as possible." Larkspur droned, a cold emotionless expression on his face. "But experimenting on him and his friends wasn't enough; I figured he would develop survivors' guilt over the incident, so I injected him with a serum to intensify that sensation, hoping it would push him over the edge. Kyhahahahahaha!"_

" _You're pathetic you know that? I've faced off against some of Team Xen's most deplorable agents, and you'd fit right in with them. No wonder you willingly joined them." Melia scoffed in disgust, narrowing her eyes at the man before her._

" _A feisty one I see. Then perhaps you want to try your luck in a battle against me? I shall warn you; I won't be a pushover like I was back in Terajuma Jungle!" The mad scientist cackled, clicking his fingers as the room soon twisted and transformed into an arena, a set of five Pokéballs appearing on his belt._

" _A battle? This'll be easy; just don't cry to me when you lose." The blonde retorted confidently, closing her eyes as she dug into her robe pocket and felt her own Pokéballs. Though her companions weren't with her physically, she knew they were with her in spirit, and were willing to help her defeat this madman. "Zoroark, let's teach this creep a lesson!" She declared, sending out her companion as the Illusion Fox Pokémon let out a confident howl and glared at its foe._

" _Allow me to show you something truly terrifying; Tanscure, I choose you!" Larkspur retorted, sending out his own Pokémon. It looked like a large black and brown wolf with a stocky build, a set of sharp teeth and claws, and three bushy tails wagging aimlessly in the air. Pointing at the Zoroark, Larkspur gestured his minion to attack it, the Raccoon Wolf Pokémon charging at it in a frenzy, its mouth locked in a snarl as it leapt up and bit down on Zoroarks' legs. Growling lowly in pain, the Illusion Fox swiped at its foes snout to knock it away, the Tanscure skidding on the dirty floor as Zoroark got onto all fours, breathing a stream of fire that sent the Raccoon Wolf Pokémon flying back even farther, sending it crashing into a wall with dust flying in the air. As soon as the cloud died down, Melia was a little surprised to see that Tanscure had been knocked out already._

" _Tch, should've given it some of those performance-enhancing vitamins beforehand…" Larkspur scoffed in disgust, recalling his Pokémon before quickly selecting another one. "Now this one should do the trick; Raffiti, destroy that pitiful Zoroark!"_

 _Scarlett watched from the sides as she looked at Larkspur's next Pokémon; it resembled a large black rat with spiked collars around its neck, wrists and ankles. It had a mat of messy purple fur on its head that resembled hair, and a slender tail that ended in an appendage resembling a spray can. Though she had only known Melia for a few moments, she knew she could trust her. "You can do this, Melia!"_

" _Thanks for the support, Scarlett. I won't let you down!" Melia pledged, watching the Street Art Pokémon use its spray can to sketch something on the ground before it, studying it momentarily before turning to face Zoroark and breathed a stream of fire back at its foe, the Illusion Fox Pokémon caught off-guard as it was struck by the attack, howling in pain from the intense flames._

" _How'd you like that? My Raffiti can use any move you can think of, all thanks to its ingenious copycat abilities!" Larkspur smirked smugly, crossing his arms triumphantly._

" _It'll take more than some copycat to defeat the real thing!" The blonde retorted, pointing at the rat as Zoroark leapt back in action, speeding off towards its foe and swiped at it once more, the Raffiti squeaking in pain as it was flung back a few feet. Taking its spray can out once more, it sketched another image on the ground, studying it momentarily before charging at the Illusion Fox Pokémon, playing roughly with it as it assaulted its foe with a series of punches and kicks. Zoroark retaliated by snatching the rat up and flinging it towards the ground, the Raffiti crumpling on the floor before wearily getting back up. With a desperate look in it's eyes, it quickly sketched another image and studying it before speeding off towards Zoroark, dodging any incoming Flamethrowers coming its way before leaping onto the Illusion Fox's body, a harsh glow soon emanating from it. Zoroark barely had anytime to react before the area was rocked by a large explosion, kicking dust up in the air as all three trainers shielded their faces from the blast. When they were able to see again, they saw that both Zoroark and Raffiti were knocked out, with Melia running over to console her companion._

" _There, there. You did an amazing job out there. Thank you for helping me." She smiled at the weakened Zoroark, recalling it back to its Pokéball._

" _Not the best exchange I can get, but it was needed at the time." Larkspur coldly commented, recalling his fainted Pokémon. "Now here's something I've bet you've seen before; Vilucard!"_

 _Melia watched calmly as the Vilucard emerged from its ball and let out an ominous cackle at its foe, the creature before her a sharp contrast from the friendly, yet mischievous one that she knew. "If that's how you want to play, then my Gardevoir would be more than happy to indulge you!"_

 _The Embrace Pokémon calmly gazed at her foe, not at all fazed by its attempt at frightening her before charging up a ball of lunar energy, raising it in the air before flinging it at the Vilucard, who screeched in pain as it was flung back several feet. Getting back on its legs and dusting itself off, the Villainous Pokémon reared back and opened its mouth, spewing a barrage of unsanitary sludge at the Gardevoir, who conjured up several illusionary copies of herself to dodge the incoming attack. She soon followed up by charging static electricity in her arms, pointing them at the Vilucard before unleashing a powerful bolt of lightning that struck the bat head on, who cried out in pain as electricity coursed though its body before slumping down on the group, a shocked expression appearing on Larkspur's face._

" _But how?! I had the advantage in typing!" He questioned angrily, recalling his fainted Pokémon._

" _There's more to Pokémon battling than type advantages; I figured a professor of your caliber would've learnt that by now." Melia taunted, with Scarlett giggling under her breath as Larkspur reached for his next ball._

" _I'll teach you to mock me; Luchabra, crush that pitiful Gardevoir with Bullet Punch!" The mad scientist ordered, sending out his next Pokémon. It let out a primal roar, before lunging at its foe, its fists shining a lustrous silver as it assaulted the Embrace Pokémon with a series of rapid punches, the Gardevoir crying out in pain as she was knocked down to the floor._

" _Wait, I don't think it can learn that move." Scarlett pondered, having seen Luchabra in battle before, as it soon dawned onto her. "You enlisted the services of illegal move tutors, didn't you?"_

" _Heh, naturally. After all I'm willing to do anything to achieve my goals." Larkspur smirked at the magenta-haired girl, watching confidently as his Pokémon walked back to him, only foe his eyes to widen in surprise as he saw Gardevoir slowly get up and glare at the Chupacabra Pokémon. "W-What's this?!"_

" _My Gardevoir isn't as frail as you may think she is, but I wonder if the same can be said for your Luchabra; Psychic!" Melia declared boldly, the Embrace Pokémon gathering her mental energy and used it to hoist her foe up in the air, the Luchabra flailing its limbs about as it tried in vain to escape from its prison, only for Gardevoir to swing her arms down, sending the Chupacabra falling to the ground. The impact caused the area to shake for a bit, with all three trainers managing to keep themselves from falling to the ground, before turning their gaze to the impact site, noticing that Luchabra was knocked out from the powerful attack._

" _Argh! How is it my Pokémon keep on losing?! Worthless tools…" The mad scientist scowled, recalling his fainted minion before turning to look at his shadowy minions, gesturing them to come join him._

" _How could you say that about your own Pokémon?!" Scarlett cried out in horror, with Larkspur chuckling madly at her._

" _Isn't that what Pokémon are; tools to be used in the pursuit of science? But I suppose some young brat could never understand…" He sneered, bringing out his last Pokéball as the four shadowy figures rested their hands on the device, their bodies slowly fading away as they gave their power to whatever it was that lurked inside it. "Now prepare for the harbinger of your demise; Chainite, unleash my rage and anger on this pitiful soul!"_

 _Throwing the ball to the ground, it cracked open, the malevolent entity emerging from the ruined device before growling harshly at the two trainers, with Scarlett letting out a fearful yelp as she jumped back a couple feet._

" _A-Aelita told me all about this thing; she mentioned how Julius used it to defeat over half of Narcissa's team back in Goldenleaf Town." Melia chimed in, a little rattled by the menacing creature before her._

" _Y-Yeah, it's that powerful. But not even Julius' Chainite was this frightening. Those shadow people must've enhanced it somehow." The magenta-haired girl replied, with Larkspur letting out a triumphant chuckle._

" _Clever girl, you're right once more. Too bad it won't do you any good; Chainite, decimate that Gardevoir with Shadow Claw!" The mad scientist ordered his minion, the Retribution Pokémon lunging at the Gardevoir and scooped her up in one hand, using the other to slash at her as she cried out in pain, before Chainite tossed her towards Melia's feet, the Embrace Pokémon knocked out from the vicious attack._

" _Don't worry Gardevoir, you did your best out there and that's all that mattered." The blonde consoled her injured companion, recalling her back to herbal before pondering on her next choice. Her Snorlax wasn't fast enough to out speed that thing, whereas Pyroar lacks the physical endurance to withstand an assault from it, leaving her with only one option. "Togekiss, let's put this thing in its place!"_

 _Sending out her most trusted companion, the Jubilee Pokémon let out a series of quick chirps, before squeaking in fear at the sight of Chainite. "I know you're scared, and I can empathize with you my friend. But if we can defeat this thing, then we can save our friend from this madman's clutches." Melia gave her companion a pep talk, with Togekiss letting out a determined chirp in response before flapping her wings to create blades of air, sending them flying towards the Retribution Pokémon who growled in pain upon contact. Angered by this attack, it dove into the shadows to hide, the Jubilee Pokémon swooping down to search for her foe, unaware that it crept up from behind and swatted her, with Togekiss crying out in pain as she skidded on the ground momentarily before flying back up in the air._

 _Opting to go on the counteroffensive, Togekiss flew up in the air and began charging up lunar energy, with Chainite extending its shadow arms towards it in an attempt to stop it. But just as it was about to ensnare its foe within its grip, the Jubilee Pokémon glared at it in determination, letting out a determined chirp as it shot the ball of energy towards its foe, the Retribution Pokémon letting out an unholy shriek of agony as it was flung back to its master's feet, kneeling weakly on one leg._

" _N-No! How could I lose?!" Larkspur cried out in fear, watching with terror in his eyes as Melia and Togekiss advanced towards him._

" _You lost because you became consumed by petty revenge, treating your Pokémon poorly and inflicting unimaginable suffering on my friend. Well I've got news for you; I'll be coming for you in the real world, and there's nothing you can do to stop me. You shall never haunt my friend's dreams again; never again!" She boldly declared, ordering her Togekiss to use one last Moonblast on the shadowy foes before her._

" _NO! This can't be happening to meeeeeeee!" Larkspur cried out, the attack striking him and Chainite head on, the duo crying out in agony before dissipating in a puff of smoke, the blonde girl letting out a sigh of relief as the area around soon warped and twisted from an abandoned lab, to what looked like a lush, grassy plain._

" _Phew…that was quite the challenge." She commented, giving her Togekiss a complimentary chin rub. "You were phenomenal out there; remind me to give you and the others a treat tomorrow morning." Melia smiled, with Togekiss chirping happily as its trainer recalled it._

" _That was an amazing battle Melia, I knew you could do it!" Scarlett cheered, the sounds of several footsteps walking up to them, the magenta-haired girl immediately recognizing the figures responsible. "Ava! Connor! Hardy!"_

" _Scarlett!" Ava cried out in joy, the two running towards each other, embracing the other in a sisterly hug. The green-haired woman soon broke off the hug, tiding up her twin pigtails as Melia got a better look at her. Her outfit was fairly simple, consisting of a green jacket and skirt, as well as a black undershirt and pants. "It's been too long since we've last seen each other!"_

" _I know, and our reunion is all thanks to Melia defeating that nasty old creep." Scarlett smiled, introducing Melia to her friends. "Everyone, this is Melia."_

" _It's nice to be able to meet you all." Melia smiled at the newcomers._

" _Indeed. However, I will say that I could've crushed that old fool in half the time it took you." Connor smirked confidently, adjusting his glasses. The young man prided himself on looking as sharp as possible, with his spiky red hair and lavish black suit, it was clear that he had some wealth to his name._

" _That's Connor's way of saying thank you." Ava smirked playfully, nudging his shoulder lightly, with Scarlett and Hardy letting out a light chuckle._

" _At the very least, we know he's the Conner we known and love!" Hardy flashed a toothy grin, casually resting his arm on the redhead's shoulder. The young man had spiky brown hair and wore a simple outfit, which consisted of a black jacket with a white shirt underneath, a pair of black tracksuit pants with a white stripe running down, and a pair of sneakers. "Which reminds me, where is Jules?"_

" _Good question; let me search the area for him." Melia offered, taking a few steps from the crowd and began searching the field for him. Soon enough, she saw him lying down on the grass, still shivering in fear and misery. "Julius! Over here!" She cried out._

" _H-H-Huh…w-what now?" He inquired, slowly getting up off the ground before turning to the source of the voice, the young man letting out an inaudible gasp upon seeing his deceased friends. He ran towards the group, stopping before them and proceeding to get on his hands and knees, staring down at the ground. "I-I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry for getting you killed. H-Had I never met you, then perhaps Larkspur would've spared you…" Julius apologized profusely, tears streaming down his cheeks and landing on the grass below._

" _Hey, earth to Jules. We don't hate you; we could never hate you." Ava consoled the weeping man, crouching down to his eye level, with Julius looking up at her. "You bent over backwards to help us out; that totally outweighs what that freak did to us."_

" _Normally I'd joke about how you could lose to a scrub that you defeated once before, but this isn't the time for jokes. Besides, he cheated back there." Connor commented, his smug demeanor taking a break for once._

" _If anyone should be apologizing, it should be me. I got too caught up in that Black Fox business back then. Mind you, it's not something I totally regret as it helped my brother out in the end; I just figured that we shouldn't let our past mistakes haunt us too much." Hardy added, sitting down on the ground as someone hugged Julius from behind._

" _I'm just glad that you're no longer in anymore pain." Scarlett smiled, a few small tears falling down her cheeks as the young man hugged her back._

" _Not a day goes by where I didn't miss you, my love." Julius smiled back, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek as his attention soon turned towards Melia, the young man surprised by her presence. "M-Melia?!"_

" _Hey Julius, I finally know the truth about what you went through that day. Rest assured, Larkspur won't be haunting your dreams anymore." She replied, shooting her friend a smile._

" _Well Julius, it was nice being able to see you again, but we got move on to the next life." Hardy chimed in, the bodies of Julius' old friends slowly fading from existence. "Once we meet again, I'll be sure to give you the rematch of a lifetime!"_

" _Heheheh, I'll be looking forward to seeing that." Ava chuckled, turning to face Julius. "Make you never give up fighting for your friends; remember that and you will never lose!"_

" _Don't worry mate, I'll keep an eye on the gang. Just don't go losing to any more nobodies, you hear?" Connor smiled, crossing his arms over his chest._

" _I'll never forget the time we spent together; hopefully we'll get to make many more memories together when we reunite." Scarlett shot him a smile, as she and Julius embraced each other one last time before she and the others moved on to the next life._

" _Goodbye everyone! I'll never forget you all, I promise!" Julius declared through teary eyes, the dream world soon disappearing as both trainers awoke from their slumber._

 **Back in the real world**

Melia soon awoke from her quick slumber, sitting up on the beach and checked her CyberNav for the time. Despite the dream feeling like several hours, only 30 minutes had passed. To her side, she saw that Julius was no longer tormented by the specters, the young man slowly waking up as both Vilucard and Dramsama let out a few chirps of joy, nuzzling Melia in gratitude for her kindness. "No need to thank me; I was just doing the right thing." She smiled at the overjoyed Pokémon.

Having fully awoken from his sleep as well, Julius turned to the side, noticing Melia smile at the young man as a single word escaped his lips. "Why…?"

"Hmmm?" The blonde girl hummed, curious on what he meant.

"Why save me from my nightmares? I treated you all terribly back at the villa, taking my misfortune out on you when none of you deserved it! You knew about my failure, yet still decided to save me; what happens if Larkspur goes after you and the others for what I did?!" The young man began ranting.

"Julius…I helped you because we're friends. I couldn't bear to see you suffer in silence, especially since we're a team. Remember what I said back in Goldenwood Forest? We're lifelong friends now!" Melia smiled back at him, easing his nerves.

Realizing that he no longer has to keep his pain inside him, he collapsed to his hands and knees, crying profusely as all his bottled emotions came out in a single tip. Bringing the young man closer to her, she embraced him in a hug, allowing the young man to cry as much as he needed while petting his back slowly."There, there. It'll be alright, no need to keep it inside you."

"Th-Th-Thank you Melia. Thank you so much!" Julius thanked her profusely, his tears staining her bathrobe. "I-I'm so sorry for yelling at you and the others back at the villa."

"No need to apologize, I'm sure they'll feel the same way once you apologize to their face tomorrow." She replied, breaking off the hug as the young man wiped his tears away. "Are you sure you'll be fine out here for the night?"

"I'll be fine, but thanks for the concern. Tell Venam I said good night to her." Julius gave her a small smile, the young man lying back down on the sand as Vilucard and Dramsama snuggled up beside him. A graceful smile formed on Melia's face as she made her way back to her room; she had managed to defeat the demons that had plagued the young man for so long. A new burst of spirit coursed through her, as if she could do anything and everything she put her mind to.

 **A bit cliché, but I felt it was a pretty sweet ending all things considered. Now that Julius is no longer plagued by lingering feelings of self-doubt and loathing, he'll be ready to take on his opponents, alongside his trusty friends. Tune in next time, for an especially exciting chapter, as it delves into one of Rejuvenation's most fascinating characters. Thank you all for reading, I'll see you next time!**


	27. Chapter 27

**Anyone who's familiar with this part in the game should be excited by the next chapter. I promise to give it the justice that it so thoroughly deserves. Depending on how long it is, I might be able to fit a gym battle in it, but we'll see how we go.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

"So let me get this straight; some psycho killed his friends in an act of petty revenge, causing Julius to hate himself over failing to protect them from his rage, leaving him to keep us away at an arm's length. Am I on the right track?" Venam inquired, with Melia nodding to her friend in response. A few moments after Melia had woken up, Julius shot her a text via CyberNav, requesting that she gathered the others in Tesla's villa so that he can offer them all a formal apology.

"It may have been a harrowing experience that night, but the look of gratitude on the faces of him and his friends made it all worth it. It felt amazing that I was able to step up to the plate as a leader everyone can rely on, now I feel as if nothing can sto—" Melia began, before being cut off by someone giving her a warm hug from behind, the blonde shifting her gaze and found that it had came from Tesla. "T-Tesla!"

"My apologies for making you uncomfortable, but I just wanted to thank you for helping my nephew. I don't know how I could ever repay you…" The older woman smiled at the girl, breaking off the hug as Melia let out a light chuckle.

"N-No need to thank me, I was just looking out for my friend." She commented, scratching the back of her head.

"So when's Jules getting here? Surely he wouldn't keep us waiting." Saki inquired, as she and Valarie opted to take a seat alongside the other three.

"I'm sure he's just mustering up the courage to—" Valarie began, her words getting cut off as the front door to the villa opened and a figure made their way inside. "Ah, we were just talking about you."

"S-So you w-were…" Julius stammered, shuffling his feet on the ground as he gazed at the group, a few beads of sweat dripping down his forehead. "A-About last night. I-I just wanted to s-say that I-I'm sorry for yelling at you all last night. I may have had a rough day yesterday, but that is no excuse for how childish I acted back then. I-If none of you wish to keep me around, then I perfectly understand."

"Jules, you weren't the only guilty one that day; it was kinda shitty of us to take advantage of you in order to relax for the day. Let's just say we both screwed up, and bury the hatchet, as you so eloquently put it the other day." Venam outstretched her hand, with Julius shaking it as he proceeded to do the same with Saki and Valarie.

"Thank you all for understanding, rest assured I won't let you all down ever again!" The young man pledged to the group, his gaze turning to face Tesla. "Auntie, I extend to you a special apology. You offered me a place under your roof in an act of kindness, not pity. Yet I allowed my childish temper to get the better of me and threw it back at you. I wouldn't hold it against you if you choose to rescind your offer."

"I would never turn my back on my beloved nephew; I humble accept your apology. I just wished you would've told us about this earlier, so that we could've helped you." Tesla smiled at the young man, handing him back his trainer card with all its badges intact before the duo embraced each other, with Julius fighting back the urge to cry on her shoulders. "If you want, I can show you your room right now."

"Thanks, but I've got an idea I want to run by you. How about I make breakfast for everyone? Well, provided that's alright with you…" Julius suggested, letting out an uneasy chuckle.

"Well I don't see the harm in that. Let me give you a hand, just to be on the safe side." The older woman accepted the idea, the duo making their way to the kitchen as the others began talking among themselves.

"Free breakfast? There's no way I'm gonna say no to that!" Saki grinned, her mind flooding with wild thoughts about what she was going to get to eat.

"The apology was sufficient enough on its own, he didn't need to make breakfast for us all." Melia commented, with Venam reaching over to rest her hand on her shoulder.

"True, but if he's willing to make it for us, then who are we to turn his offer down? Besides, Tesla's helping him, and I'm sure you've been salivating over what her cooking tastes like." The purple-haired girl replied, a smirk forming on her face. "After all, isn't that what you drooled over in your sleep?"

"V-Venam…there's no need to bring that up." The blonde requested, a blush forming on her soft cheeks with the purple-haired girl getting the message.

"Onto more pressing topics, do you think Amber would be willing to accept a gym battle today?" Valarie inquired, with Saki laughing dryly in response.

"Doubt it; I may have dropped a subtle hint here and there, but she wasn't interested in doing her job at all, kinda like a certain someone else in this room…" The black-haired girl answered, shooting a glance at Venam.

"Hah! Like you're any better!" She retorted, poking her tongue out at her adversary.

"Please don't start fighting again, I just want one day here without you two squabbling over—" Valarie began, getting cut off by the doors to the kitchen opening. "Ah, breakfast is served. That should keep you two quiet."

The group turned their attention to where Valarie was looking and watched as Julius and Tesla set the table for the four of them, with Tesla placing some plates full of choc-chip pancakes in front of the girls while Julius placed some toppings on the table, such as whipped cream and strawberries, maple syrup, sliced bananas and honey. "There we go, hopefully it's to your liking." The young man shot a smile at the group, who were more than eager to dig in.

"Thanks! They look lovely." Melia chimed in, putting some maple syrup over her pancakes before cutting off a piece and popped it into her mouth, the lovely blonde lady savoring the rich taste. "And they taste just as lovely as well."

"No need to thank me; Auntie Tesla helped me make them." Julius shot a smile at the older woman, who ruffled his hair in response.

"It was lovely to have someone help me make something; I remember when Amber was young and how she would help me out in the kitchen at times. Now she acts all rude and entitled and it's my fault; I simply spoiled her too much." Tesla admitted, the sound of footsteps walking down the staircase echoing throughout the room as a familiar figure entered the room.

"Mom! I'm out of flyers, go buy me some more paper!" Amber demanded, slouching on the couch in annoyance as she shot a glare at Julius. "Humph! I thought you would've left already, like you did back then!"

"Look…I'm sorry for over-reacting last night. I've changed my mind and decided to help my friends with their issues." The young man apologized to her.

"Fine by me, it's not my problem." The redhead replied, turning to face her mother. "Well, are you getting the paper or what?!"

"Hun, I'm in the middle of giving our guests breakfast. Surely it can wait a few minutes." Tesla tried calming down her irate daughter, but it didn't seem to be working.

"No! This is more important, than THOSE two over there!" Amber snapped back, pointing at Saki and Venam. "Forget about them and buy me some more paper!"

"Amber, I said I was—" The older woman began, her patience wearing out a little, but was cut off abruptly.

"And I said to go buy me more paper! Why are you so useless?! You're the worst mom ever!" The redhead shot back, getting off the couch and stood up straight, her fists clenched tightly in anger.

"Hey, that's no way to talk to your mother!" Julius snapped back at her, with Amber chuckling dryly at him.

"Why do you care? She's not your mother, nor will she ever be! You just want her to replace YOUR mother, since she's dead." The redhead retorted, the young man flinching in surprise from the hurtful comment as Tesla's patience had run out at this point.

"Well at least you have one!" The older woman snapped, catching Amber off-guard as she had never had her mother snap at her before. "I never got to meet my mother, or my father! They died when I was very young, and I had no one to look after me but myself! I had to bring myself up from the ground up and find my own way without guidance! You've become spoiled, and that's my fault. I may be the worst mother on the planet, as you put it, but at least you have one!"

Amber stared at the older woman, her once infuriated look turning to one of fear and sadness as she stormed out of the villa, fighting back tears. Tesla took in a deep breath to calm herself down, turning her attention to her guests, who all had mortified expressions on their faces. "My deepest apologies for what you saw there, I never intended to have things spiral out of control."

"No need to apologize, Tesla. It was a spur of the moment thing that couldn't be helped." Melia replied.

"I'm thankful that you have no issue with it whatsoever. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to speak to Amber. I may have gone a bit too far back there." The older woman commented, bowing respectfully to the group before following her daughter outside.

"Note to self…never make auntie angry, lest you suffer painful consequences…" Julius muttered to himself, writing down another note in his CyberNav to keep track of people he didn't want to anger.

"W-Well that was admittedly satisfying…" Saki chimed in, the rest shooting her disapproving looks. "What? I'm sure you're all smirking on the inside over seeing her get chewed out."

"It's clear that nobody enjoyed what went down before, at least everyone except you. Right now, we need to—" Valarie began speaking, before a sudden cry for help echoed in the air. "That voice, that has to be…"

"Amber!" Julius exclaimed; fear etched on his face as he pocketed his CyberNav. "C-Come on, we've got to help here!"

"R-Right behind you!" Venam chimed in, the group hopping off their seats and followed the young man outside…with the exception of Saki who opted to stay behind and finish off everyone else's pancakes.

' _Heh…their loss.'_ She thought to herself, a small smirk forming on her face.

 **0000**

The group of four ran towards the source of the noise, only to get caught off-guard by what they saw; right beside one of the occupied rooms was a pair of Team Xen grunts, who had finished hogtying Amber as Telsa shot a vicious glare at the thugs.

"H-Help me mom! I-I'm sorry about what I said before!" Amber cried out in fear, wiggling her body to break free from her restraints.

"Team Xen! I demand that you release my daughter, immediately! Or else I would have to use force, and I'm leagues about you lot!" Tesla demanded, reaching for one of her Pokéballs as a familiar chuckle echoed from the closed room.

' _T-That voice! It can't be…'_ Julius thought to himself, as a familiar figure exited the room and confronted the heroes.

"Sorry, but I don't think that's possible." Madelis chuckled, her eyes focusing on the young man. "Hello, Julius. Great to see you again; sorry about your mom, but that's the price failures like her pay." She smirked at him.

"By that logic, you should've died ages ago. Don't know why Team Xen are insistent on keeping your worthless hide alive!" The young man retorted.

"Oooooh, someone's a little feisty." Madelis snickered under her breath, satisfied over hitting one of her adversary's nerves.

"You must be Madelis, from back at Blacksteeple. What do you want with Amber?!" Melia demanded.

"Why yes, I am the infallible and beautiful Madelis." The villainous woman boasted proudly, the grunts beside her applauding her presence. "As for what I want…it's not about what I want from her, but what I can get from her, specifically, you!" She replied, pointing directly at Melia.

"M-Me?!" The blonde replied, a little confused at what she was hearing.

"Let me cut to the chase; my status as a Xen Admin is in poor standing right now. In fact, going against Geara's operation breaches so many guidelines that I risk everything, even my life. But as the saying goes, you gotta play dirty to win." Madelis explained her situation, with Julius chuckling at her in response.

"So, you're throwing your teammates under the bus for your own gain? If your stunt results in Larkspur getting killed, then I might raise a glass to you. But then again, your last plan failed, so I don't have high hopes for you." He commented snidely, crossing his arms.

"Yeah, we'll kick your ass with our Pokémon, then you'll be crying back to them, begging them to save you from us!" Venam chimed in, with Madelis chuckling in response.

"Cute, but I'm afraid I have you outmatched this time." She smirked, clicking her fingers as a trio of familiar winged figures flew down from the sky and landed on the roof of the room. "As you can see, I came prepared. Now here's my terms; you go to Valor Mountain like before, but instead of meeting Geara at the summit, you'll be meeting me in the depths of the mountain. Failure to heed my terms, and this girl is gonna pay a visit to Team Xen's lavish Headquarters. And should I hear news that Geara brings back Melia instead of me, well, I'm sure you can figure out what happens to the girl…"

"And who says that we're gonna let you take her like that?!" Melia retorted, the sound of electricity crackling in the air as one of the Death-Wings shot a blast from their stun gun at Julius, the young man letting out a cry of pain as he fell to the wooden pier, his body paralyzed from the shot.

"Ack…I forgot about their stun guns. Man…does it hurt…" The young man weakly commented, shooting a glare at the guilty party.

"Glad I could give you a reminder." Madelis smirked at the downed man, watching the grunt reload their weapon.

"If I may ask, why not stun them all and take Melia instead of the girl?" The grunt inquired.

"Because that's my plan, and nobody goes against my plans!" She snapped at the grunt, making her way to the personalized Team Xen yacht as the grunts dragged Amber onto the boat with them, the young girl crying out for her mother as the yacht soon sped off from the area, with the Death Wings quickly flying away to follow the yacht. Tesla soon sent out her Talonflame and hopped on its back, the majestic bird calmly flapping its wings up and down.

"I'm going to follow them and rescue my daughter. If you can bring Julius back to my place and fix his wounds, that would be appreciated." The older woman called out, the Talonflame letting out a majestic caw as it soon followed the retreating yacht in hot pursuit, the group of three helping the injured man get back on his feet and made their way back to the villa. Once arriving there, they did a quick check of the young mans vitals and were pleasantly surprised to see that he'll recover all mobility within a few moments.

"Phew…thanks for helping me." Julius thanked his friends, a look of gratitude in his eyes.

"No problem…" Venam replied, sighing to herself in confusion. "So what do we do now? Seems like we're stuck in between a rock and a hard place."

"I'm not sure myself…with Amber gone, Julius won't be able to obtain their 7th badge from her, preventing him from using Magma Drift." Melia answered; her mind lost in thought. "As for who to rescue, Tesla said that she was going after Madelis to rescue Amber; therefore, we should continue as planned and meet Geara at the summit."

"Ah, so she's gone now? A shame, I wanted to compliment her for making those delicious pancakes." Saki chimed in, reclining against one of the loungeroom walls. "All we need to do now is chill and—"

"Chill? This is not the right time to sit back and chill!" Venam countered, standing up from her chair and shot a glare at the black-haired girl.

"Wrongomundo, as usual, Venam! Chilling is the best thing to do in a situation like this." Saki smirked back at her, only to hear the sound of knocking on the front door. "Uh…can somebody get that? I would, but I'm too busy chilling…"

"I got it…" Julius offered, the young man letting out a quiet groan as his body regained mobility, and slowly made his way to the door. Upon opening it, he saw a maid step in and lean towards the young man, whispering something into his ear. "Uh…Melia, Venam. Can you please come here for a moment?"

"S-Sure thing." Melia replied, as she and Venam made their way to where the young man was, the maid calmly staring at the trio. "Can we help you?"

"I am a faithful servant of Lady Angie…" The maid spoke in a clam, if eerie tone of voice. "She wishes to see you three in her church, right in the heart of Kristiline Town. She offers Mr. Julius a badge to help in his endeavors, whatever they may be."

"H-How does she know about that?!" Venam exclaimed in surprise.

"Lady Angie knows all, young one." The maid smiled at her, turning around and made her way to the door. "I wouldn't keep her waiting if I was you. Oh, one last thing; only you three are permitted to enter her town failure to heed this warning will lead to dire consequences." She concluded, closing the door behind her, the trio left speechless by what had happened.

"Well…talk about a lucky break for us." Julius sighed in relief.

"I'm not so sure, this seems just a little too convenient for my liking…" Melia objected, her gut squirming uncomfortably over the prospect. "However, this seems like our only opportunity right now, so we better take this chance while we can."

"Have fun out there!" Saki smiled at the group, leaning in towards Julius with a smirk on her face. "Oh and try to keep them sated; those two can get pretty frisky, if you know what I mean…"

"Why now of all times...?" Julius cried out, his cheeks turning a bright shade of red as the group chuckled at his predicament.

"Well that's one way to boost everyone's spirits before embarking on a dangerous mission. Stay safe, you three. Saki and I will keep the fort down over here." Valarie expressed her best wishes for the group, the trio nodding in appreciation before exiting the villa and began the quick walk to their next destination.

 **Kristiline Town**

Having stepped into the town for the first time, the trio were taken aback to see that it was snowing fairly hard, the once vibrant town turned into a frozen wonderland. The rivers that flowed through the town had been frozen solid, the trees have been striped bare of their leaves and there was frost forming on the windows of the houses. Had it been a completely different circumstance, the place would've been a fantastic place to stop for the night, even a bit romantic. However, the sheer contrast between this town and the rest of Terajuma Island put the trio on edge.

"How is something like this even possible? On what planet could there exist a snowstorm of this caliber on a tropical island?" Melia exclaimed, blinking her eyes quickly in the hopes that it was nothing but an illusion, but a quick blast of chillingly cold wind soon proved her wrong.

"I don't know, but this place looks great! Once we've gotten our badge, we should totally hang out here for a while." Venam proposed, her eyes sparkling with glee.

"Well it's not like I'd say no to that. I'd suggest we'd make snow angels, but I doubt they can compare to the two beautiful angels before me." Julius commented, the girls chuckling over his incredibly cheesy comment.

"Well I'm glad you're no longer the grumpy man who stormed out on us the other night, but now's not the time to be throwing jokes around. No matter how you look at it, this weather is unnatural; there shouldn't be this much snow and ice on this island. This must be Angie's doing." The blonde deduced.

"So you're telling me that this Angie is powerful enough to change the climate of an entire area?" Venam replied, with Melia giving her a quick nod in confirmation. "Now all of a sudden I'm not so sure I wanna stick around here much longer."

"I don't want to believe it myself, but after everything we've been though, I can't throw the possibility out." The blonde added, crossing her arms under her chest.

"Best thing we can do is deal with Angie, get the TM and make our way out of here. This place is starting to give me the chills, and it's not because of the cold." Julius suggested, shivering on the spot.

"Agreed, we shouldn't dwell around here for too lo—" Melia began, before a rustling sound alerted the trio as they all reached for a Pokéball. "W-Who's there?!" She demanded.

"Y-You all need to leave, n-now…" A young woman called out to the trio, emerging from behind a frozen bush, her red and white winter gear keeping her safe from the freezing cold temperature. "T-The name's Farha; what are you three doing here?"

"We've got a request from Angie to meet her here in this town, but so far we haven't seen her yet." Venam answered, the woman before them sighing sadly to herself.

"If Angie invited you three here, then it must be for bad reasons and bad reasons only." Farha replied, pitying the trio before her. "As for the TM the young man over there talked about, I assume you're referring to Magma Drift?"

"Y-Yeah, how did you—" Julius began.

"Save yourself the trouble and leave. The shop that stocks that particular TM has been encased completely in ice, as per Angie's decree." She answered, catching the trio by surprise over her last statement.

"E-Encased in ice?!" Melia inquired, a bewildered look on her face.

"Indeed; whenever someone does something that Angie finds abhorrent, she punished them by encasing their homes in ice, for around a week or so. The scary thing is that she seems to have a sixth sense that knowns when someone's doing something wrong, as if she has eyes and ears all over the place." The young woman answered, as a determined expression soon formed in Melia's face.

"Is that so…in that case, we'll put a stop to Angie's tyranny once and for all!" The blonde girl promised, surprising her two companions.

"Y-You mean to tell me that we're going in for the kill? Right after what we just heard?!" Venam exclaimed in surprise.

"Yep, I won't sit back here and do nothing will innocent people suffer under some madwoman's reign." Melia answered, turning to face her friends. "I assume I can count on you to help me out?"

"Definitely. I won't turn my back on my friends!" Julius promised, placing a clenched hand over his chest.

"You know me Mels; I'll follow you to the end of the world and back!" Venam added, mustering up the courage as Farha looked at the trio in a sense of awe.

"Had it been anybody else saying that, I would've laughed it off…but I sense great power from you three." She replied, gesturing them to look at a large church that overlooked the rest of the town, an eerie aura emanating from within it. "That is the Church of Theolia, the place where Angie overlooks this town. You'll most likely meet here there, though I would advise that you three take great caution when confronting her. Very few people who enter that building come back out of it."

"I see, thanks for the hint miss. We won't let you down!" Melia thanked the woman, the trio exchanging farewells with her before climbing up the stairs towards the large building, doing a quick check to see if their supplies were sufficiently stocked before entering the imposing church.

The interior of the church was as lavish as they expected it to be, with expensive statues lined up throughout the corridors and a red velvet carpet covering the tiled floor, as if it were a pathway to one's final destiny. The enchantingly haunting tune of somebody skillfully playing the piano ensnared the trio in its auditory grasp, the group mesmerized by the masterful melody echoing throughout the area.

"Seems like this Angie is quite skilled at playing the piano." Melia commented, the tune causing her mind to grow restless.

"Y-Yeah…it has to be her…" Venam replied, her voice brimming with uneasiness as the blonde rested her hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Hey…I get that you're scared, and I perfectly understand where those feelings are coming from. The fact that you've chosen to stand by me despite those fears tells me a lot of good things about your character." Melia smiled at her friend; the purple-haired girl taken aback by what she had just heard.

"T-Thanks Mel…" She replied, a faint blush forming on her lovely face. "W-Well let's not keep her waiting; let's teach her a lesson already!"

"Now that's the Venam I know and love!" Julius called out, the trio quickly making their way down the hall and stepped into the main room, their blood growing cold over the sight before them. Standing as if they were in a large crowd were dozens upon dozens of Pokémon Rangers, completely encased in ice as looks of terror were etched on their faces. "What on earth is this hellish display?!" The young man asked quietly under his breath.

"Ah, I see that you're taken aback by my Lady's welcoming gift for you three…" A voice echoed out from the room, a maid wearing a black and red uniform walked up to the trio, a calm smile on her face. "So how do you like it?"

"Well in terms of welcoming gifts, this isn't very welcoming." Venam admitted, the maid eyeing her up curiously.

"Really? Because I think it holds some degree of charm, don't you think?" She replied, casually walking up to one of the frozen rangers and inspected their figure. "These courageous Pokémon Rangers completely encased in ice; useless in their current state. Isn't it ironic how the saviors of Terajuma are in need of salvation? Why it's a most beautiful form of art."

"Beautiful?! This is one of the most fucked-up things I have ever—" Julius began ranting, only for the maid to teleport right in front of him, her glowing red eyes staring into his soul.

"Foul language is forbidden in this sacred place! Let your devilish tongue waggle one more time, and I'll cut it out of your mouth, got it?!" She threatened the young man, who gulped quietly in fear.

"G-Got it…" He replied weakly, the smile retuning to the maid's face.

"Now then, let's not keep Lady Angie waiting any longer than we have to." She replied, gesturing the trio to follow her through the room, up a flight of stairs and into the next room. Upon entering the spacious room, they spotted who they were looking for; playing a piano before an invisible crowd in the pews was a woman with long blue hair done up in a single ponytail, wearing a sky-blue dress with a white apron over it. Upon taking a glance at the trio, she disappeared instantly from the piano, reappearing on a gilded chair of sorts with the maid soon walking over to stand by her side. "I must say I'm disappointed in you three. Rather than worry about the gym badge, you spend your time talking about some TM that isn't even produced anymore. How little must you think of us if that was your main reason for entering out humble abode?"

"W-We meant no disrespect to you—" Melia began.

"Lies! As the right hand of my Lady Angie; I, Cera can detect a liar when I see them. And there are three liars before me; Melia, Julius and Veronica." The maid retorted, a frown forming on Venam's face.

"Ok, first of all; how do you know our names? And secondly, it's VENAM, not Vero—" The purple-haired snapped back.

"Nonsense! You were blessed with one name, and one name only!" The woman on the chair cut her off, her ice-cold voice sending chills down the trio's back. "And to answer the question that you undoubtedly have, yes I am Angie. I am the Gym Leader of Kristiline Town and the head mistress of the order of Arceus."

"Oh really? Then I guess you're familiar with who I am, right?" Julius chimed in, the older woman narrowing her eyes at the young man.

"Yes, I'm familiar with you, young man. Rather than accept the lavish bounty Arceus offers us in the region, you chose to use Pokémon from elsewhere. Refusing the Lord's generosity is a most vile sin upon itself, and that's not mentioning the unclean thoughts that occupy your mind." She told the young man in a cold, menacing tone of voice.

"U-Unclean thoughts?" The young man stammered, now realizing that all attention was directed towards him.

"I have seen your thoughts involving the two beside you; such lewd, depraved thoughts is an offence to the Lord." Angie chewed the young man out, who opted to hide his face in embarrassment as Melia shot a glare at the older woman.

"And who are you to terrorize those beneath you?! I've heard about the cruel punishments you hand out to those who don't obey your unreasonable laws." The blonde snapped at her, pointing at her directly. "You're no leader; you're a dictator and a fraud. There's nothing noble or religious about you."

"You! How dare you speak to Lady Angie like that!" Cera growled, marching over to Melia before Angie raised a hand in the air, ordering her to halt.

"Enough, Cera." The blue-haired woman replied, catching her right hand off-guard.

"Y-Yes, Lady Angie. I'm sorry, Lady Angie!" Cera apologized profusely, making her way back to her side.

"You three throw "you're this, you're that" at me, but what about yourselves? I shall expose you all right here, right now." Angie decreed, with Cera handing over a special book to her master. "Ah yes, let's start off with _Veronica_ Vasile; the book says that you're incredibly bold, brave and courageous. Conversely, you are a coward. Brutal, fraudulent, treacherous and conniving. If the things that you say about me are true, then you are no better than I, correct?"

"H-How do you know about all this?! Where are you getting this from?!" Venam demanded some answers, choosing not to bring up the topic regarding her name again.

"You took the job of fixing the warp pads around the jungle for your own benefit. Had it not been for Melia's morals, you would've walked away with all the money." Angie continued, shifting her gaze towards Melia. "As for you, it says here that you're a leader who is strong, caring and intelligent. Yet you also put up a façade that only those close to you can see past; the face of a scared and helpless girl."

"Hey, you have no right to chew my friends out!" Julius snapped at the older woman, who chuckled lightly in response.

"Oh, well in that case allow me to read what the book says about you. It reads that you are dependable, kind-hearted and selfless. Yet it also says that you are a salacious, licentious, lascivious young man with an unquenchable lust; one that you try so hard to keep hidden from those you care about. Indeed, the thoughts I gleaned from you earlier prove the book correct. Additionally, you also—" Angie continued, the young man tugging his jacket collar in obvious discomfort over her biting words.

"Stop! I don't care that that book says about me and my friends!" Melia called out, the young man sighing in relief over Angie's reading getting interrupted. "You claim to be a leader, yet you lack the responsibility of one. This isn't the way a leader would act at all!"

"Ohohohohohoho! How amusing. I find your ignorance baffling yet amusing at the same time." The blue-haired woman chuckled, casting a glare at the trio. "You think that just because I'm a Gym Leader, I'm supposed to adhere to the status quo? You have the nerve, the audacity to enter MY church after I invited you all here and proclaim that I'm ignorant? Outrageous! You three are incredibly naïve; the title of Gym Leader means nothing in the eyes of the Lord. People all over the region have many ideals and beliefs, but only those of our almighty savoir Arceus can shine above the rest!"

"You're insane! You're flat out insane!" Venam called out to the woman before her, with Angie hopping off her chair and walked up to the trio.

"Perhaps I am. However, this insanity of mine is born from the sanity that is Arceus! Veronica, Julius, Melia! Show me your darkness so that I may bring you light!" She boldly declared, conjuring up a large black and red sphere behind her that the group were too familiar with by now.

"Another Dimensional Rift? Just how many of those are we going to fight?!" Julius exclaimed in exasperation, the trio letting out a quick scream of fear as they were soon sucked up by the menacing sphere, into whatever twisted dimension it led to.

 **Tower of Theolia**

"Ughh…where am I?" Venam cried out, surveying the area around her. She had awoken in what looked like some sort of icy clearing in the woods, a looming tower standing before her, a cold, eerie aura emanating from the structure. Shortly later, a groan came out from beside her, the purple-haired girl turning around and saw Julius wearily getting up from the snowy ground. "Julius! I'm glad you're fine."

"I'm not too worried about myself, I'm just glad that you're fine." The young man replied, looking around the area. "Looks like I'm stuck in some alternate dimension, again. I swear this is starting to get old by now…"

"Well I can't say I envy you in that—W-Where's Melia?!" The purple-haired girl cried out, frantically looking around for her as a look of fear grew on Julius' face.

"S-Shit! Did Angie take her while we were knocked out?!" He cried out, his gaze focusing on the tower before them. "She must be in there! Come on, let's go find her!"

"You don't need to tell me twice!" Venam agreed, the duo quickly running towards the tower, which seemed to grow taller and taller as they got closer. After a few minutes of frantic running, they spotted a familiar figure standing beside the tower entrance, with Venam letting out a sigh of relief.

"Melia! Thank goodness you're alright." She called out, walking up to her side in the hopes of getting an answer, yet was taken aback when she didn't answer. "…Melia?" Venam asked once more, reaching over to tap her shoulder.

In an instant, both Venam and Melia disappeared in a flash of light, surprising Julius as he fell backwards onto his backside. As he got back up, a cold laugh echoed throughout the area, causing the young man to look around him. "Predictable, how adorably predictable. What is it about people that allows them to be lured and deceived so easily?" Angie's voiced echoed throughout the area, seemingly coming from every direction. However, a spectral image of the twisted woman soon descended from the tower, looking down at the man.

"I've had enough of your shit! Give me my friends back, or else you'll suffer dire consequences!" The young man demanded, white-hot anger coursing through his veins.

"Ah, my lost, lecherous lamb. Didn't Cera tell you about how foul language is punished in my land?" The blue haired woman mocked Julius, the latter gritting his teeth in frustration as she gestured to the structure behind her. "Welcome, to the Tower of Theolia. Know that your ideals only shine though if you make it that way. As for your companions, they are safe…for now."

"For now? What on earth are you going to do to them?!" Julius inquired.

"I shall expose their darkness to help them see the light. They're stashed deep within the corridors of this tower, under my watch. If you wish to free them, then prove that your ideals shine through your sinful desires. Confront me in these rooms and rescue your friends." Angie answered, the spectral image soon disappearing as the young man ran into the tower and was confronted with the first of many puzzles.

Standing before him was an icy floor, a few rocks and patches of dirt scattered around the room to act as rest stops. Though the young man was never a big fan of these ice puzzles, as they're often referred to, he won't allow it to keep him from his goal. Taking the first step, he slid on the frozen floor, the young man maintaining his balance as he soon saw a rock in his path. But rather than slow down in order not to crash into it, he sped up a bit, outstretching his arms as he grabbed the rock and leapt over it, the momentum enabling to go over it easily as he continued sliding through the room. He only had to repeat this process another two times before arriving at the end and walking up the stairs to the next floor, however he would soon be in for the shock of his life.

Rather than wind up in a lavish room like the church he was in before, he had stepped into some sort of…nightclub? Either this was one of Angie's puzzles, or she finds rock music to be a guilty pleasure. There were several maids sitting in the crowd, with another one taking on the role of the DJ, while another one tended to the bar on the left side of the room. But arguably the most surprising sight was Venam standing up on stage, rocking out to her hearts content.

"Is this not the truest reflection of your heart, Veronica?" A voice called out from the crowd, with Julius turning to see another spectral image of Angie walking up towards Venam with a slight frown on her face. "I refuse to believe that this the truth; show me the truest reflection!"

Flinching at the sight of the imposing woman, Venam began trying to formulate a response in her mind, her brain going completely haywire at this point. "M-My name is V-Veronica Vasile…I am here…to play a song for you…Angie…" She weakly replied, before taking in a deep breath, to muster up her courage once more. "P-L-E-A-S-E D-I-E. Please die already!"

"Hehehe…good one, Venam." Julius chuckled to himself, the look of displease on Angie's face growing a bit more severe.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Unfortunately, that's the wrong answer. Seems that we have some work to do here, Veronica. Keep playing, and you'll get it right one day." The blue-haired shot back, with Venam flinching to herself once more before staring down Angie, taking in a deep breath once more.

"F-Fine…I'll e-end this show…I am…a selfish girl who only thinks…of herself. Wh-Who cares about Melia or Julius? I-I don't. I-I should be sacrificed to Arceus because I do not deserve the gift of life that I was given…I-I want to be cleansed…" She continued, fighting back the urge to break down and cry as a few small tears fell down her cheeks, the older woman clapping slowly in response.

"I am happy and extremely proud to hear you say that. Your sacrifice shall be a great one in—" Angie began.

"That's enough! What so called "Prophet of Arceus" takes joy in making others cry?! You're nothing but a—" Julius snapped at her, with Angie disappearing from her spot and soon appeared behind Venam.

"Silence you; once I've cleansed her soul, I shall cleanse yours as well. Oh, how I will enjoy exposing you for the sinful man you are." Angie called out, dragging Venam out the room in a flash as the young man followed them in hot pursuit. Soon enough, the young man found himself in some sort of foyer, his eyes focusing on Venam who was tied down to an altar, as Angie and a pair of maids watched over her.

"Angie! What are you going to do to her?!" Julius demanded, with Angie turning around and chuckled at the young man.

"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to sacrifice her to Arceus. Things went a little quicker than I anticipated, but it's—" The blue-haired woman began, with Venam managing to spit out the gag from her mouth and galred at the older woman.

"Screw! You! How dare you make me say those things before, Angie. Who the hell do you think you are?!" She snapped.

"Oh, but it wasn't me who said those words; they came from the bottom of your heart." Angie retorted calmly.

"Those words were lies! I care deeply about Melia and Julius!" Venam rebutted.

"Exactly. Had she truly hated us, she wouldn't have helped us out in our times of need." Julius added, the purple-haired girl shooting the young man a small smile.

"Ah, but did you forget about how she and the others used you back at Telia Resort? Or was that incident some sort of cover for your depraved fantasies?" The older woman stared down the young man, before promptly shrugging her shoulders. "Whatever, it doesn't matter in the long run. Venam will be sacrificed to our Lord and Savior, Arceus."

"If you really want to sacrifice someone, then take me instead! I'm not afraid of some crazy zealot who babbles on about pointless tripe nobody cares about!" Julius offered, confronting the older woman as a thoughtful expression formed on her face.

"Fine. Better to get you over and done with as soon as possible." Angie conceded, snapping her fingers as Julius and Venam seemingly swapped places in an instant.

"Julius…" The purple-haired girl commented.

"Don't worry Venam, I have a cunning plan that would save us all." He smiled at her, winking his right eye at her as he soon turned to face Angie. "Well? Aren't you going to get things started?"

"Very well, but I must make sure that the ritual isn't interrupted." Angie replied, gesturing the two maids to occupy Venam with a Pokémon battle. "Now then, shall we begin, Oh Lustful One?"

"Yes…let's begin…" Julius smirked, allowing the most depraved, lustful thoughts to take control of his mind as Angie placed her hands over the altar. It wasn't long before she too was consumed by the lewd thoughts, recoiling back from the altar in shock and disgust.

"Y-You want me to do what to you?!" She screeched in shock, the young man letting out a quick chuckle.

"Yeah; these bindings were a nice start, but I had hoped for something a bit more…intense." Julius admitted, staring her right in the eye. "You know…about that time at Teila Resort; I was offered the prestigious role of Swimsuit Inspector, but I had to turn it down for reasons. Even now, I think about all the lovely sights I missed out on."

"Gah! It's evident that you are beyond cleansing; you're the personification of carnal desires, and will suffer an eternity of torment for you—" Angie ranted, a small explosion rocking the area behind her as she turned around and saw Venam standing triumphantly over the two maids.

"Hah! Now that's payback for what you two did to me!" She smirked at them, the maids bowing their heads in shame.

"Lady Angie, we are sorry for failing you in our duty." The apologized profusely, with Angie letting out a small sigh before walking up to them.

"I see…then I shall punish you for your failure." She replied, snapping her fingers as the two maids were quickly disintegrated by her power, catching Venam off-guard.

"Wh—What the hell is wrong with you, lady?!" She exclaimed in shock and anger, with Angie letting out a small chuckle as she teleported to the back of the room.

"Nothing…" She answered, an eerie smile on her face. "You are the ones who have been tainted by evil, especially that fiend over there!" The older woman pointed at the still restrained Julius.

"But you just killed two of your loyal servants! How could you be anything other than evil?!" Julius retorted.

"Killed is such a vulgar term; I'd rather call it…discipline. They failed their mission, thus rendering them useless in my eyes. I told you that I wish to see someone's ideals shine the brightest, and I intend to make MINE shine brightest." The older woman knocked back his rebuttal.

"To hell with you and your dumb fucking ideals! No one gives a shit about them!" Venam snapped, her eyes blazing with fury as she stormed towards her tormentor. "Where. Is. Melia?! I know you have her!"

"You'd best learn to watch your mouth and learn your place, peasant. Ture, Melia is in my possession…though whether she will remain safe or not is for me to decide." Angie answered, disappearing from the room as Venam got to untying Julius.

"Ahh…thanks for that. Truth be told, those bindings were a little tight for my liking." The young man thanked his friend.

"No problem. By the way, what were those depraved thoughts of yours, that Angie complained about?" The purple-haired woman inquired, helping the young man get up off the altar.

"Do you really want to know?" Julius inquired, with Venam giving him a quick nod. Turning side-to-side, he leant in towards Venam's ear, whispering something to her as she quickly spun around and slapped him on the cheek, a fierce blush emanating on her face. "Ahh…yeah, I did deserve that." He winced in pain.

"Well so long as you keep it to yourself, then we'll be good." Venam replied, the intoxicating thoughts running wild in her mind before she shook her head momentarily. "C-Come on Julius, we have to save Melia!"

"Agreed!" The young man called out, the duo quickly running out of the room and ascended the staircase towards the next room, unaware of the quick earthquake that rocked the area. When they made it to the next floor, they were surprised to see a young man in a cage, the figure turning around and made his way as close as he could to them.

"Hey, you two! Yeah, you two! Over here!" He called out, with Venam and Julius walking closer to the cage, enabling them to get a better look at him. He had long, ice-blue hair and wore a black and blue winter outfit that suited his slender frame.

"And just who the hell are you?" Venam demanded an answer, staring at the man in suspicion.

"The name's Kreiss, pronounced 'Cry-ce'. Listen, you gotta get me out of here! I've been trapped here for quite some time, and I don't want to be here any longer than I have to." He begged, getting onto his knees.

"No problem. Let me just—" Julius walked over to him, only for Venam to pull him back suddenly. "H-Hey, what's the problem?!"

"Call me crazy, but this whole scenario is suspicious. For all we know, this could be a trap set by Angie." She whispered into his ear.

"Considering what we've been through so far, I can understand your animosity towards him. However, I don't think he's in cahoots with Angie. Call it a gut feeling or whatever, but I think we can trust him." Julius whispered back to her, with Venam thinking to herself.

"Alright, I trust you on this one. But if he pulls anything, then I won't show him any mercy." She replied, as she and Julius found the door and pulled at it with all their might, the barred door soon giving way as it fell down to the floor, with Kreiss sighing in relief as he stepped out of the cell.

"Thank you two, so very much. I'll make it up to you one day, you can count on it!" He smiled, petting their shoulders before quickly making his way up the flight of stairs, the duo glancing briefly at each other.

"Well I guess we know now that he isn't with Angie..." Venam commented, tugging on the young man's sleeve. "Come on, we've got a more important task to do!" She called out, the duo running up the flight of stairs and onto the fourth floor. Soon enough, they found themselves in a spacious room, a bright white stage right in the middle of the room as the spectral form of Angie stood before the stage, as if awaiting someone to step onto it.

"Everyone, I have exciting news to share. A new guest has arrived; let's see what's in her heart, shall we? Please, step forward, Melia." Angie spoke to an invisible crowd, Venam and Julius watching with bated breath as they saw their beloved friend walk up to the microphone.

"Melia!" Venam called out in fear, with Julius staring down Angie, as if waiting for the right moment to strike at her.

"Melia, please show us what's inside your heart." The older woman requested.

"I…I don't want to lose everything again. I don't want to have any friends because…they'll hold me back." The blonde girl weakly replied; her mind having lost control a while ago.

"I see, I see. And what about Venam and Julius?" Angie pressed her further, with Melia gulping quietly in response.

"I couldn't care less about them. They're a burden and I wish they'd never met me; especially Julius. It was embarrassing of him to cry over some bad dream he had back them; I should've let the nightmare consume him so that he'd end his miserable life…" She continued, looking down at the ground as the young man flinched on the spot, his body shivering with sadness and misery.

"LIES! Those are words you've put into her mouth you vile bit—" Julius snarled at Angie, running over at her only for Venam to restrain him.

"Compose yourself; the real Melia wouldn't say such things. This is just another one of Angie's tricks." She reassured the young man, petting him on the shoulder.

"A trick you say? These words come from the heart, but I doubt you'd believe me." Angie chuckled, turning around to face the duo, only for Melia to snatch the microphone and throw it to the ground.

"That's enough! I'm not falling for you and your manipulative tricks again!" She snapped, catching the older woman off-guard. "I saw that illusion of Julius you conjured up for my trial; no way would the real one ever say such nasty things about his friends. I should know, I got a good look at his heart via his dream."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Wrong answer, Melia." Angie muttered in disappointment, teleporting behind her and snatched the blonde away to the next room.

"M-Melia!" Venam cried out, running towards the next room with Julius following closely behind her. Soon enough, they entered the next room, which bore an eerie resemblance to the room Angie had trapped Venam in. As the young man had expected, Melia was tied up to the altar, with Angie standing before her.

"You two are persistent, I'll give you that much. Could it be that your ideals mirror mine?" The older woman pondered momentarily, before casting the thought aside. "No, that's impossible. You are merely—"

"Hardheaded and stubborn!" Venam declared proudly, with Julius standing beside her boldly. "We've played this little game of chase for too long; it ends here!"

"Hmph, no matter. I shall sacrifice Melia to our Lord and Savior, Arceus." Angie replied, turning to attend to the altar.

"Like I'd let that—" Julius began, running over to her before he was halted by an invisible wall of sorts. "W-What the hell is this?!"

"A safeguard to ensure my success; since using maids to distract you failed, I had to take extra precautions." The blue-haired woman answered, resuming her duties as the young man began pounding on the invisible wall.

"You better keep your hands off of her, or else I'll flay you alive! ALIVE, YOU HEARE ME? ALIVE!" The young man screamed at the top of his lungs, with Venam watching in horror as they were rendered helpless to help their friend.

"Oh hush you, I need the utmost silence for the ritual to succeed." Angie snapped at the young man, outstretching her arms over the altar and began chanting as Melia soon began glowing in an ethereal light.

"Ugh...this feeling. It feels so weird; it's almost as if…I've been through this before…No, I know I've experienced this before." She commented to herself, her body tingling with a strange sensation as it seemingly repelled whatever Angie was trying to do to her, the blonde's body shifting and changing into various forms, including one that rendered Julius speechless, the young man falling to his knees in shock as a wave of anger had suddenly consumed him.

"W-What is this resistance?! How could this be happening?!" Angie exclaimed in shock, mortified over her ritual failing as Melia groaned weakly in pain. "Who…what are you?!"

"Get…GET AWAY FROM ME!" Melia cried out, a powerful aura wave coursing through the room as the lights were soon shut off from the blast. When the lights came back on, it showed that the altar was completely destroyed, as well as whatever wall kept Venam and Julius detained. Additionally, neither Melia nor Angie were present in the room.

"M-Melia…where are you?!" Venam cried out desperately, the duo quickly running out of it and towards the next floor. The duo soon found themselves in a corrupted mirror of the church foyer they were in before, with cracks appearing all over the walls and floor, but it was the familiar sight of their friend that set their hearts at ease. Running over to her, Venam hoisted her friend to her knees before embracing her in a warm hug "Melia! Thank God you're alright…" The purple-haired girl sniffled, barely holding back her tears as Melia returned the hug.

"Ugh…" Melia let out a low groan, with Julius quickly running over and helping Venam get her up to her feet. "T-Thank you Venam, and you too Julius…"

"I would never leave you behind, we're friends after all!" Venam replied, wiping her tears away as she soon noticed the dark look on Julius' face. "…Jules? Hey, earth to Jules!"

"…I'm gonna kill her, slowly and painfully…For Venam, for Melia, for…Maria…" He muttered; the young man's mind having become twisted by overexposure to the warped atmosphere of the Dimensional Rift. "Dear, sweet Maria…you shouldn't have to go through such pain…I'll make her regret hurting you…if it takes all my strength to do so…"

"W-We better get out of here…before we all lose out minds…" Melia suggested, managing to recover enough strength to start walking on her own.

"Don't worry Mel, we'll make it out of here. I just hope nothing too bad happens before we do so…" Venam commented, the trio exiting the building and ascended the final flight of stairs.

 **Battlefield of the Gods**

Despite the last leg of their journey being the most taxing, the trio eventually made it to the top of the tower and were treated to quite the view. They could see the snowy forest around the tower as far as they eye could see, as if it were a never-ending maze of trees. The sky however, was glowing frantically in a myriad of colors as if the dimension itself was on the verge of collapsing, no doubt due to Angie's fractured mind. Speaking of which, they saw the menacing woman standing at the edge of a snowy battlefield on the tower roof, a portal to freedom floating behind her, as if she was the only obstacle in their path between salvation from this nightmare.

"T-This is it…we're so close to freedom. All we need to do is—" Venam began, with Julius slowly letting go of Melia as he began advancing towards the arena. "H-Hey, what are you doing?!"

"Keep…safe…I must punish…her…" The young man slurred slowly, a feral look in his eyes as he continued advancing towards his enemy.

"W-What happened to you…?" The purple-haired girl inquired, a look of concern on her face.

"Call it a wild guess, but I think the air in these Rift Dimensions is eating away at his mind." Melia proposed, managing to stand up on her own two feet, though Venam still rested her arm around her.

"If that's the case, then why aren't we affected by the air as well?" She continued, with Melia taking a moment to think to herself.

"Think of all the times that Julius has been in one of these dimensions; there was Goldenwood Forest, Amethyst Cave alongside you and Ren, Carotos Mountain alongside Aelita, Terajuma Jungle, and now this. It's evident that he's have way more exposure than the rest of us; though I doubt this'll be the last time we get sucked up into another dimension." The blonde recalled, with Venam soon gaining an understanding as to what she was talking about.

"Let's just hope that we get out of here before he completely loses his mind." Venam commented, the duo soon turning their gaze to the scene before them.

" **You…you insolent vermin…"** Angie growled at the trio, her crazed eyes staring down the young man. **"This is completely and absolutely incomprehensible!"**

"Incomprehensible…eh? What's the matter…have you finally come to accept your fate…?" Julius smirked dangerously at her, his eyes brimming with hate. "You'll…pay…I'll make you pay…for hurting Maria…yes…and my friends as well…"

" **No one should be able to resist Arceus' divine power, no one! You're all demons; vile, disgusting demons!"** The blue-haired cried out in anger, the young man chuckling at her in response.

"Demon…yes, that could be…what I am…Yes, I see it now…I was tasked…to send you…to the bowels of hell! And I will take…pleasure, great pleasure…in making you scream in agony…" He spoke softly, yet ominously, with Angie clutching her chest in pain.

" **Argh! Your presence…your presence burns my very soul! It grows warmer, and warmer…and I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!"** She screamed in pain, her body soon cloaked in a dark red aura, her eyes glowing with the same dark red tinge. **"You've all pushed me to my very limit! For your crimes against me, and the lord, Arceus, I shall banish you to the hellish depths from whence you came! I'll make you demons feel the cold, unbridled wrath of Arceus' Cold Truth!"**

"Oh is that how you wanna play…in that case, I'll end your miserable life…yes…I'll make them all suffer…everyone who had made me suffer…shall be sent to the depths of hell…where they will suffer for all eternity!" Julius growled in a guttural tone, selecting his first Pokémon. "I am the Judge…my friends are the Jury…and this is my first Witness…Dermafrost, go!"

The young man called upon his first companion, the large mammoth letting out a deep bellow from within itself. It stood tall on its hind legs, its body covered in thick, brown and white fur that bristled calmly in the freezing wind. Its large, fuzzy blue ears stood ridged on the sides of its head; its big, shiny white tusks ended in sharp points that can pierce even the thickest of ice blocks. Its trunk swayed side-to-side slowly, the Mountain Tusk Pokémon briefly glancing at its trainer and was taken aback by the twisted look in his eyes.

"Don't worry about him, he'll be fine, I promise!" Melia called out to the mammoth, the gentle giant gazing at her before nodding slowly, turning back to face Angie, who had chosen to start off with a Jynx.

The Jynx had opted to start off with an Aurora Veil, the Humanshape Pokémon conjuring up a veil of multicolored light to protect her side from the foes onslaught. However the Dermafrost let out a second bellow, the mammoth getting onto all fours and charged at the Jynx, its tusks glowing an orangish-white hue as it crashed into the Jynx, who cried out in pain as the protective veil was shatteredby the powerful charge.

"Pathetic…simply pathetic…you think some light will protect you from your dues…?" This young man hissed at his foe.

" **Yes…and it is the light of Arceus that will condemn your wretched soul to hell!"** Angie retorted, pointing at her foe as her Jynx got back up and began heightening her mental focus, which took the form of a ball of orange energy the size of a grapefruit. Flinging the ball of energy at the Mountain Tusk Pokémon, it tried standing its ground, only for the mammoth to groan in pain as it was pushed several feet back and crumpled in the snow. It somehow managed to get back up and let out an enraged bellow charging once more at the Humanshape Pokémon before ensnaring her with its trunk and raised her in the air, shaking her violently as it tried in vain to break free from its grasp. Dermafrost then proceeded to slam her into the snowy ground harshly, a few clumps of snow getting kicked up into the air as it backed off a bit, its gaze focused on the unconscious form of its foe.

"Oooof…that attack was a bit too brutal, even for my standards…" Venam winced in sympathy for the Jynx, watching Angie recall her Pokémon.

"It was, but I don't think he's in the right state of mind to care at the moment." Melia replied.

" **Ah, I get it now…you were sent here to test my devotion. Yes, that must be it. no matter, I shall prove my undying loyalty to Arceus by destroying you!"** Angie tried reasoning to herself, letting out her Beartic next, the large bear letting out a roar as it bounded over to its foe. The two Pokémon clashed in the middle of the arena, trading blow for blow as each combatant hoped to surpass their foe respectively. However, the Beartic had a crafty trick up its frozen sleeves, the Freezing Pokémon opting to trip its heavy foe with its stubby leg as Dermaforst let out a cry of surprise as it fell backwards. With its right arm glowing a bright orange, it swung down on to the Dermafrost, the mammoth letting out one last cry of fear as it was struck on the top of its head, the deadly Brick Break knocking out the Mountain Tusk Pokémon.

"Hehehe…my first witness presented their evidence well enough, but now it's time to let the second witness condemn your wretched soul…yes…condemn!" Julius chuckled darkly, recalling his Pokémon and making his next selection. "Anderind, show this teddy bear who the real apex predator of the north is…"

The blue-haired woman narrowed her eyes at the sight of the new Pokémon, who emerged from its ball and let out an amused growl at its for. The Anderind was a bipedal bear, kinda like the Beartic before it, but with a few differences; for one, it's fur was a much darker shade of blue than it's counterpart, the fur on its feet a bright red as if it were wearing a pair of snow boots. It's ears were the same dark blue, and were rather fuzzy, making them look like earmuffs. Additionally, it stood on its firm, long tail as if it were a snowboard of sorts.

" **My messengers of Arceus are more than capable of defeating your demonic servants; Icicle Crash!"** Angie called out, the Beartic letting out a determining roar as it charged towards its foe, conjuring up a set of large icicles and threw them at its foe. The Thrill-Seeking Pokémon saw the incoming attack and was able to dodge it easily, slipping and sliding on its board before turning around and flashed a cocky smirk at its foe. This had angered the Freezing Pokémon, who leapt up into the air and cloaked its body in water, barreling towards its foe and tackled it, with Anderind letting out a cry of pain as it was pushed to the ground.

Slowly getting back onto its feet, it reared its glowing fist back and punched Beartic in the snout, the large bear letting out a growl of pain as it clutched its aching snout and backed off a few feet, with Anderind recovering some much-needed energy from the attack. Hopping back onto its "snowboard", the Thrill-Seeking Pokémon sped off towards its foe, punching back the incoming barrage of icicles that was thrown in its direction. Then in a series of swift movements, it picked up the Beartic, leapt into the air and threw it to the arena ground, landing on top of it before delivering another powerful punch to its snout, hopping off of it as it bowed to the crowd over its victory.

"What a brave, insightful testimony you offered…how does the defendant respond to these claims…?" Julius sneered at his foe, with Angie recalling her Pokémon before selecting her next messenger.

" **I am guilty, of spreading Arceus' Cold Truth to this flawed world. And it is a truth that you will accept, no matter how many times you try to deny it."** The older woman retorted, sending out her Cryogonal, the snowflake Pokémon letting out a hearty chuckle as the hail in the air intensified in power. The Anderind opted to charge at its foe, its thick fist reared back in preparation for another punch, only for the Crystallizing Pokémon to swiftly dodge the attack and began gathering whatever light it could. A few moments later, it collected this light into a ball of silver energy and fired it at the bear, the Thrill-Seeking Pokémon letting out a quick cry of surprise as it was struck head on and sent flying towards one of the trees that lined the arena, a sizable amount of built-up snow on the leaves falling down to the ground. Julius slowly made his way to his unconscious companion, a hint of his usual kindness flashing momentarily as he consoled his friend before recalling it.

"You…I'll make you pay for hurting my friends!" He growled back at Angie, glaring at her as his mind was being consumed further by the twisted air of the Rift Dimension.

"This battle's taking it's toll on him; I can feel his anger from here…" Venam commented, bringing Melia closer to her in order to provide the both of them with some warmth.

"If what Aelita told me was correct, then this negative energy is bound to make his Chainite stro—" Melia began, only for the blonde woman to hear a low, guttural laugh from her friend. "W-What's so funny?!"

"Chainite…yes, I could use it in battle…but I…I have a Pokémon…that even it fears. One who's mere presence…causes the mighty to tremble in fear…" Julius drawled slowly, reaching for another Pokémon. "But for now…I'm content with sending out my next witness. Theriamp…make your way to the stand."

The young man sent out his third Pokémon, the Giant Sloth Pokémon stretching its long arms in the cold air. It stood tall on its hindlegs, its thick grey fur keeping it warm in the freezing cold temperatures. Its face was covered in bright yellow fur, its beady eyes gazing at the Cryogonal as its pig-like nose twitched in the air. But the most imposing feature on the creature was the four sharp claws that stemmed from its hands, claws that looked like they could tear apart the thickest of trees with ease.

Lunging at its foe with surprising speeds for a sloth, the Theriamp slashed at the Cryogonal, the snowflake Pokémon letting out a groan of pain as it was flung down to the ground. However, it wasn't out quite yet, the Crystallizing Pokémon hovering back up and fired a blast of cold wind from its mouth, the Giant Sloth Pokémon shivering from the cold as its four could only do so much to resist the blast. Backing away slowly, the Theriamp soon noticed a rather large rock beside it, using its long, thick arms to pick it up and raise it in the air. Mustering up all the energy it could, it flung the rock at high speeds, the boulder crashing into the Cryogonal as the rock crumbled into dozens of little pieces, the Crystallizing Pokémon knocked out from the brutal assault.

" **Impossible! No way could a sinner like you be giving me such a hard time!"** Angie protested, recalling her fainted Pokémon as the Giant Sloth Pokémon began panting lightly for air, the last attack using up a lot of energy. With a low growl escaping her lips, the twisted zealot sent out her Rotom next, the Plasma Pokémon taking on its Frost Form. Seizing the opportunity to land a free hit, the Rotom opened its doors and unleashed a howling blizzard from within, the powerful gust knocking the Theriamp off its feet as it tried to stand back up. But just as it was about to get back up, the Rotom launched a shadowy ball at its foe and knock it back down, the Plasma Pokémon floating closer towards it. It then opted to go for one last blast of cold wind, the attack flinging the Theriamp towards a different tree and crashing into it, the thick trunk collapsing onto it. Letting out a quick gasp, the young man ran over to his fallen companion and checked on it, breathing a sigh of relief when he saw that it was going to be alright, and recalled it to its ball.

"That's enough Angie! There's no need to continue this battle any longer!" Melia demanded, with the older woman chuckling ominously in response.

" **No…I need to punish this sinner for his offenses towards the Lord, and his faithful servant."** Angie hissed at the blonde in response. **"And once I'm done with him, I'll punish you, that brat Veronica, and even this…Maria, was it, that this sinner keeps rambling on about—"** She continued, only for Julius to let out an bloodcurdling scream of pain, his mind in complete agony as the warped air of the dimension was leaving painful scars on his psyche.

"You…" He growled viciously, his right hand clutching his head as his brain throbbed in pain. "You will NOT LAY A HAND ON HER! SHE HAS SUFFERED ENOUGH PAIN IN HER LIFE, AND I WILL NOT LET ANYONE ELSE HURT HER!"

" **Oh, and how will you protect this sinner you claim to care about? Or is this another one of those depraved, lecherous fantasies that occupy your mind?"** The blue-haired woman retorted, the aura around her intensifying in power.

"How dare you sully Maria's name like that!" Julius hissed, frantically reaching into his bag and pulled out a Pokéball, chuckling to himself as he twirled the device in his hand. "You want to know how I'll protect her? Then how about I show you your Executioner?! Beliaddon, destroy this false messenger of the gods with your righteous fury!" He declared, sending out his next Pokémon as the evil in the air intensified greatly.

The Beliaddon was a large, imposing demon that stood tall on two thick legs that ended in goat hooves. It's black and red body was rather muscular, its arms ending in reddish yellow claws that shone as brightly as molten lava. Its supple red tail ended in a pointed tip, swaying carelessly in the wind alongside the two, large black wings that stemmed from its back. The Pokémon also had two red and black horns on top of its head, its mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth as its beady yellow eyes glared at its foe with cruel intent.

" **At long last, your demonic master decides to confront me. I've bested your underlings, creature! You shall fall to Arceus' Cold Truth alongside your servant!"** Angie declared, narrowing her eyes at the terrifying Pokémon.

"We'll see about that! Infernal Blade, now!" The young man barked hoarsely, theDemon Pokémon conjuring up a sword made out of pure fire and lunged at the Rotom, the Plasma Pokémon quivering in fear at the sight of its foe. With a quick flick of its wrist, the Beliaddon slashed at its foe, the Rotom flying back a few feet as it crumpled onto the ground, knocked out from the powerful attack. "Hah! Your little ice-box is no match for the envoy of my anger and hatred!"

" **No matter…I expected your master to be a cut above the rest…"** Angie coldly retorted, recalling her Pokémon and made her next selection, sending out her Crabominable. **"But this is where it ends!"**

The large crab let out a series of frantic grunts, scuttling towards the Demon Pokémon with its thick, woolly fist reared backwards. It reached its target, the Woolly Crab Pokémon pummeling its foes torso with a series of quick but powerful punches, the tall demon letting out a series of low growls as it stepped backwards, with Crabominable continuing its offense. Soon enough, the large crab ceased its assault momentarily, taking the time to catch its breath as a large shadow loomed over it, the Woolly Crab Pokémon slowly raising its glance up as it squeaked quietly in fear. The Beliaddon let out a deep, guttural roar before promptly picking up its foe and started down at it, the crab shaking violently to break free from its grasp. Taking in a deep breath, it exhaled a breath of hot flames from its maw, the Crabominable crying out in pain as the intense flames scorched its body, the large demon flinging the Pokémon towards its trainer and watched as it crumpled on the ground, no longer able to continue fighting.

"Th-This is going too far! Julius, you need to compose yourself!" Venam called out to him, the young man crying out in pain as he fell to a kneeling position.

"Why?! Didn't you want her to suffer, for what she did to you and Melia?! I'm just giving her what she deserves!" He screamed, clutching his head in pain as he pounded his fist onto the frozen ground, hoping that the pain their would ease the pain in his mind.

"I agree that she needs to face justice for her tyranny, but this isn't the way to go about it. Please, Julius…fight back your anger and compose yourself!" Melia requested, an ominous chuckle coming from the opposite side of the field.

" **Why have him come back? He is merely being presented with the Lord's Cold Truth, as I had intended from the beginning."** Angie retorted, recalling her fainted Crabominable and selected her last Pokémon. **"And my Walrein** **shall be the messenger that puts an end to his sinful rampage!"**

The bulky walrus emerged from its trainer's ball, letting out a relaxed bellow as the hailstorm provided its thick body with some comfort. It proceeded to use its powerful tusks to shatter the icy floor, the heat from its foe proceeded to melt the chunks and turn them into a slushy pool of water. Letting out another bellow, the Ice Break Pokémon used its power to conjure up a wave of water to submerge its foe, with Beliaddon opting to fly up into the air to dodge the incoming wave, the three trainers narrowly dodging the wave as it crashed over the towers edge and fell towards the ground below. Smirking viciously at the Walrein, the Demon Pokémon conjured up another sword of fire and plunged the tip into the remaining water, heating it up quickly as the walrus thrashed violently in pain from the boiling water. Stomping towards the Ice Break Pokémon, the Beliaddon hoisted the walrus up off the ground, punching its face repeatedly as the poor Walrein felt every last bit of anger from the demon and its trainer, satisfied smirks forming on both their faces. Once it had its fill of fun, the Beliaddon tossed the walrus aside, horrified expressions plastered on the faces of everyone else as Beliaddon let out a bone-chilling laugh over its victory.

 **N-No! I-I won't accept this defeat! H-How could I lose to you?!"** Angie screeched viciously, recalling her defeated Walrein as Julius chuckled at her in contempt.

"It's over Angie, admit defeat and face your punishment!" The young man called out, a crazed look in his eyes as he gestured at his Pokémon to conjure up another Infernal Blade, the demon twirling the weapon in its hand. "You have a choice ahead of you; a swift and painless death, or a slow and agonizing one."

"Julius! That's enough from you!" Venam snapped at the young man, storming up to him and grabbed him by the shoulder, the young man turning around to stare down at her, the purple-haired girl stepping back in shock at the twisted glare staring back at her.

"Unhand me!" He demanded, stepping free from her grasp. "I—I need to make her pay!"

"Julius, this isn't you; it's the dimension corrupting your mind! You need to break free from your anger, don't let it consume you!" Melia requested, wincing slightly in pain as Venam quickly ran over to help her stand back up.

"I…I" The young man stammered, screaming out in pain as he clutched his head once more, an internal struggle going on in his mind. "I…I…GRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

" **Hah…hah…even after all I've done, I still couldn't defeat these heinous heretics."** Angie commented bitterly to herself, the dark red aura enveloping her dissipating as her anger soon turned to bitterness. **"It's sickening, absolutely sickening. If I must go down…then I'll bring you all down with me!"**

Letting out a primal roar, Angie lunged at the weakened Julius, the young man glaring at her and was about to order the killing blow when a sudden blast of ice struck the arena ground beside Julius, the young man stepping back a few feet in shock. **"I'LL…I'LL KILL EACH AND EVERYONE OF YOU!"** The blue-haired woman screamed, more blasts of ice rocking the arena.

"Not before I kill you—" Julius snarled, attempting to lunge at her, only for Beliaddon to hoist him off his feet. "W-What are you doing?! L-Let me kill her!"

"We have to go now, or else we're done for! C-Come on!" Venam called out, the purple-haired girl helping Melia down the flight of stairs with Beliaddon following behind, the young man kicking and screaming to break free from his Pokemon's grasp.

" **YOU WON'T ESCAPE MY WRATH!"** Angie called out to the retreating figures, following in hot pursuit behind them. Floor by floor, the group ran down the stairs and through the various rooms, narrowly dodging the blasts of ice that rocked the crumbling tower with Angie's maniacal laughter echoing throughout the halls. As the group arrived at the bottom floor, a sudden blast of ice knocked Venam off her feet, the purple-haired girl crying out in pain as she and Melia fell to the ground.

"MELIA! VENAM!" Julius cried out, breaking free from Beliaddon's grasp as he ran over to his companions.

"Ugh…I'm okay, nothing a band-aid couldn't fix." Venam replied, making her way to Melia and helped her back up.

"I'm fine as well…" Melia replied, wrapping her arm around her friend's shoulder as the group made their way to the exit, only for a blast of ice to halt them in their tracks.

" **That's enough!"** Angie called out to the retreating figures, the blue-haired woman storming up towards them as the dark red aura from before re-enveloped her. **"As long as you're in MY world, there will ne no escape for you, or anyone else!"**

"Good…I was tired of retreating anyway…" Julius grinned dangerously, clutching his head in pain once more. "The pain burns, it burns like nothing I've ever felt before. But if I kill you…then perhaps it will go away."

" **Like I'm scared of the Devil's agent; Arceus will protect me from your rage!"** The older woman retorted, standing her ground. **"I shall encase you in a prison of ice, where you will spend all eternity pondering your sins!"**

"A prison of ice…? Let's see what your ice can do against the fires of hell! Beliaddon, use Infernal Blade…on Angie!" The young man ordered, a look of bloodlust present in his left eye as his right eye looked on in horror at what he had just ordered. But as the large demon was about to lunge at her, a sudden shrill cry echoed out through the room, a beam of ice striking its hooved feet, freezing it to the ground as the Demon Pokémon looked around the area for the source. Soon enough, a second beam of ice struck Angie's legs, freezing her to the spot as well as the devout woman looked around the room as well.

" **B-But how?!"** She exclaimed, a satisfied chuckle coming from behind her as a familiar man walked up to her, his Froslass hovering beside him. **"You! How did you escape your cell?!"**

"I got out because of your recklessness." Kreiss smirked at her, shooting a quick glance at the trio near him. "Have those three kids been really giving you that much trouble? Can't keep your emotions at bay? Man, I understand that feeling, and I'm sure that fellow over there understands as well."

"W-What have you done?!" Julius demanded, horrified over what the man had done to his Pokémon. "I let you free and you repay me by denying me my justice?! What kind of man are you?!"

"This for your own benefit in the long run, kid. There's no need to waste your anger on this woman." Kreiss retorted, turning to face Angie once more. "Your little tantrum has cost you everything. This whole place is out of control, even you—"

" **I am in TOTAL control!"** Angie retorted, the aura around her intensifying even further until it had fully consumed her, blasts of ice violently rocking the area around her. **"I am so in control that I will obliterate ALL of you!"**

"Nope, I'm not gonna let that happen. Froslass, use Ice Beam!" The older man ordered, his Pokémon giving him a quick nod as she conjured up a beam of ice and launched it at the maniacal woman, encasing her completely in ice as both Melia and Venam sighed in relief. However, Julius' eye began twitching, the twisted air awakening the primal fury that had been built up inside him from years of hardship and pain. Letting out a garbled cry of anger, the young man lunged at the frozen woman, hoping to tear her apart with his hands, only for Froslass to quickly strike the back of his neck with her hand, the young man letting out a gasp of pain as he collapsed to the floor, the sudden strike knocking him out.

"Is…is she done?" Venam inquired, with Melia walking over to Julius and searched his bag for a specific Pokéball, cheering quietly to herself as she found it and recalled the startled Beliaddon before putting it back in the young man's bag.

"Yeah…I think so." Kreiss replied, recalling his Froslass after thanking her. "Sorry about hitting your friend back there, but I wasn't left with any other option."

"It's fine, your heart was in the right place." Melia replied, gesturing at Venam to help her hoist the unconscious man up and carry him. "Once we're out of this twisted dimension, perhaps the dark thoughts that corrupted his mind will be gone."

"Why did you choose not to stick with us when Jules and I freed you? The four of us would've had an easier time dealing with her." Venam inquired, eying the man with some suspicion on her voice.

"…I wanted to fight Angie on my own. It seems as though she refused to appear before me, choosing to fight you three instead." The older man admitted, with the purple-haired girl mulling over the answer in her head. "Luckily we can leave her be now; any ice that's formed in this dimension is turned into Never-Melt Ice. She's stuck in an icy prison that would never melt."

"I see, which means she's stuck here forever." Melia commented, sighing a breath of relief. "I'm just thankful that she won't be causing any more problems."

"Indeed. Now come on, we have to head up to the portal on the tower rooftop. I'll lend a hand carrying your friend, if you need it." Kreiss offered.

"Thanks, but I'm sure the two of us will be fine." Venam knocked back the offer, exchanging a quick smile with Melia as the group made their way back up the tower and towards the portal, avoiding any potential traps Angie may have placed earlier.

 **Kristiline Town**

"As I expected, things are returning to normal now that Angie's gone." Kreiss commented upon stepping outside the large church, the once frozen town having returned to its tropical roots.

"It's amazing how quickly it reverted back to normal. I mean we just froze Angie a few moments ago." Venam added, surveying the newly transformed area. "I must say, I prefer this look over the other one, you hear me?"

"At the very least, the people here no longer have to live in fear of upsetting Angie." Melia smiled, a familiar voice calling out to them as a friend of hers ran up to the group. "V-Valarie?! What are you doing here?"

"Melia, Venam! Thank the heavens you're alright—What happened to Julius?!" Valarie approved the group, her gaze shifting to the unconscious form of the young man resting in his friends' arms.

"He…He became consumed by an all-powerful rage after a mixture of the dimension's air, and something he saw involving someone called Maria. I have no idea who she is, truth be told." Melia answered.

"I do remember meeting a girl named Maria back when I was trapped alongside him and my friends in that weird mansion a while ago. Could there be a connection I'm missing?" Venam added, recalling the events of that fateful adventure. "By the way, that other man with us is Kreiss. Kreiss, this is Valarie. He saved our hides when we needed it."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kreiss. I thank you for helping my friends." The blue-haired woman bowed politely to the older man.

"No need to thank me, I was waiting to deal with Angie once and for all." He replied, a thought popping into his mind as he handed Melia a shiny badge. It was shaped like a blue and pink icicle, with four small icicles on the side stemming upwards diagonally. "Behold, the Glacier Badge! Make sure to give it to the young man when he wakes up, saw him battle her from afar and was impressed by what I saw."

"Thank you so much!" The blonde girl beamed at the man, a bright smile on her face. "I'll make sure that Julius gets this when he wakes up."

"Good, because I highly doubt I would've beaten him, even if it were an official Gym Battle. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm heading back home!" Kreiss replied, separating from the group as he made his way downstairs, with Valarie eying him off curiously.

"He's quite the odd fellow. Very nice, but rather odd…" She mused to herself, shaking the thoughts from her mind. "Anyway, let's get Julius back to Tesla's villa right now; I'm sure he needs a nice long rest."

"Thank goodness…my arms are starting to ache from keeping him up…" Venam groaned in pain, with Valarie offering her a hand as the trio made the trek back to Tesla's Villa, where they will soon hatch a plan on what to do next. But for now, they figured that a quick break would suffice, after what Melia, Venam and Julius had been though today.

 **Ok, since this was a very hefty chapter, there's a fair bit to break down here, starting off with what some may deem to be a bit cliché, or edgy; Julius' burst of anger. Initially, I was against the idea as it seemed a bit too cliché for my liking, but after doing some reading up on the Dimensional Rifts, a thought popped into my mind.**

' **Would there be an adverse effect to a person's mind as a result of over-exposure to the Dimensional Rifts?'**

 **Once that thought emerged, I figured that I would experiment on it to see if it would translate well into text. Julius/the MC proved to be the ideal subject as on top of the amount of times the player winds up in these different dimensions, it would play on the festering rage that he had built up as a result of all the pain, both physically and emotionally he's gone through. As for Angie, well I hoped I did this most fascinating character justice, and I do hope that the next time she comes back, it'll prove to be a most amazing experience.**

 **One last thing, since Fire Emblem: Three Houses will be coming out very soon, I'll be spending most of my free time playing that game, so I apologize in advance for the slower than usual updates. Until then, I hope this chapter greatly satisfies you and I thank you all for your readership.**


	28. Chapter 28

**F14M3RZ: Thank you for your honest critique, and I do understand your complaints about Julius' backstory being a bit too edgy. Larkspur's shift from a frightened old man to a twisted psychopath may seem out of place, but as you mentioned, he's in some serious debt to some shadowy benefactors. It could be that upon seeing his last chance go up in smoke, something in his mind snapped, causing him to go 'Well if I'M going down, I'll make sure to bring him down with me.' Still, I'll keep your comment into consideration when it comes to writing the future chapters.**

 **Welcome back to Rise from the Ashes, everyone. Today I present to you a chapter that although smaller than the last two chapters, should still be a satisfying read as it will have a long due battle between close friends. Additionally, it'll also have a battle that puts a certain, arrogant jerk in his place (you know who I'm talking about).**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

"Ughhh…" Julius groaned, slowly sitting up on his bed as he began rubbing his aching head, before noticing that he was in a completely different area than before. The young man found himself in a quaint bedroom, a wooden desk by the wall to his right and a couple bookshelves to his left. His gaze soon shifted to a small badge resting on the small chest of drawers beside the bed, the young man picking it up in his hand before pocketing and made his way out the room. Upon exiting the room, he soon realised that he found himself back in Tesla's villa, with Julius determining that the room he was in was the one Tesla offered to him earlier.

"Ah, you're awake!" A voice called out to him, the young man turning around and saw Melia sitting by the table alongside the rest of the group. "I see you've noticed the new badge you got?"

"What, this?" Julius replied, showing her the Glacier Badge. "How did you—"

"Long story short, that Kreiss guy we rescue decided to give it to you; he saw you battle Angie back there and was impressed by your skill." Venam explained, taking a quick sigh of relief. "I'm just glad that you're back to normal; I don't ever want to see you get _that_ angry again…"

"Angry? Wh-What happened?!" The young man inquired, a mixed look of confusion and concern forming on his face.

"I got the shortened version from your friends; supposedly the mixture of the twisted air in that dimension and something that only you saw shattered your psyche, causing you to go ballistic." Valarie explained the situation to him, with Julius scratching his head in an attempt to recall what had happened back there. "I guess that bump on your head must've caused you to forget about it."

"See Julius? That's what happens when you don't keep those two sated!" Saki joked around, pointing over at Melia and Venam as the group let out a light-hearted chuckle.

"I suppose so—wait, is Melia ok? I do remember her going through that ritual Angie had set up." Julius inquired.

"Me? Oh I'm fine, thank you very much. I still have a bit of a headache, but it's nothing a bit of medication can't fix." The blonde teen replied, clapping her hands together. "Now that you're awake, we can talk about our next course of action. After all, that TM store that has Magma Drift is still frozen in Nevermeltice, meaning we can't just melt it via normal circumstances."

"Well if we can't melt the ice, then we can just break through the ice. I have the perf—" Saki began.

"People are in that building, Saki. Your plan could pose a genuine risk to their safety." Venam shot down that suggestion bluntly.

"Well I'd like to see you offer a better suggestion!" Saki poked her tongue out playfully.

"In that case, allow me to bedazzle you. Melia told me that you made a laser back at Blacksteeple Castle, correct? Perhaps you can create a slightly weaker version that can cut through the ice as opposed to breaking through it." The purple haired teen suggested, with Saki raising a hand to her chin.

"Hmmm…cutting through the ice. That's a pretty decent idea, which is surprising since it came from you." The black-haired teen replied, saying the last part a little quieter than the rest. "Alright, I'll try it out. But what about you two?"

"Venam and I will do a little bit of research back here, just in case there are other ways of dealing with Nevermeltice. Gives us two a bit of time to sit back and relax after what we went through." Melia proposed, with Venam's eyes sparkling over the prospect of spending some alone time with Melia.

"In that case, I'll head out to town for a bit to pick up some snacks for all of us." Valarie stated, making her way to the front door before turning around momentarily. "Oh and one more thing; Aelita was looking for you, Julius. She said that she'll be wandering around town while you recovered, so she shouldn't be too far away."

"Thanks for the heads up, I'll go check up on her. Perhaps she might have an answer to our predicament." The young man replied, the group of five soon heading off in various directions to attend to their designated tasks. Thankfully, Julius didn't have to spend too much time searching the resort for Aelita; the lilac-haired teen was busy resting by the large fountain in the town square, her eyes lighting up as she spotted the young man and eagerly made her way to him.

"Hey Jules, it's been a while since we've last met!" Aelita greeted him, the two giving each other a firm handshake. "I've heard that you had a pretty rough time while we were separated, is everything ok?"

"I'm fine now, thank you very much." Julius replied, digging his hands into his pocket. "So what did you get up to while you were on your own?"

"I've been helping Crawli out with a few minor missions; nothing too hard, but it did give me a great opportunity to train my Pokémon." She answered, a content look on her face. "I happened to notice several of the missing rangers arrive back at base, I take it you and the others took care of Angie?"

"Well it was mainly Melia and Venam who did the work, but I helped them out with a few minor things." The young man answered, as a cheeky thought entered his head. "Hey, Aelita. I just noticed that we never got an opportunity for the two of us to have a good battle against each other. What do you say to a 4-on-4 battle?"

"How did you know that's what I was thinking?" Aelita replied happily, leaning slightly closer towards him.

"Lucky guess, I suppose. So are you up to it?" Julius asked.

"Hell yeah! I'll show you just how much I've grown since we first met!" The lilac-haired teen replied, quickly taking out one of her Pokéballs. "I'm sure you recognise this little fellow; Go, Golem!"

The Megaton Pokémon let out an imposing roar, staring down its opponent as it maintained its beard with its stubby arms. Julius, eying up the Pokémon with curiosity made his decision quickly and opted to send out Laissure, the large rabbit letting out a loud chirp before pawing the ground beneath its feet. "Let's start things off with a good, old-fashioned Earthquake." The young man declared.

The large rabbit began pounding the ground with its firm tails, causing the ground beneath it to shake as a series of tremors made their way towards the Golem. However, the bulky Pokémon retracted into its shell on time, protecting it from the tremors as it began rolling around inside and charged at the Laissure, crashing into it as the rabbit grunted in annoyance. Following the first attack, the Megaton Pokémon rolled away from its foe before turning around and charged at it once more, a bit faster than the first time. But just as it was about to collide into its foe, the Earthshaker Pokémon picked up the incoming Golem with its tails and slammed it onto the ground, the Megaton retracting from its shell as it teetered on the spot, groaning in pain to itself.

Shaking its head to get back in the game, the Golem crouched down on the ground before leaping up high into the air, its body soon glowing an illustrious silver as it hurtled down onto its foe, crashing into the Laissure as it let out a cry of pain, the large rabbit shaking off the heavy foe before glaring at it. Pawing the ground once more, it charged at its foe and tackled it, the Earthshaker Pokémon's body glowing a harsh orange. The Golem let out a grunt of annoyance and attempted to retaliate, only for it to get tackled again and again, getting flung around the area like a tennis ball for a few moments before the Laissure used its tails to slam it into the ground, creating a sizable crater. There, the Golem lay unconscious, the large rabbit panting heavily in exhaustion over its assault.

"Woah, talk about some serious power!" Aelita chirped happily, recalling her defeated Pokémon as she selected her next one. "I'm glad you're not pulling back any punches, because neither am I. Starmie, let's start things off with a Scald!"

The teen girl sent out her next Pokémon, the starfish bursting out of its ball and began spinning in the air rapidly, shooting streams of boiling hot water all over the place. Laissure winced in pain as the hot water was splashed all over its body, stepping back a few feet as Starmie rammed its body into its foe, knocking it off its feet and sent it crashing into a nearby tree. The Earthshaker Pokémon tried to get up off the ground and continue the battle, but was too weak to do so and collapsed on the spot.

"Some impressive battling back there; why don't you take a well-earnt rest?" Julius said to his partner, recalling it back to its ball as the young man turned to face Aelita. "I must say, all that training you did paid off big time."

"I just wanted to prove to you all that I'm not a burden." The lilac haired teen replied, with the young man letting out a quick chuckle.

"Aelita, none of us will ever call you a burden, or useless. You're our friend, and friends stand by each other." He smiled at her, catching Aelita a little off-guard before she smiled back at him. "As for your Starmie, I have the perfect way to deal with it. Baariette, let's play a little dirty…" The young man smirked, sending out his next Pokémon as Aelita took a closer look at it. The Baariette was a tall, bipedal ram with dark grey fur on its body and black wool running down its back; its figure slim, with a bit of muscle on it. The most prominent feature was the curled horns on its head, its clawed hands running through the wool on its hair and chest as it smirked at the Starmie in an arrogant, yet calculated demeanour.

Taking the initiative once more, the Mysterious Pokémon began spinning in the air rapidly, shooting another stream of hot water at its foe. However, Baariette dodged the incoming attack in time and lunged at its foe, using its hand to knock the Starmie out of the air and into the ground. It then hopped back up onto its legs and shook the dust off its body, before attempting to use its mysterious power in order to immobilize its foe, a blue aura coating the Hard Horn Pokémon before, shattering soon afterwards, the ram chuckling at its foe over its misfortune. Now realising that its psychic attacks will do no good against the ram, the Starmie began spinning once more and floated up into the air, spitting a couple beams of ice-cold energy at its foe in the hopes of freezing it in place. And though the attack did graze the Baariette and froze its right hand, it didn't deter the menacing foe a single bit, the Hard Horn Pokémon slamming its frozen hand on the Mysterious Pokémon to break it free, before snatching it up and tossed it into the air. It then followed up with an especially springy jump and leapt into the air, kicking it dead center as the Starmie crashed into the fountain near the two trainers.

"Oh my…" Aelita commented, running over to her Starmie to console it over its loss before recalling it back to its ball.

"Sorry about that, we won't be so rough in the future, will we?" Julius apologised, shooting a glance at Baariette whose once smug grin turned into a sheepish one.

"No matter, two can play the roughhousing game. Granbull, show 'em whose top dog!" The lilac-haired teen called out, the bipedal bulldog emerging from its ball and let out an intimidating growl at the ram. In an instant, the two foes charged at each other, assaulting their respective foe with a series of quick punches and kicks in the hopes of overpowering the other. However, both of them were evenly matched and back off momentarily, surveying their foe in order to plan out their next move. Granbull opted to take the initiative, its large fangs glowing a faint red as it bit down hard on Baariette's arm, the Hard Horn Pokémon letting out an annoyed 'baa' of pain as it knocked its foe away, briefly glancing at the burnt area where it was bitten. Dipping its hand into the fountain to ease the pain a bit, the tall ram let out a bellow and got on all fours, charging at the Granbull and headbutted it, the stocky bulldog growling in pain as it was pushed back a few feet.

Punching its fist into its open hand, the Fairy Pokémon lunged at Baariette and grabbed it by its horns, spinning it around and around before flinging it towards a nearby tree, the Hard Horn Pokémon chirping in pain as it crashing into the tree, leaving a sizable gash in the trunk. Wearily getting up off the ground, it shot its foe one last glare before letting out an enraged 'baa' and charged at it once more, with Granbull following suit as both imposing monsters clashed with each other in one last attack, a sizable amount of smoke kicked up from the resulting explosion. Both Aelita and Julius covered their faces to shield themselves from the blast, lowering their arms once the smoke died down, only to see that both Granbull and Baariette were staring each other down, a faint look of respect in their eyes before the both collapsed onto the ground.

"Seems that our friends were evenly matched against one another." Julius commented, with Aelita chuckling lightly as they recalled their Pokémon before making their next selection. "Since this battle's pretty hot, it might be time to cool it down a bit. Glavinug, let's end this with a bang!"

"Is that how you want to play? Because I'm just getting started; Hawlucha, let's heat things up even further!" Aelita retorted, the two trainers sending out their Pokémon as Hawlucha started down its foe, who was content with lazing about in the fountain. Having had its time to chill out, the Glavinug started off by firing a beam of ice-cold energy at the Wrestling Pokémon, whom squawked in annoyance as its wings became frozen solid, pecking at them with its sharp beak to break the ice. Having done so at a record pace, it climbed up the nearest tree it could and leapt down from it, kicking the Sea Slug Pokémon in the head as it cried out in pain.

Backing away from its foe, the Glavinug dragged Hawlucha under the waters surface and slapped it across the face with its fins, the hawk pushing its foe away and hopped out the fountain, shaking itself fervently to get the water out of its feathers. Once it had done so, it scrambled up a different tree from before in the hopes of landing a decisive blow on its opponent. It let out a shrill squawk, leaping off the tree with its knee aimed directly at the Sea Slug Pokémon. However, the Glavinug had heard the squawk from above and stared down the incoming Hawlucha, retaliating with an Ice Beam that the Wrestling Pokémon wasn't able to dodge. The attack encased it in a block of ice, a shocked expression plastered on the hawk's face as the block hurtled towards the ground and shattered, sending the Hawlucha towards Aelita's feet, the attack knocking it out.

"Hey…don't beat yourself up over that loss; you did your best and that's all that matters." She consoled her companion, recalling it back to its ball as Julius congratulated his Glavinug. "I gotta say, that was a pretty fun battle. Mind you, I was hoping for a victory, but I'll beat you one day."

"I'm sure that day will come soon enough, just don't expect me to go down that easily." Julius smiled at her, recalling his Pokémon.

"Now that's something to look forward to!" Aelita grinned, pumping her fist in the air. "On a more serious note, how goes the search for Magma Drift?"

"Well we hit a roadblock going by the name of Angie, as I may have mentioned earlier; she froze the one building that sold the TM. And to add insult to injury, she froze the place with Nevermeltice, meaning that we can't just use our Fire Pokémon to melt it." The young man explained the situation.

"That's no good…seems like we're in between a rock and a hard place now." The lilac-haired teen replied, as they began pondering any possible solutions to their current dilemma.

"U-Um, excuse me…" A voice snapped the duo out of their train of thought, both of them turning to see a teenage girl around a couple years younger than them walking up to them. She had shoulder length raven hair, much like Ren, and wore a long-sleeved pink shirt, a pair of grey shorts that reached just above her knees, and a pair of black sneakers. "S-Sorry for interrupting, but I just so happened to hear about your little dilemma."

"No need to apolo—R-Reina?!" Julius blurted out, having just recognised the girl from his childhood. As Ren's younger sister, she would join in sometimes whenever the duo was playing around town. However, her presence only served to add salt to the wound, with the young man recalling Ren's defection to Team Xen.

"Julius! It's been too long." Reina smiled at the young man. "Good thing you're here, I was wondering if you knew where Ren is."

"Y-You're looking for Ren…?" Aelita double checked with her, with Reina nodding in response.

"Yes! I've spent a while looking for him because he suddenly left town without telling me or mom. I…I wanted to ask him if he left because of me." The raven-haired teen replied, her voice trailing off as she looked down at her feet.

"Look, I'm not 100% why Ren left town, but I can safely say that it wasn't your fault at all." Julius fibbed, not wanting to tell her the painful truth about her brother's fateful decision to join Team Xen.

"I—I see…thanks, Jules." Reina replied hesitantly, as if she didn't fully believe what he was saying. "Anyway, about the Nevermeltice, it shares some similarities with a story I once read called The Princess with the Frozen Heart. The story goes that the princess had her heart frozen by a Froslass, and the townspeople tried everything they could to thaw it, but to no avail. Then one day, a prince from another kingdom arrived with his Heatran and presented an item called the Magma Stone. Using the stone, he was able to thaw her heart and free the princess from her fate."

"So what you're saying is that we need to find a Magma Stone?" Julius deduced, with Reina nodding in confirmation.

"Yep! It's that easy! Granted, the story is just that, a story. But the power of the Magma Stone is 100% true! As to where you can find one…well it'll be around magma of course, Tee-hee~" She giggled, as Aelita came to her own revelation.

"Mount Carotos; it just has to be there!" The lilac-haired teen declared. "We can search around the place for the stone."

"Seems like you two already have a date planned out!" Reina chimed in, her mood picking up from before as she turned to walk away from the pair. "As much as I'd like to help you, I've got a brother to search for. If I do find him, I'll tell him you two said hello."

"W-Wait!" Julius called out to her, with Reina turning around to face him, a curious look on her face. "I-If you do see him, tell him that I'm so sorry for what happened back there…"

"Back there…?" She inquired.

"He knows what I'm talking about." The young man replied, with Reina giving him a quick nod before continuing her own journey. "So Aelita, ready to return to Carotos Mountain?"

"You bet! I've been meaning to visit Sheridan Village for a while now, and we just got handed a convenient reason to do so." Aelita replied, the duo making their way to the docks so they can catch a boat to Gearen City. But unbeknownst to them, a third party had heard their entire conversation and emerged from behind the trees. Watching the duo go was Cera, Angie's righthand woman, a conniving plan forming in her mind.

"I shall free you from your prison, My Lady, and those brats will clear the way for me." Cera spoke to herself, chuckling softly as she trailed the duo from a distance.

 **Sheridan Village**

Having arrived at the quaint village following an hour-long trek from Gearen City, both Aelita and Julius arrived back and noticed that the area was a little lively than usual. Granted, they had expected the townspeople to have moved on from Keta's death after a while, but to see the normally quiet town this upbeat was reliving, yet disturbing at the same time, as if the town had lost its identity during the grieving process. While this had pleased the young man somewhat, given how it was an improvement over the sombre state he saw the town in, during the quest with the Kecleon shop, this seemed to have bothered Aelita a bit.

"Hey, Jules…am I the only one who a little off-put by all this cheeriness? I mean I'm glad that the people aren't completely miserable anymore, but this level of ecstasy comes across as the type you'd see at a wild party." She commented, a curious look in her eyes.

"Well it does feel a little strange, but keep in mind the fact that it's been ages since you were last here; perhaps some new rules were put in that the people reacted positively to." Julius suggested, with Aelita thinking to herself.

"Perhaps you're right. We better check with the Eldest just in case; I just know she'll have an answer." The lilac-haired teen replied. "Let's go check out my old place, it's a safe bet that she's tending to it while I'm away."

Agreeing with the idea, Julius allowed Aelita to lead the way, following behind her as the two walked past the arena and up the flight of stairs leading to the large building…only to see Amanda standing by the door, a wide smile on her face.

"Aelita, Julius! Good to see you two again!" She waved frantically at them, eagerly gesturing at them to come a little closer. "When I heard that you two went missing near Akuwa Town, I had feared the worst. But it seems that you two managed to make it outta there alive; congrats on that!"

"Thanks, I guess…" The young man replied a little hesitantly. "Have you seen the Eldest around here?"

"Hmmm…nope, I haven't unfortunately. However, I've got some important news for Aelita; I managed to find a replacement trainer for the role of Fighting Type Leader!" Amanda answered in an upbeat manner, a surprised expression forming on Aelita's face as she stepped back in shock.

"Re-Replacement?! What do you mean replacement?!" She exclaimed in a bewildered tone, demanding an answer from the new sheepish Aevium League scout.

"Oh dear, I knew I should've gotten Jan to handle this, if it was going to be this awkward…" Amanda muttered to herself, quickly turning to Julius for a distraction. "So how has your journey been going so far? Seen any cool—"

"Stop evading the question at hand!" Aelita snapped at her, with Amanda stepping back in fear before sighing in defeat.

"Fine, I'll talk. Since Keta has passed away, I've spent over a month trying to find a suitable replacement for him. I would have gotten the job done quicker, but I got caught up with…other business. Luckily, we were able to find a replacement and made him the new Sensei of Sheridan." The black-haired woman explained her case.

"In that case, why wasn't I contacted about this earlier? Surely, as his daughter I would've been the best candidate for the position." Aelita pressed further.

"Well, that is true, but you went missing for around a couple weeks. And that's not mentioning the fact that you weren't listed as family in any of his documents. Hence why we gave the role to Texen instead of you." Amanda continued, having regained her composure.

"Texen? Just who exactly is Texen?" Julius inquired.

"He's a promising graduate from Axis University in Grand Dream City. His skill with Fighting Type Pokémon earnt him my respect, and that of the other judges." She replied curtly, walking past the duo. "Anyway, I'm sure he'll know where the Eldest is. As for me, I've got some other business to attend to. It was nice meeting you two again, though I wish the setting was a little less awkward; catch you later!"

Both trainers watched as Amanda quickly walked down the stairs, as if hoping to avoid a confrontation with Aelita, a crestfallen expression forming on her face. "This can't be happening…why would my father not list me under the family name?"

"I have no clue on why he would do such a thing. But for now, we should speak to this Texen fellow; perhaps he might have the answers we're looking for." The young man proposed.

"Oh, we will. I'll make sure to give him a piece of my mind!" Aelita vowed, clenching her fist tightly storming towards the door and yanked it open, with Julius following behind quickly behind her, not wanting to further agitate her. However, when the two stepped inside the house, Aelita's look of anger turned to one of complete horror; the place had been reduced to a complete pigsty. There were empty beer cans and leftover meals scattered all over the place, generic rock music blasting through the air as dozens of college-age teens partied fervently in the house. "W-What on earth is going on here?!" Aelita demanded at the top of her lungs, a collage freshman noticing the pair and walked up to them.

"Why it's the best party of all time!" He replied, gesturing the two to follow him. "Come, I'll take you to the man of the hour. Normally, you'll have to wait in line since he's a really popular man, after all his older sister's a popular movie star back in Grand Dream City. However, you two seem different from the usual crowd; perhaps you'll interest him a bit."

"Gladly." The lilac-haired teen replied bluntly, the pair following the freshman towards a room that had a large line in front of it, filled with people hoping to meet Texan in the flesh. A young woman halted the duo, gesturing at them to go to the back of the line, only for the freshman from before to walk up to her, and whispered something into her ear. Nodding quietly back at him, she opened the door and gestured at the duo to step inside, the people in the line groaning in annoyance as Aelita and Julius quickly walked through the door and into the room. There, sitting on a large couch with a young woman in each of his arms was Texen, a cocky, arrogant smirk on his face. With short orange hair that spiked up twice, giving the impression that he had horns growing from his head, and his piercing blue eyes, it was clear that he lucked out in the looks department. His clothing, which consisted of a pair of brown cargo shorts and a light-blue t-shirt were designer brand, and most likely expensive. What had caught the young man off-guard was the fact that Texen had plastered images of him and his face everywhere in the room, as if it this was his trophy room or something.

"Hmmm, are you _that_ desperate for an autograph? Sorry, but you gotta wait in the line like everyone else, toots." Texen spoke condescendly towards Aelita.

"Give me a break! I wouldn't want an autograph from you if my life depended on it." Aelita retorted back at him, with Texen chuckling at her.

"Is that so? Perhaps you wanted to give me something a little more…personal. Not that I can blame you; that guy beside you looks like he can't even get it up." He sneered, his eyes looking over Aelita as if he was analysing her thoroughly. "Yes…you'll do just fine. Why don't you start by sitting on my lap, sweetcheeks?"

"Piss off! You're absolutely disgusting!" She snapped back at him, angrier than she has ever been before. "I'd rather drink acid than do such a thing!"

"Ah, seems that you're a fiery young lass; I like that in a woman. Why don't you turn it down and get me a drink?" The orange-haired man demanded, the two women chuckling to themselves as he brought them closer to him. "Don't worry hunnies, I've always got time for you two."

"Can it, jackass! It's clear that she has no interest in you, and I can't say I blame her. Who would want to go with some arrogant prick who treats women as his personal arm-candy?" Julius retorted, his comment being shrugged off easily.

"I can feel your jealously from here mate. Why don't you calm down and take a chill-pill? Perhaps you'll have better luck picking up chicks that way." Texen suggested, with Julius rolling his eyes in annoyance.

"Look, we didn't come here to talk about meeting women or whatever. As you're the new Sensei of this village, you'll have to take your job more seriously." Aelita commented, with Texen thinking to himself for a while, before leaning in towards the pair with a cocky smirk on his face.

"Nah…I don't wanna." He replied casually.

"Then why even take the job in the first place?! As a leader, you have a responsibility to look after—" The lilac-haired girl began.

"Bruh, fuck that responsibility shit. I'm just here for the girls, money, girls, praise, and let's not forget the girls." Texen retorted, with Julius narrowing his eyes at him.

"Pathetic, simply pathetic. You have got to be the most worthless imbecile I have ever met. Once Amanda finds out about this, you'll lose your job within a heartbeat. Maybe that'll teach you to be a little more respectful." The young man snapped, with Texen chortling loudly in response.

"Is that threat supposed to scare me? Please, with how little people signed up for the role, Amanda would never take it from me. Now get going! You've wasted enough of my time as it is." The orange-haired man demanded, shooing them away.

"Good thing to, I am done speaking to you! Come on Julius, we've got more important business to attend to." Aelita called out, the duo quickly leaving the room in disgust.

"Ah, you're heading into the mountain?" Texen inquired, the two trainers halting in their place as a smirk formed on his face. "Your reaction told me all I needed to know. As of right now, you two are forbidden from going to that place."

"What?! Y-You can't do that!" Julius snapped back, the orange-haired man chuckling as he was texting something on his phone.

"Ah, but I can, I'm the Sensei after all." He retorted, putting his phone away. "As we're speaking, a buddy of mine's gonna block the path to the mountain. Have a nice day, suckers!"

"What's your deal, Texen?! You can't just abuse your power like that!" Aelita yelled at him, glaring at the arrogant man with contempt.

"Well you two disrespected me, and the rule is that those who disrespect the Sensei get punished. So if that means blocking you two from the mountain, then that's what I'm gonna do." Texen replied.

"But I was born here, you just arrived here a few minutes ago! I refuse to be bossed around by a punk like you." The young woman continued ranting, before coming up with a clever idea. "How about we have a battle? If we win, you let us through to Carotos Mountain."

"A battle…? Hmmmm…how about no? I'm in no mood to battle a complete loser like you." The arrogant man taunted her, stretching his arms in the air before wrapping them around his "hunnies". "That Julius fellow though, I'll be more than happy to battle him."

"What's the matter? Are you that scared of losing to a woman?" Julius taunted, staring at Texen as he noticed the faintest of eye-twitches. "Gotcha…" He whispered to himself.

"Oh, you wanna play Mr. Big-Shot then? Fine, but here's my terms; if I win, then you two are banned from this place, permanently!" The orange-haired man snapped.

"Let's make this interesting; I'll be using one Pokémon, while you get a full team of six." The young man gambled, with Texen chuckling confidently.

"It's a deal! My gym's still under construction but getting to the arena is still possible. Don't take too long, I wanna crush you in this lifetime." He commented, hopping off the couch and made his way to the back of the house.

"Are you crazy?! You just put yourself at a major disadvantage!" Aelita told the young man off, an annoyed expression on her face.

"No need to worry, that punk is all bark and no bite. I'm just making things fair for him." Julius smirked confidently, a question forming in his mind. "Come to think of it, we never did ask him where the Eldest was."

"I could tell that he wouldn't have a clue. And even if he did, it's not like he would've told us. Come on, we can find her later; we've got some asshole to punish!" The lilac-haired teen replied, yanking the young man's wrist and dragged him with her to confront Texen. As they left the room, a sudden flash of light emanated from the kitchen, with Cera and a pair of maids soon appearing inside the room, as the freshman from before noticed the trio.

"H-Hey, are you those strippers Texen had hired?" He inquired, with Cera shooting him a most viciously glare. "E-E-Evidently not." The man replied, bolting from the room in fear as the maid looked around the room, frowning at what she saw.

"Tch, disgusting youth." She muttered in contempt, tossing a half-full beer can in the bin.

"It's a shame that the young ones here tarnish their souls with such debauchery." The maid on the left chimed in.

"Quite so. For now, we shall keep an eye on those two trainers. They're the key to freeing Lady Angie from her prison." Cera replied, the group of three making their way to the back of the house, hoping to keep themselves hidden from their targets.

 **0000**

Walking through the door, Aelita recoiled in a mixture of shock and horror at the extent of the renovations. What was once the home of her father had turned into some cheap gymnasium, with several stone statues and fitness equipment lying about without a care in the world. Even Julius was a little shocked at what he saw; Texen must know some people in high places if he was able to get this much work done in such a short time. But evidently, the renovations weren't quite done yet, given the presence of construction workers walking around the room

"Look, I know that what I'm about to say won't help that much, but I'm sorry that you had to witness such a cherished place get torn before your eyes." Julius offered his condolences.

"It's fine, I'm just focused on what we're gonna do. Even if you do crush him in battle, there's no way he will let us in, hence why I'm thinking of a way to deal with the issue." Aelita replied, the young teen thinking quietly to herself as she pressed her hand to the wall, an idea forming into her mind. "That's it!"

"Oh, what do you have in mind?" The young man inquired.

"With all the renovations that took place here, it's highly likely that they had to dig quite a bit into the mountain. Now, given what I know about this place the last room should be able two stories high from the starting room. But I assume you want to know your task in all this; it's simple, be as rough as possible during the battle." She proposed, a confident smile on her face.

"I get it, if we can't go through the normal way, then we make ourselves a way in. That's a clever idea, Aelita!" Julius replied, a question soon forming in his mind. "But how do you know that we won't get swept up in a lava flow or something?"

"Simple, we check the walls in his room. Not only will the heat let us know if there's a lava flow behind it, but we'll be able to confirm its durability." Aelita answered, a determined expression on her face. "Well, let's not keep him waiting, you've got a battle to win."

"Yeah, this is gonna be fun!" The young man smirked, the duo quickly walking through the room and ignored the annoyed expressions on the workers faces, the latter muttering to themselves about impatient kids these days. After walking through a couple of incomplete puzzle rooms, they soon found themselves inside the main arena, with Texen standing over on his side with a smug grin on his face. However, rather then engage in meaningless trash-talk with him, both Aelita and Julius pressed their hands against the back wall and began feeling it up.

"…What the hell are you two doing?" The orange-haired man asked, a mystified expression on his face.

"Call it a good luck charm; it's what we like to do before taking part in a gym battle." Aelita replied, as she and Julius moved slowly to the side, their hands pressed up against the wall.

"So you get some sick satisfaction from touching my walls? I've got something else that I'm sure you'll love touching, babe." Texen leered, a perverse smirk on his face.

"I'm pretty sure you lack the thing that you want her to touch, hence the need for that extravagant party back there." Julius chimed in, causing Aelita to begin chuckling to herself loudly as Texen began glaring at the young man.

"Good one Jules—H-Hey, I feel warmth over here!" The lilac-haired girl called out, her hand pressed up on a portion of the wall around 10 or so inches from a Machamp Statue in the corner. "Hey Texen, just how far have you dug into the mountain exactly?"

"Wh—What?! Why are you asking these meaningless questions right now?! I've got some punk to crush in battle!" He snapped back.

"Just answer the question, mate." Julius replied calmly, the orange-haired man sighing in annoyance before yielding.

"Fine, it's about two stories high and half a mile deep. Happy now?" He answered bitterly, a smirk forming on Aelita's face.

"Hah, that's nice and perfect then. Alright then you two can have your battle now, I'll just stand back and watch the fireworks." Aelita replied, stepping back from the wall and shot a wink at Julius before both combatants made their way to their sides.

"I've met some strange people in my life, but you two would have to take the cake. I have no fucking idea why you did that wall shit, and truth be told, I just don't care. Now send out your lone Pokémon so I can blow it away!" Texen called out arrogantly, resting his hands on his hips.

"Alright then, if that's what you want to do, I'll be happy to indulge you. Yatagaryu, teach this creep a lesson!" Julius called out, sending out the Stormbringer Pokémon as it let out a low roar.

"Pitiful, but I expected things to go down this way. Machoke, let's crush this wannabe!" The orange-haired man called out in response, the Superpower Pokémon emerging from its ball and flexed before the serpentine dragon, the latter shooting an unimpressed gaze at its foe. Quickly taking to the air, the Yatagaryu flew through the room at quick speeds with Machoke taking a defensive stance to brace for an incoming impact. Soon enough, the dragon swung its tail at Machoke, the Superpower Pokémon crying out in shock as it crashed into the wall Aelita was touching before, sliding down to the bottom before collapsing onto the floor, unable to continue battling. "Y-You got lucky there; H-He was just tired from…moving those statues in here. Y-Yeah, that's it!" He spouted excuses, recalling his Pokémon before quickly selecting another one.

"Is that so? Then perhaps this is the one that'll defeat me?" Julius inquired.

"Yes, my Hariyama shall make mince meat of you and your Pokémon!" Texen retorted, the Arm Thrust Pokémon emerging from its ball and clapped its large hands together. It soon waddled over towards a pile of rubble from a few statues that broke during construction and began lobbing the pieces at the Yatagaryu, whom nimbly dodged the incoming barrage with grace and finesse while charging up draconic energy in its mouth. Once it got a chance, it unleashed its energy at the Hariyama, the bulky Pokémon moaning in pain as it was flung back a few feet and crashed into the wall. Texen was taken aback by how quickly his Pokémon were being defeated by this no-good upstart before him.

"What's the matter Texen, cat got your tongue?" Aelita taunted, poking her tongue out at him.

"Argh! He got lucky with that critical hit there, but my Emboar would make him regret pissing me off!" The orange-haired man snapped back, sending out his next Pokémon as the large boar snorted arrogantly at its foe. Setting its fists alight with the flames surrounding its neck, it rushed recklessly at its foe and swung its arms wildly, the flames grazing Yatagaryu's body as it hissed back in annoyance. Flying back into the air, the Stormbringer Pokémon took a hold of Emboar and raised it into the air, the large pig's eyes widening in fear as it struggled fervently to free itself from its foes grasp, only for the serpentine dragon to fling it towards the wall. The Mega Fire Pig Pokémon hollered in fear as it crashed into the wall, leaving a large indent in the wall as it collapsed to the ground.

"Oh dear, three Pokémon down already? I guess you're not as good as you say you are…" Julius taunted confidently, his words getting under Texan's skin as he recalled his Pokémon.

"Y-You have an overpowered Pokémon on your field, hence why you're getting these cheap wins. No matter, my Toxicroak will put you in your place!" The orange-haired man retorted as he sent his Toxicroak out, the Toxic Mouth Pokémon croaking confidently at its foe. Expanding the rubbery sac on its mouth, the bipedal frog spewed a stream of unsanitary sludge at the Yatagaryu, the noxious fluid staining its regal plumage as the dragon took the time to clean itself. However, while it was doing so, the Toxicroak landed a surprise strike from behind, the Stormbringer Pokémon crying out in surprise as it was flung back a few feet. Now annoyed at the frog for interrupting its preening, the Yatagaryu charged up electricity in its horns and fired a bolt of lightning at its foe, the Toxicroak crying out in pain as the electricity coursed through its body. A few seconds later, the attack ceased, the Toxic Mouth Pokémon standing weakly on its legs before collapsing before the serpentine dragon.

"And another one bites the dust!" Aelita quipped, with Texen growling as he recalled his Pokémon. "If you want, you can spare yourself the humiliation and yield to Julius."

"Hell no! I'm a graduate from Axis University, I don't yield to some nobody!" He retorted, not wanting his pride to get crushed by these upstarts before him. "Ah, this'll do nicely. Scrafty, let's teach this punk who the REAL bay boy around here is!"

The Hoodlum Pokémon emerged from its ball and shot a condescending stare at its foe, hoisting its pants up before spitting at the Stormbringer Pokémon. Scrafty then proceeded to waddle to its foe as it hopped on the ground in small, quick steps before leaping high into the air and pointed its leg at Yatagaryu, landing a direct kick on its head as the serpentine dragon staggered back a few feet, shaking its head to regain focus. Gazing at its foe, it began charging up another Dragon Pulse in its mouth, the ball of draconic energy growing as Scrafty opted to stand its ground and try reflecting the attack back. Soon enough, the serpentine dragon fired its ball of energy at the Hoodlum Pokémon, the latter grappling it and attempted to push it back, only to get swept off its feet and get sent flying to the back wall, crashing into it as a few small cracks started to form on it. Texen let out a quick gasp as he saw his Scrafty fall to the ground and crash land on it, knocked out from the direct attack.

"What's your fucking deal mate?! Your attacks have done a number on my room, MY ROOM! How am I supposed to defeat that busted-ass dragon of yours?!" He ranted, recalling his Scrafty and quickly rummaged his pockets for his last Pokéball.

"Maybe you should've spent some more time training instead of throwing trashy parties." Julius suggested; a smug smile etched on his face.

"Training? Hah, I was the top of my class back at university; my Infernape's power easily decimated my opponents. How about I give you a little taste of it, see how much you like it." Texen boasted, sending out his ace Pokémon as the Flame Pokémon posed confidently before the Yatagaryu. The fire monkey proceeded to scramble up the left wall and began climbing on it as the Stormbringer Pokémon fired another Dragon Pulse in beam form, the stream of energy chasing the Infernape as it left a trail of destruction all over the room. The Flame Pokémon soon leapt towards the right wall to dodge the attack before lunging at its foe, assaulting the Yatagaryu with a barrage of swift punches and kicks, the dragon letting out a sharp cry of pain as it was flung back towards the wall. Staring down the Infernape, it began charging up a high amount of electricity in its body, the horns on its head sparking with static charges as the Flame Pokémon stepped back a few feet to avoid any stray bolts. A few moments later, the Yatagaryu unleashed a wicked bolt of lightning, striking Infernape head on as it cried out in pain, the stray bolts striking all over the room with Aelita narrowly dodging a bolt. Once the Stormbringer Pokémon had ceased its attack to catch its breath, it watched the fire monkey fall to its knees, before collapsing face first to the ground.

"Woo! Way to go, Jules!" Aelita cheered, getting back up off the ground as Texen recalled his Pokémon, a look of horror etched on his face as he let out a strangled scream of rage.

"What the hell is wrong with you?! You trashed my room, my Pokémon, and my pride! Are you actively trying to kill me, because if so, there's no damn way I'm letting you two into the mountain!" He ranted, glaring daggers at the two trainers. "Good lord, are you fucking insane!"

"Well personally, I think he improved your room. I mean those cracked walls look so…amazing, don't you think Julius?" Aelita replied slyly, shooting a look at the young man.

"Yeah, I think it suits you well Texen; a reflection of your personality so to speak." Julius replied back, the duo snickering under his breath.

"Since you two chucklefucks love the mess you made, I'm sure you would love cleaning it up. After all I have a nice outfit for—" Texen began, before he was soon cut off by the room shaking uncontrollably, the trio standing their ground as they maintained their footing. "D-Did the room just shake back there?"

"I think I'd move if I were you…" The lilac-haired teen suggested, taking Julius wrist as they moved to the left side of the room, with Yatagaryu following suit. Texen shot the duo a strange look before he felt an uncomfortable heat emanating from the back wall, the young man realising what it was as he quickly ducked to the left as well, the back wall crumbling to pieces as a stream of lava flowed out of the hole and into the room, through thankfully the door to the previous room was durable enough to keep it in.

"M-My gym! What did you two do to my gym?!" The orange haired man ranted, standing up to glare viciously at the duo.

"Well, Aelita and I figured that we could brighten up our lives a little, so we did just that." Julius replied, petting his Yatagaryu as a reward for its efforts back there before recalling it.

"Although I must say…more than our lives have been brightened up…" Aelita added, barely keeping in a chuckle as Julius saw what she was referring to and struggled to not burst out in laughter. Texen, confused at what they were talking about whipped out a personal hand mirror and brought it to his face, recoiling in horror when he saw that his hair was on fire.

"AHHHHHHHHHH! HOLY SHIT, MY HAIR IS ON FIRE! SOMEBODY, DOUSE MY HAIR ALREADY!" He cried out in fear, bolting out of the room without a care in the world, the two trainers laughing loudly to themselves.

"Hahahahahahah! Oh my god, I know I shouldn't be laughing, but its so damn funny!" Julius yielded, cradling his aching stomach as Aelita kept him from falling over.

"That was very funny indeed, but we can't loiter around here any longer; we've got a stone to find!" The lilac-haired teen replied, the duo making their way through the hole in the wall and back into the depths of Mount Carotos.

 **A shorter chapter than before, but it serves as a nice breather from the last one. I know some people may not like how easily Julius swept Texen but given how easy the first battle against him was, I hope I reflected it well enough. Anyway, thank you all for reading my story, I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	29. Chapter 29

**Evil-Mech Lord Apex: Thank you for your comment, and while I do love the idea of Julius being paired up with Aelita, I promised the original author of this fic that I'd pair the MC with Melia when I adopted the fic, even though it is stated that Melia and Venam are a canon ship. Still, it does add the challenge of writing a realistic love triangle, so it has that going for it.**

 **Guest: Julius is around the same age as Melia and Venam, I apologise for the confusion regarding character ages. As for the usage of Tandor Pokémon, well the original author of the fic wanted me to keep them in when I adopted it.**

 **When we last left off, Aelita and Julius successfully dealt with Texen and stepped inside Mount Carotos to search for the Magma Stone. But with Cera and her maids shadowing the group, it'll be a race against time on who can retrieve the stone first.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Stepping into the dark, sweltering interior of Mount Carotos brought back memories of the duo's initial journey into its depths. Memories of how their mission to rescue Keta ended in tragic failure upon witnessing his noble sacrifice to save them from Madelis and her Shadow Mewtwo. However, both trainers have grown significantly since their initial trip here and are more than ready to deal with whatever gets thrown in their path. Soon enough they found a nearby elevator, with Aelita walking up to it and pressed a few buttons, only for a small frown to form on her face when it didn't respond to her inputs at all.

"…As I expected, with the damage done to the base following our initial trip here, it's no wonder that this thing isn't working." She commented, looking around the vicinity before her eyes rested on a second elevator perched on top of a ledge a fair bit away from them. "Hey, I never saw that elevator on our initial trip here. Perhaps we should try it out just in case."

"I don't see why not. Shall I be the guinea pig this time around?" Julius offered politely, with Aelita giving him a quick nod as the young man made his way to the ledge and climbed up it, before pressing a button on the elevator and saw the door opening slowly. "Looks like we hit paydirt!"

"In that case, let us see where it leads us." The lilac-haired teen chimed in, eagerly climbing up the ledge and hopped inside the elevator alongside Julius, watching the door close slowly as they soon descended to the whatever unexplored depths awaited them. "Hey, Julius? I want to ask you something; a-are you proud of me?"

"Well, yeah. I've seen you grow up into a most capable trainer within the few weeks I have known you; I'm sure your father would be proud of you as well." The young man answered, noticing his friend shivering slightly on the spot. "D-Did I say something to offend you?"

"No…you didn't. I thank you for your kinds words." Aelita gave him a small smile, wiping a tear away from her eye. Around half a minute later, the elevator soon ground to a halt, the door opening as the duo stepping out and were greeted by a refreshingly cool breeze, something why neither of them expected at all.

"Now this is a lot better than the stuffy heat back there; I could take a nice nap here, had it not been for the dire situation we're in." Julius sighed in content, stretching his arms out as his eyes soaked up the sights before him. "Hey look, there's a small opening over there!"

"Yeah…unfortunately, it's blocked off by some rubble. Oh well, we can always move the rocks aside." The lilac-haired teen pointed out, the duo briskly walking to the opening and began moving the smaller rocks aside. However, a few minutes later, they were confronted with a sight that made Aelita sigh to herself in frustration. "Great, looks like we found another one of those SEC Drones from before."

"Didn't we defeat all his copies during our initial trip?" The young man pondered, a clever idea forming in his mind. "Since this fourth copy was never mentioned to us back then, that means SEC might not recognise us; I could get that complimentary Xen pudding I was promised!"

"Glad you got your priorities straight…" Aelita commented, a bemused smirk on her face as the machine before them vibrated in the dirt before rising up to greet them.

*Yaaaaaaawn…* "Who turned on the lights?" SEC inquired, awakening from his slumber as his eyes rested on the familiar duo. "Ahhh…well isn't this a fun treat; who'd have thought I'd get to see Mr. and Mrs. Slick again?"

"SEC, it's nice to see you again. May we have some of that complimentary Xen pudding, please?" Julius requested, the machine calmly gazing at the young man.

"Hmmmm…well I'd like to sport, but with the bases' destruction, the entirety of our Xen pudding has gone up in flames. I guess you're going hungry this time." The machine answered, a comically happy smile on his face as he saw Julius let out a groan of despair before curling up into a ball and laid on the soft dirt floor.

"Pudding aside, I was surprised to see you as well, considering how you said that the third copy was your last one in Carotos." The lilac-haired girl chimed in, with SEC's attention turning towards her.

"Hahaha, I lied back there. I didn't want you to destroy ALL of my copies in this mountain. So I kept one of myself hidden from you all, an act of self-preservation you know." SEC replied.

"Well I hate to say it, but you're kinda in our way. We need to go through that opening you're blocking." Aelita commented, an intrigued look appearing on the machine's face.

"Oh…am I now? Do you want me to grow a pair of legs and move? Sorry to say, but SEC has no ability to do so." He answered, poking his tongue out on the monitor. "So SEC advises you to give up and go home, or find another entrance. Either one is fine with me."

"Sorry, but that's not happening." Julius replied, recovering from his minor bout of sadness and got back onto his feet. "Either you form the ability to move, or we forcibly detach you from that spot."

"Ah, so neither of you have changed whatsoever. That's fine, neither have I!" SEC shot back, his monitor now showing a flashing Pokéball. "In that case, SEC will obliterate you morons with one final attack! An attack that has long been coming for you two!"

"Don't worry Julius, I can handle this chump! Blaziken, stand by for battle!" Aelita called out, sending out her Pokémon as a Pokéball shot out from the slot on the machine top, the device opening as a Sawsbuck emerged from it. Staring down its foe, it lowered its head and kicked up some dirt with its hoof before charging at the Blaze Pokémon, the latter dodging the attack and used its leg to sweep the deer off its feet. Quickly getting back up on its feet, the Season Pokémon let out a quick bellow of anger, daring Blaziken to attack it which the large chicken was more than happy to do. It lunged at its foe, dodging the incoming balls of dark green energy coming its way before assaulting the Sawsbuck with a series of punches and kicks, the deer crying out in pain as it was flung back a few feet. Realizing that it was clearly outmatched, the Sawsbuck retreated from the area, leaving SEC confused as Blaziken huffed to itself in a pleased manner.

"What…? B-But SEC put in everything, why SEC still lose?" The machine asked himself, a distressed look forming on his face as he turned to look at Aelita. "How could you?! SEC pours his heart out to you and this is what you do?"

"All you had to do was move, and we would've left you—" The lilac-haired teen began, congratulating her comrade before recalling it back to its ball.

"But nothing! SEC has nowhere to go! SEC has been evicted from the premises three times before this! How long must SEC go without a home? Do you wish death upon lonely ol SEC?!" He rambled, his eyes darting side-to-side wildly as his grief consumed him.

"Look, I don't wish death upon you; that honor goes to someone else. But we're both in an inconvenient position right now since we need to go through that opening behind you." Julius attempted to calm the machine down, however from the sudden stick of dynamite that popped out from the top, his words fell on deaf ears."

"Fine, if you want SEC to go then SEC will go!" SEC huffed, before a winking smirk appeared on its monitor. "But know this, this isn't the last you've seen of me, oh no. Be it tomorrow, or next week, SEC will see you again!"

Taking heed to his words, both trainers quickly ducked behind some cover as a low _boom_ echoed throughout the area. Peering from behind the rocks, they saw the all-too familiar pile of scrap scattered by the entrance.

"Finally, I was getting tired of that guy." Aelita sighed in relief, getting up off the ground and brushed the dust off her outfit. "Well then, shall we see what awaits us?"

"Yeah, anything to get my mind off my lack of Xen pudding…" Julius replied quietly, sighing to himself as the duo stepped over the scrap and walked through the opening, only to get taken aback by the bizarre sight before them. Laying right before them was some sort of grassy wasteland, the grass teeming with various Bug and Poison type Pokémon who were happily enjoying their new habitat. The once brown cave walls were now a variety of greens and blues, with some strange flowers growing from the small cracks that plastered the walls. "W-What the hell is this?! This is the last thing I expected to see."

"Carotos is supposed to be a beautiful mountain filled with water, but now it's just a toxic wasteland. This has to have been caused by Team Xen damaging the local ecosystem with their artificial magma; come on, let's go through this place as quickly as possible!" Aelita suggested, the young man nodding in agreement as they quickly walked through the cave. The duo took extra care to avoid any puddles of dirty water and the grass so as to not get attack by any of the wildlife who made this place their home. After a few minutes of traversing the dank cave, they soon found a wooden ladder leading down into the darkness. But before either trainer could inspect the ladder, a mysterious voice echoed throughout the room, causing them to be on edge.

"My, my, sister. Where could these two children be heading? Somewhere important I presume." A feminine voice echoed throughout the area, a flyer appearing on the floor as Cera and her two maids appeared before the trio. "Well, well; we meet again, Julius. I see your lechery hasn't changed a bit, based on that new girl you're dragging along." She smirked at him, the young man sighing in annoyance.

"H-Huh?! Who are you three?!" Aelita exclaimed, a look of bewilderment appearing on her face.

"The one in red is Cera; Angie's personal brownnoser. As for the other two, well there not that important so you can just call them Maid 1 and Maid 2." Julius answered, frowning at the familiar adversaries.

"Maid 1 and Maid 2 are Deborah and Esther respectively, but I didn't expect you to care about their names." Cera replied bluntly, unamused by the young man's comment. "It's your fault that our Master, Angie, has fallen to a fate worse than death."

"Had she just left me and my friends alone, then none of this would've happened in the first place. If anything I did you all a favour by freeing you from her reign!" The young man retorted, a hint of vitriol in his voice as he soon clasped his head in pain. "Ack! The pain she and her hellish dimension have caused me still lingers."

"Perhaps it is her punishment for opposing her vision. We shall obtain the Magma Stone before you and free her; where she will punish you for your foul crimes against her." The head servant retorted back.

"Pffft, in your dreams! We're gonna be the ones who walk away with the Magma Stone!" Aelita declared boldly, an amused smile soon forming on Cera's face.

"Is that so? In that case, why don't we have a little race to see who gets it first?" She replied, with Deborah soon noticing a strange, arcane symbol on the floor, a symbol that upon a closer inspection, Julius was able to recognise it.

"Sister, are you familiar with this strange symbol on the floor?" Deborah inquired.

"Why yes, I am familiar with this symbol; it is the markings of the Garufa civilisation." Cera replied as she and Esther turned to stare at the symbol.

"It is filled with holy magic; one can only wonder what lies beneath us." Esther commented, eyeing up the symbol in awe and intrigue.

"E-Excuse me, but we're gonna leave no while you stare at that symbol, ok?" Aelita stated, with both her and Julius slowly making their way to the ladder in silence, only for Cera to notice this as she whispered something to Deborah. Nodding in agreement, the maid used her power to conjure up a set of crystals throughout the room, with one of them blocking the hole with the ladder.

"Alright then, time fore a little game. I've placed special crystals around the room and you have to break them in order, which is signified by their color. Clear crystals can't be broken, but the coloured ones can. It's a fun little game I played when I was a child." Deborah smiled at them.

"Well we would, but you blocked the ladder down with your game so we can just ignore it and leave you here." Julius countered, only for Cera to smirk back at the young man.

"Stuck you say? You know that flyer we used to warp to this position?" She began, promptly snapping her fingers as the trio warped themselves out of the room, causing the young man to scoff in frustration.

"Damnit!" He hissed, kicking a small rock into the crystal blocking the ladder. "I can't believe I let them get one over me."

"Relax, we can get this little game done and dusted quickly, especially if we split up to find the crystals and break them." Aelita calmed the young man down, resting her hand on his shoulder as she soon spotted an amethyst-coloured crystal on a small ledge. "Besides, I already see the first crystal we need to break."

"Yeah, that's a fair point. In that case, let's get cracking!" Julius agreed, the young man back to his cheery self as they separated from each other to complete the game quickly. As the room wasn't all that large, they were able to spot the crystals easily, with the duo going from crystal to crystal and shattered them with a fist-sized rock. Though the process was tedious, they managed to shatter all the other crystals within a few minutes, making their way over to the one blocking the ladder and smashed it effortlessly. "Phew…that's my workout for the day." The young man quipped.

"Look on the plus side, we should be able to catch up to them if we're quick enough." The lilac-haired teen replied, the duo quickly scrambling halfway down the ladder before jumping off from it, their feet coming into contact with…sandy terrain? They looked around the area and saw that the cave interior was drastically different from the area above them. Instead of a wasteland like before, the cave now took on the appearance of a desert, with coarse sand all over the place. Additionally, there were several crystals sticking out of the walls, similar to the ones they had to break earlier.

"What is with this cave?! It has so many different areas that it feels as though it's not of this planet." Julius called out, his mind utterly confused by what he was seeing.

"I know what you mean; there's no corruption from upstairs in this area. As a matter of fact, it feels so empty and desolate that I question whether the Magma Stone is here or not." Aelita replied, stretching her arms momentarily. "Well we may as well take a look around here while we can."

Agreeing to the idea, the duo explored the deathly silent cave before them, their eyes darting side-to-side as if expecting another surprise ambush from Cera and her maids to stop them in their tracks. After clearing the first room, they found themselves in a much larger room than before, with several openings on the walls beside a larger opening, several flights of stone stairs enabling access to said openings. Taking their chance with the central opening, the duo stepped through it and found themselves in a long hallway, walking gallantly down the hall and stopped before a massive set of doors on the wall. There were a few Garufan symbols etched onto the doors, as if they were put there to help keep whatever was behind them locked up, although the doors were opened very slightly.

"Woah, wonder what's behind these doors." Julius commented in an intrigued tone, stepping closer to the doors so he could inspect them.

"If we're lucky, the Magma Stone is behind these doors. If not, then I don't think I want to know what's behind them." Aelita joined him, inspecting the doors as well, only for a set of footsteps to echo throughout the hall, causing the duo to turn around and stare at the guilty party.

"Evidently you finished that little game quicker than I anticipated…" Cera commented dryly, the older woman and her maids stopping before the large doors. "So, the path down this hall ends here."

"I sense great power beyond this door; power that Lady Angie will use to cleanse this ailing world." Esther chimed in, attempting to peer through the narrow opening but wasn't able to see much. "Those markings on the wall though…they signal the end of the protection spell placed upon this settlement. I dare say what whatever lies beyond the door has faced the corruption we saw earlier."

"Corruption or not, we must enter it; I can feel heat from beyond these doors. We must check all the areas with magma if we are to find the Magma Stone. And since we're beneath the Earth's crust, any magma we find will be naturally formed. This increases our chance of success tenfold." The head servant commented, gazing at the young trainers. "However, we cannot have you meddling in our affairs again."

"And what are you going to do, waste our time playing another round of 'Break the Crystal'? Because that was an exercise in sheer tedium!" Julius retorted, with Cera chuckling at the young man in contempt.

"Why bother with such trivial games when I can just slip a flyer behind this door?" She smirked, waving it carelessly in the air before quickly slipping it through the crack in the door. "There we go; this race was fun while it lasted, but now we've got to go."

"H-Hey! Wait up!" Aelita called out to them, lunging at the trio as they warped away from the area causing the young teen to crash into the ground. "Great…just what are we going to do now?" She sighed, picking herself up off the floor and brushed the dust off her body.

"Well, perhaps we could try our luck with the Eldest. She seems rather knowledgeable about this sort of thing; besides we did come back her to catch up with her." The young man suggested.

"Hey yeah, that's a great idea. Come on, let's not keep her waiting!" The lilac-haired teen smiled, the duo turning their back towards the door and quickly bolted out of the cave without a care in the world.

 **Sheridan Village**

Having exited out of the normal way to enter the cave, the both of them were surprised to see that none of Texen's flunkies were skulking around the entrance. However, the strangled rantings coming from the outside arena explained the guard's absence. Pacing side to side in a frenzied manner was Texen himself, his hands covering the burnt remnants of his hair as he began screaming at the Eldest.

"I want those two banned, you here me?! Banned, banned, banned, banned!" He demanded, pointing his finger at the elderly woman.

"While you are the new leader of Sheridan, you do not have the right to ban Aelita and Julius." The Eldest replied in a calm manner, not at all intimidated by the young man's hostile attitude. "Both of them were here long before you were even put into power. They would have to do something incredibly wrong to warrant a ban."

"They have, my fucking hair is gone!" The orange-haired man retorted, thrusting the burnt locks in his palm at her.

"Your hair will grow back in time. Personally, I don't think it's that great of an offense to warrant a ban." The older woman replied, only to let out a cry of surprise as Texen grabbed her by her jacket collar.

"Listen here; you're the Eldest of this village, which means that you're supposed to be my BITCH. You listen to me and do as you're damn told!" He snarled at her, his eyes blazing with fury.

"And that's where you're wrong. I'm your advisor, not your spineless yes man." The Eldest calmly retorted, refusing to back down before the impudent brat.

"Then what good are you for?!" Texen snapped, pushing her into the river before storming back to his house. Eyes widened in shock and horror, the duo quickly ran down the river and into the heart of the village, where they saw the Eldest making her way to the river edge as Aelita helped her get out.

"Eldest! Are you okay? Are you hurt or anything?" Aelita frantically asked, with Julius going through his bag and brought out a towel before handing it over to the elderly woman.

"Well it was certainly an experience, I tell you." The Eldest replied, accepting the towel and wrapped it around her body to warm herself up. "But I am unharmed. I thank you two for expressing concern over me."

"That's good to hear. However, I not so sure that little punk will be fine once I'm done with him." Julius spoke lowly, his mind concocting punishments to inflict on the foul-tempered bastard who took over this once peaceful village.

"How could you let Texen become the Sensei? Don't you have a say or anything?!" The lilac-haired teen asked urgently.

"I do, but I agreed to the terms. No one else fit the bill, and he didn't seem all that bad when I first met him." The elderly woman attempted to calm the young girl down, but it didn't seem to work.

"No one else fit the bill? What the hell are you saying, that I'm not good enough to lead this village?!" Aelita rose her voice once more, not wanting to believe what she was hearing.

"If you're upset or angry because I didn't choose you, then don't be. I think you'd be a most wonderful Sensei. However, the reasons I have for not choosing you I'm unable to divulge at this moment." The Eldest answered, her answer leaving the duo with more questions than before.

"Look, we can talk about this another time in private. Right now, we may need your help. Are you, by any chance familiar with the Garufa?" The young girl answered, a horrified expression soon forming on the Eldest's face.

"Where did you learn of that name?!" She demanded, a look of concern in her eyes.

"Aelita and I found what could be a Garufan Settlement deep within Carotos Mountain. We believe what we're looking for is held behind a set of large doors deep within the sanctum." Julius explained.

"The Garufa were an evil civilization that toyed with black magic and used Pokémon as tools in their wicked sacrifices. Whatever it is you're looking for is most likely cursed with their magic; I will not help you retrieve such a thing." The Eldest stated, narrowing her eyes at the duo.

"Please, Eldest. We need your help; the Magma Stone is behind there and we desperately need it to rescue our friend! Without it, she'll…she'll…" The young man pleaded, getting onto his knees and begged the older woman.

"I've lost several loved ones to the evil curses they used to protect their territory. I refuse to lose anyone else to their dark magic." The older woman stood her ground, refusing to budge one bit.

"But if we don't get the Magma Stone, we'll lose a lot more people. It's not the sort of thing that's worth risking. All our friends are counting on our success; I refuse to let them down! And it's not as if I need protecting; I can take care of myself just fine! I'm a small piece of something even bigger; a group of friends fighting together to save the region. And isn't that what Sheridan Village is all about; small things coming together to become stronger? So please, if you can help us…then help us!" Aelita made her case, standing boldly before her elder in a display that impressed the young man. Seeing the determination in her eyes, the Eldest let out a quick sigh before conceding to her.

"…You're right. I should stop being so overprotective of you. I'll help you but promise me this; once you've gotten your stone, I don't want you to involve yourself with the Garufa ever again." She requested, with the younger trainers sighing in relief.

"Thank you so much Eldest, I promise to stay away from them!" The lilac-haired teen pledged, an overjoyed expression on her face as Julius sighed in relief over the good news.

"In that case, shall we go together?" The Eldest offered, the two trainers nodding in agreement as the trio began their trek back to the depths below.

 **0000**

Having taken the easier route through the cave, the trio stepped back into the Garufan Settlement…only to find a lone Xen grunt standing aimlessly in the middle of the room, his back facing the group.

"What the…what's Team Xen doing down here?" Julius inquired, his words having alerted the grunt who abruptly turned to face them. "I don't know how you found this place, but we're going to kick you out now!"

"P-Please, wait! I-I don't want to fight you!" The grunt pleaded, a look of fear in his eyes as he raised his hands in surrender. "T-The name's Tommen. Can't we settle this peacefully?"

"Oh really? And why should we trust you? For all we know, you could be stalling for time as a back-up squad ambushes us from behind." Aelita eyed him up suspiciously.

"Because all of my Pokémon are unable to fight right now; I can't defend myself." Tommen stated his case. "I've been leaving notes all over this cave; haven't you seen any of them?!"

"No, neither of us have seen these notes." Julius answered bluntly.

"Does any of this matter at all? I just want to get out of here!" The Xen grunt called out. "If you three found a way down here, then surely there's a way out, right?"

"True, however we came down here to deal with things. We're not leaving until we finished our duties here." The Eldest stated, with Tommen sighing in defeat.

"Alright, I'll help you three. What do you need?" He relented, gazing at the trio.

"How could a Team Xen grunt help us? I doubt you'd be able to do anything about that large door in the hallway." Aelita replied in a passive-aggressive manner.

"As a matter of speaking, I could help you out with that. See, I've been living down here for quite some time now. I've read whatever books they left behind that I could understand; that door can only be opened by two levels on the opposite ends of this room. Both levers must be pulled at the same time, and they must be held open. I can tell that you don't trust me, but I have no reason to double cross any of you." Tommen explained how the doors work, the trio quickly whispering among themselves before coming to a conclusion.

"Fine, we'll put our trust in you. But if you betray our trust, it'll be the last thing you'll regret." Julius warned the Xen Grunt, glaring at him as the grunt gulped in fear.

"D-Deal." Tommen replied uneasily; his gaze fixated on the top two rooms in the large settlement. "Each of those two rooms has one of the levers I mentioned, one of you would have to stay behind and pull the levers with me."

"Unfortunately, I am unable to do so. My brittle bones wouldn't be able to pull on the lever for an extended period of time. Besides, I would never be able to forgive myself if some unspeakable danger attacks you from within those doors." The Eldest said, taking a quick glance at Aelita.

"I see…" The lilac-haired teen replied, turning towards Julius. "Please, make sure nothing bad happens to her. Like she said, I would never be able to forgive myself if something bad were to happen to her."

"You can count on me, Aelita. I'll shoot you a text on the CyberNav when we're by the door, giving you the signal to open it." The young man promised, the group heading towards their respective posts as Julius and the Eldest made their way down the dark hall and stood before the doors.

"If you told me two weeks ago that I'd be underground in an ancient settlement, I wouldn't have believed you. I'm simply too old for this." The Eldest engaged in a little small talk in order to break the ice. "But I have to do this as a promise to Keta, and an old friend of mine."

"I see. As I promised Aelita, I'll keep you safe from harm, even if it puts me in peril." Julius replied, shooting a quick text on his CyberNav as the doors before them started shaking and slowly creaked open, a blast of hot air escaping from its confines. "Ack, this heat… it's incredible. Well I guess, we shouldn't stand around here twiddling our thumbs. Let's get going, alright."

Agreeing to the idea, the duo quickly made their way through the doors and stepped into the hidden chamber that awaited them. As the young man had expected, the chamber was just as corrupted as the cavern resting above the settlement, the grass all dry and crackly from the intense heat residing in this chamber. A few feet away from him was what he could deduce to be the charred remnants of the flyer that Cera slipped through the door earlier. Julius' inner musings were soon interrupted by the ground quivering beneath his feet, as if something major was happening further in the room.

"This tremor…I sense a great power being the one behind this. Preparations would be highly recommended before we continue." The Eldest suggested, wiping a bit of sweat off her forehead.

"Thanks, but I already prepared myself before entering the chamber. I'm all good to go." Julius replied, before he heard what sounded like a weak groan of pain. Their instincts kicking in, the duo quickly walked down the stone path, only to see the bodies of Deborah and Esther lying on the path, multiple wounds covering their bodies.

"W-Wait…don't go any farther…" Deborah weakly called out to the duo, with the Eldest kneeling before her to determine her condition, the grim look on her face telling Julius all he needed to know about their chances of survival. "Neither of us knew what was behind those doors when we slipped the flyer through it. As we speak, Cera is fighting off that beast as hard as she can but I fear that she won't make it. Just turn back you two…it's not worth risking your life to obtain the Magma Stone…" The maid let out a final gasp before passing on from this world.

"So my senses were true, something powerful does rest here. We best be on our guard while we're in here; it could strike at any time." The elderly woman stated, offering a silent prayer for the fallen maids as they continued down the murky halls, the sound of someone letting out a frustrated cry as they threw a Pokéball at whatever they were facing, a series of quick dings indicating that the capture was successful. The duo soon found themselves in a small room of sorts, a shrine of sorts overlooking the area as they climbed up the stairs and saw Cera standing by a stone plaque, panting in exhaustion as her hand tightly gripped a Pokéball, possibly the one she used to capture her foe.

"Hahah…hahaha…" She laughed slowly, gazing maniacally at her ball. "Finally, I have tamed the beast that dwells within this cave. The same beast that killed Deborah and Esther; I hate this beast with all my rage and wish to make it pay for its crimes!"

"Well maybe if you didn't invade it's home, then perhaps your friends would've lived to tell the tale." Julius chimed in uncaringly, the head servant turning to face the duo.

"Who are you to tell me such things?! I bet if your friends were slain by this beast, you'd want it to pay in blood. Isn't that what caused your mind to break back there; my master "hurting" your friends?" Cera snapped at the young man, glaring at him in anger and contempt.

"What happened to your friends is a tragedy, but you must've let anger course through your veins; it'll lead you down a path you cannot return from." The Eldest attempted to reason with her, but it wasn't working at all.

"Spare me your sanctimonious sermons; you've all been a constant thorn in my side, especially you Julius! Before I leave this place, I'll make sure that your sinful life ends here!" The head servant cackled wickedly, throwing her Pokéball to the ground as it quivered momentarily before it cracked open, the colossal form of Groudon emerging from it and let out an almighty roar.

"M-My word! T-That's the legendary Groudon. It was hidden within Carotos this whole time?" The Eldest stepped back in shock at the sight of such a creature.

"Yes, the ancient beast that lives deep within this Garufan Chamber is the legendary Groudon. Mind you, I prefer Ice type Pokémon as that is what Angie uses, but I suppose Groudon will do. With this beast by my side, there's no way I can fail!" Cera began, pointing directly at Julius as she struck a pose. "In the name of Lady Angie…die!"

"It'll take more than that to scare me; Escartress, stand by for battle!" The young man declared, sending out his first Pokémon as the large sea snail gazed calmly at its imposing foe. Though its Water attacks wouldn't be as effective due to the intense heat within the chamber, at the very least it should be resistant to all of Groudon's moves.

The Groudon initiated the offense, smashing its sharp claws into the cavern walls as sharp rocks fell down from the ceiling towards Escartress, the Fortress Pokémon withdrawing into its shell and solidifying it in order to withstand the relentless barrage. Once the rockslide had concluded, the sea snail poked its head out from its shell and fired a powerful stream of water at the massive foe. As the young man had expected, the heat had weakened the attack a fair bit but it was still strong enough to push the Groudon back a bit. Now annoyed at the snail before it, the Continent Pokémon drew in light from an unknown source, with Julius' eyes widening in shock as the massive Pokémon spewed a powerful Solarbeam from its maw, the attack striking Escartress head on as it let out a cry of fear before crashing into a nearby wall and slid down to the ground, unable to continue battling.

"Agh, sorry about that…" He apologized to his fallen friend, recalling it as he pondered the situation laid out to him. With the sudden reveal of Solarbeam, it was no longer safe to hastily send in another Water type; if he wanted to win this battle, he would have to hamper it's offensive capabilities and he had just the perfect plan to do so. "Dramsama, let's give our foe a nice long rest, shall we?"

The prideful Masquerade Pokémon emerged from her ball, only to recoil in disgust over the wretched cavern before her. Disgust soon turned to concern once she turned to face the Groudon, however one quick look in her trainers' eye told her all she needed to know about his plan. Mustering up all her courage, she gazed at the Continent Pokémon, her vibrant tail feathers glowing as a hypnotic wave soon echoed throughout the room and caused to Groudon to become drowsy. Cera could only look in a mixture of shock and anger as her Pokémon soon drifted off the sleep, the beast of legend soon whimpering in its sleep as it was assaulted by the nightmares Dramsama had conjured up.

"What is the meaning of this?!" The head servant demanded.

"I figured that it'll be a fool's errand to try and match Groudon's immeasurable strength, so I opted to go for an underhanded technique. After all, there's nothing in the handbook that says my strategy's illegal." Julius retorted confidently, with Dramsama slithering up the sleeping Pokemon's back and pressed her tail feathers on the back of its head, siphoning its dreams in order to deal additional pain to the Groudon. However, the young man knew that sooner or later it'll awaken from its slumber and deal a most devastating counterattack, which is why he needed to form a back-up strategy to further weaken it. And as he predicted, the Continent Pokémon soon woke up from its nightmares, letting out a pained roar as it flung its head back and sent the Masquerade Pokémon sliding down its back. Shooting a quick look of determination at Julius, Dramsama conjured up a few ghostly balls of fire at the Groudon, with the latter stomping its left foot onto the ground as a series of sharp blades of stone emerged from the ground and struck Dramsama, the Masquerade Pokémon letting out a cry of pain as it was sent flying toward Julius' feet and crumpled into a pile, the young man shielding his Pokémon from any further harm.

"There, there, it'll be alright. You did a great job out there." He consoled his friend, recalling her back to her ball as he took another look at the Groudon. Its body was now covered in several burns as a result of the ghostly fire, and its morale was shattered as a result of the crippling nightmares it endured. All Julius needed to do was send out a strong enough Pokémon, and the battle will be over. "Navighast, let's put an end to that beast!" The young man called out, the ghostly pirate emerging from its ball and chuckled in a light-hearted manner.

"Hah, do your really think that thing can defeat Groudon?" Cera asked incredulously, eyeing up the Pokémon before her.

"I don't think; I know it can defeat Groudon. Let's try out a Leaf Blade, shall we?" Julius requested, the Captain Pokémon sporting a goofy grin as it ran its sword through the nearby foliage and pick it up before swiping at the Groudon, the large beast roaring in pain as it staggered back a few feet. Slamming another clawed fist into the cavern wall, the Continent Pokémon created another rockslide to crush its foe, only for the crafty ghost to bob and weave through the falling rocks, its sword cleaving the occasional rock in half. Once it got the opportunity to strike back at its foe, the Navighast gathered spectral energy in its blade and hid within the shadows, the Groudon wearily eying up its surroundings as it searched for its foe. Soon enough, the ghostly pirate emerged from within Groudon's own shadow and struck its jaw with a Shadow Claw, the Continent Pokémon letting out a roar of surprise as it staggered back and fell onto its back, the massive Pokémon no longer able to continue battling.

"Hahahah! How'd you like that?" The young man called out, giving his Navighast a hi-five as Cera stared at the fallen Pokémon, the faintest of laughter escaping her closed lips.

"How…how could a beast of legend lose to some perverted sinner like you?!" The head servant began ranting, a manic look slowly forming in her eyes.

"All Pokémon, be they legend or not have their limits. They are not sources of limitless potential and energy. Even a Pokémon like Groudon will have to rest before it can battle once more." The Eldest answered in a calm, collected manner.

"S-Shut your mouth, heathen! You know nothing, nothing! You're nothing in the eyes of the lord, Arceus! I am its faithful servant and I will be rewarded for my loyalty!" Cera retorted, breaking down into a fit of laughter as she clasped her head with her hands, unaware that a nearby pool of magma began bubbling, a fist sized stone breaking the surface and slowly floated to the shore. Recalling his Pokémon, Julius slowly made his way to the pool making sure that Cera wasn't looking at him before picking up the stone, the young man wincing in pain as he quickly took a cloth out his bag and wrapped it around the stone before putting it back in. Shooting a quick look at the Eldest, Julius got back onto his feet and helped the elderly lady walk back out the chamber, the head servant recovering from her temporary fit of laughter as she soon realised what the young man had done. A deranged, desperate look in her eyes, she soon disappeared and reappeared behind the Eldest, grabbing her from behind as she pushed the young man away.

"D-Don't move!" Cera spluttered, bringing out a small pocketknife from her apron pocket. "G-Give me the Magma Stone, o-or else I cut the old woman!"

"You're a coward you know that? A worthless, pathetic coward. I'm sure Arceus would be most disappointed in you." Julius narrowed his eyes at her in contempt.

"S-Shut up! We can do this the easy way, or the hard way. Give me the Magma Stone, now! I will do all that I can to free Lady Angie from her prison, even if it means killing a defenceless old woman." The head servant demanded, glaring back at the young man.

"Julius, don't do it. You went through all this trouble for that stone. Aelita and your friends are counting on you to save them, right? Besides, I don't have that many years to live; it was a good and meaningful life while it lasted." The Eldest called out to him, as the young man was stuck in a most dire dilemma. Either he relinquishes the stone and render this trip a waste, or he breaks a promise he made to Aelita, one that would end with blood on his hands. Just as he thought that all hope was lost, a third option soon formed in his mind; it was a plan so deceitful, so cunning that it would outdo all the cunning plans that history had created.

"Alright, alright. No need to get hasty, I'll give you the stone, ok?" The young man promised, reaching into his bag and began rummaging through it quickly, pulling out the clothed stone as Cera's eyes lightened up with joy.

"Yes…that's a good boy. Hand it to me!" She demanded, freeing the Eldest from her grasp as the elderly lady hobbled over to Julius, a forlorn look in her eyes as the young man whispered something in her ear and looked towards the exit.

"There you go, pleasure doing business with you." He smiled, handing the clothed stone over to her as he quickly joined the Eldest in escaping the chamber, quickly snatching something out of his bag and pocketing it before zipping it back up.

"If only he was this cooperative back then—" Cera began, unwrapping the cloth as a look of horror soon appeared on her face. There, resting idly in her hand was an ordinary Fire Stone wrapped up to hide its appearance. This man; this deceitful, lecherous weasel had pulled a fast one on her. Watching the young man usher the Eldest out the chamber, she let out a strangled scream and lunged at the man, pinning him down as she dug into his pocket to retrieve the Magma Stone. Not wanting to let her get the last laugh, the young man gripped onto the stone as hard as he could and engaged in a tug-of-war with her. The struggle lasted for a few moments before the stone split into two, with Julius' half being considerably bigger than Cera's. Eyeing off her portion of the Magma Stone, the head servant quickly warped out of the area, leaving Julius on his own as he ran out the chamber and reunited with the Eldest.

"Are you okay, young one? For a moment I thought the worst had happened." The Eldest replied, with the young man brushing himself down as he inspected the broken Magma Stone in his hand.

"Unfortunately, Cera managed to break a piece off the stone during the struggle. But since hers is fairly small, it shouldn't be as effective as the piece I have." The young man replied, pocketing the stone as the duo walked down the hallway and back into the settlement. Upon re-entering the area, they saw Tommen standing there on his own for some reason.

"H-Hey there, did you get what you were looking for?" The Xen grunt inquired.

"Yeah we—hey, where's Aelita?" The young man asked, with the grunt shrugging his shoulders.

"I dunno, I just let go of the lever a moment ago. I haven't seen her." Tommen replied, the Eldest eyeing him suspiciously as she made her way to the room she was stationed in, with Julius following right behind her. Upon entering the room, both would receive the fright of a lifetime as they saw Aelita lying still, her eyes closed as if she was simply sleeping on the ground.

"Aelita!" The Eldest cried out in fear, kneeling beside the young teen as she tried waking her up from whatever befell her. Julius, upon hearing somebody else enter the room immediately snatched them up, pinning them against the wall.

"Talk! What did you do to her?!" The young man demanded, glaring at the Xen Grunt.

"W-W-What are you talking about? I-I was holding the lever the entire time!" Tommen defended himself. "A-All the boom said was that the two levers would open up the heart of the beast and that if its anger was quelled, so shall the souls of both beings who pulled the lever."

"You mean to tell me that the consequence of calming the beast was an eternal coma, and you didn't think to mention this at all?!" The Eldest snapped at him, turning to glare at the Xen Grunt who stared wide-eyed at her before breaking free of Julius' grip and exited the room, fleeing for his life as the two trainers watched him leave. "Oh, forget about him. We've got to bring Aelita back to Sheridan. I'm so sorry Aelita; I failed you, I failed Keta, and I failed Vi—had I listened to my gut feeling, none of this would've happened." The older woman commented, cradling the comatose teen.

"No, it's my fault. Had I not been so insistent on getting the Magma Stone, this wouldn't have happened." Julius apologised, resting his hand on Aelita shoulder as he helped the Eldest lift her up.

"Now that you have the Magma Stone, I pray that what we gain can offset what we lost by tampering with the Garufa and their cursed magic. Come, let us return to Sheridan so we can bring her back home. I vow to spend the rest of my time protecting Aelita. After we bring her back, you must let your friends know of the sacrifice Aelita made to protect you all." The Eldest requested.

"I will…I will." The young man promised, wiping a small tear away as they two began the slow trek through the cave towards Sheridan Village, their hearts heavy with grief.

 **Another chapter done and dusted. I wanted to take an interesting spin on the 'Keep it' option regarding the Magma Stone, so I hope it's to your liking. As for the Mount Valor arc, well it'll take the next two chapters to finish it with the chapter after that being the Gym Battle with Amber and a nice little something at the end. What is it you ask? Well you'll find out when the time comes.**


	30. Chapter 30

**When we last left off, our heroes managed to recover the Magma Stone, but at a most terrible cost. Now Julius begins his quest into Mount Valor alongside his friends to rescue their allies from Team Xen's wicked clutches.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Having done his duty and helped the Eldest bring the comatose Aelita back to her home in Sheridan Village, Julius began the long, lonely trek back to Kristiline Town in order to thaw the frozen building and obtain the TM that he and his friends have been fighting so hard just to obtain. On his way there, he began pondering to himself on just how he would break the news about Aelita's condition to the others; they already have a lot on their plate with Nim and Amber being captured by Team Xen, all the news would do is further crush their already fragile spirits. It was a matter of precise timing on when he'd tell them everything regarding her noble sacrifice, but only he could determine the proper timing. After a couple hours, he eventually arrived back at Kristiline Town and made his way to the TM Shop, where he took the mostly intact Magma Stone out his bag and pressed it up against the Nevermeltice. At first, it appeared that nothing was happening, with Julius mentally cursing that wretched Cera for breaking the Magma Stone during their initial scuffle, but soon enough the ice started thawing, with small cracks forming in it as the ice soon shattered after a minute. Once the young man had cleaned up the broken ice, he knocked briskly on the wooden door to the shop, with someone peeking from behind the curtain before opening the door and saw that they were now free.

"Were you the one who freed us from our icy prison?" The elderly man inquired, with Julius nodding briefly in confirmation. "Thank you very much, young man."

"It's no problem. Now then, I wish to conduct some business with you; I've heard whispers about you possessing the TM for Magma Drift?" Julius requested, the elderly lady behind the counter perking up in attention.

"That old thing? Excuse me for a moment." She requested, entering the storage room in the back and began rummaging around for a minute. Once she was done, she made her way back to the counter and placed the TM on the counter, gesturing at the young man to come towards here. "Here, it's on the house."

"A-Are you sure? Because I'm more than happy to pay for it." The young man replied, picking up the device to inspect it.

"Consider it a thank you gift for freeing us from the ice. Besides, its not like anyone was going to buy it anytime soon." The old man reassured him, with Julius giving him a quick glance before accepting the gift.

"In that case, I thank you very much. Perhaps in the future I might check out the rest of your inventory." He replied, giving the elderly couple a quick wave before exiting the shop and made his way back to Tesla's Villa. However, as he arrived at the door he saw Melia get up on her Togekiss as if she wanted to fly away, with Venam bursting out of the balcony door to confront her.

"Melia, there's no need to act so rash! Why don't you take a quick rest? It'll help recharge your batt—" Venam began.

"Sorry, but there's no time to be napping. There are things I need to take care of on my own." Melia knocked back her offer, a determined look in her eyes.

"On your own? We'll get it done together; you, me, Julius and all the rest. We're friends and we stand with each other until the bitter end!" The purple haired teen declared, with the blonde briefly glancing at her before closing her eyes and turning away.

"Venam, if you're my friend…then don't follow me." She replied, quickly flying away from the villa as Venam was left with a dumbfounded expression on her face.

"H-Hey! Don't leave us on our own, there's no need to be this selfish!" Venam cried out, huffing to herself before storming back inside the villa. As she slumped down on the couch in annoyance, Valarie, having overheard bits and pieces of the conversation entered the room to check up on her as Julius entered the building and quickly ran up the stairs to join the duo.

"Venam, what was that all about?" Valarie inquired a puzzled expression on her face.

"It was the oddest thing; I turned around to go get her some water, and the next minute I see her leaping out of bed and running towards the balcony." Venam recalled her version of events. "No doubt she's heading towards Mount Valor to rescue the others on her own."

"Had she waited around for another minute or so, I would have given her the TM she needed." Julius chimed in, flashing the device at the duo.

"Ah…so you were successful in acquiring it." The older woman mused to herself, as a thought popped into her mind. "Then again, I don't think going in the normal way would be safe."

"Come again?" The young man inquired, dumbfounded by what she just said.

"Think about it; Team Xen knows that our only hope of reaching them is via the front entrance, which is blocked off by that lavapit. What's to say they haven't placed a booby trap beyond the entrance?" Valarie explained her case, further confusing the young man.

"But they wanted us to exchange Melia for Nim. Surely they wouldn't jeopardize their mission by doing something so risky." Julius protested.

"This is Team Xen we're talking about; they're the dirty bastards who got us into this situation in the first place." Venam retorted, an idea soon forming in her mind.

"Perhaps Crawli can help us find a back entrance; he knows this island like the back of his hand!" She deduced, quickly snatching Julius by his wrist. "Come on Jules, we're gonna have a chat with Crawli and he's gonna let us in whether he likes it or not!"

"O-Ok." He replied, taken aback by Venam's abruptness as Valarie called out for the duo to stop.

"Wait! Let me check your CyberNav for a moment." She requested, snatching the device from the young man's belt and began fiddling with it, before handing it back to him. "There you go, I wanted to make sure you had Saki's number on it."

"Saki's number?" Julius asked, taking a look at his device and saw that he did have her CyberNav number on it, alongside Venam's, Melia's, Valarie's, etcetera.

"She had just finished building her machine that she touts as "her greatest invention of all time" and requested that I inform you about it. Should you ever come across something that needs her finesse to deal with, just give her a call and she'll be there in a jiffy." The older woman informed the young man.

"In that case, tell her I said—Yargh!" Julius began, letting out a quick cry of surprise as Venam quickly dragged him outside the villa and towards their destination.

 **Kakori Village: Pokémon Ranger HQ**

Having used the warp pads that Venam had "fixed" earlier on to arrive back into town, the duo quickly entered the main hall and made their way through the gym, with Julius informing her about the leap of faith at the end. After they completed the jump, they made their way through the lush habitat inside the cave, past the arena where Julius and Aelita fought side by side, and wound up in what looked like some sort of secret room, a familiar figure jumping slightly in surprise as he turned around and saw the familiar duo.

"O-Oh, it's you two. What on earth are you doing down here?" Crawli inquired.

"Listen mate, we need to find a second entrance to Mount Valor and I think you know where it is." Venam demanded, a hint of urgency in her voice.

"W-Well I'd like to help you, but…" The head ranger began stammering nervously, unsure on how to answer her plea.

"Please Crawli, our friend may be in danger. If you could tell us where it is, we will be eternally grateful!" Julius pleaded, with Crawli gazing at the young man before sighing to himself.

"Fine, I'll tell you. But you must keep this a secret, got it?" He relented, turning towards the back wall once more. "There is an entrance to Mount Valor beyond this cave, but I keep it closed all the time."

"You mean to tell me that you had a hidden entrance this whole time?!" Venam snapped at the man in anger, grabbing him by the collar of his jacket. "We went through hell just to try and enter that fucking mountain, yet you stood by quietly as you knew of a second entrance! We would have avoided so many problems had you just come out clean while we were here!"

"Venam, there's no need to raise your voice. I'm sure he had his reasons for keeping quiet." Julius tried calming her down, yet it didn't seem to work.

"Y-Yeah, I did. I was concerned about any lavaflows that could escape the mountain and destroy the pristine forest down here. I didn't want my friends to be left without a home." Crawli explained his case to the purple-haired girl.

"That may be so, but it still would've been useful information to have. Besides, I don't care if you're scared of opening it; Julius and I have business to do there, so if you'll excuse me." Venam coolly retorted, making her way towards the door, only for Crawli to call out to her.

"Stop! If you open that door at the wrong moment, it'll be game over for us all." He informed her, with Venam giving him a quick look before opening the door anyway and stepped inside. "Sh-She opened it…"

"I don't think anything going to stop here when she's in a mood like this." Julius commented, turning towards the head ranger. "I apologize for her attitude back there, but she really wants to rescue Melia. Keep this between you and me, but I think she—"

"I understand and I accept your apology. Go ahead, save your friend. Just make sure you close the door behind you." Crawli accepted the apology, with Julius bowing his head in gratitude before making his way towards the door and stepped beyond it, closing it behind him. Having entered the mountain, he made his way up and soon rejoined with Venam, who was looking around the area with suspicion.

"I don't see what was so hard about opening that door. I still think he should've told us earlier, so that we didn't have to deal with that bitch Angie. Trust me, that experience screwed with our minds and—" She began, before a sudden tremor caught her off guard, the duo letting out cries of surprise as they managed to keep their footing. Soon enough, a trickle of magma began trickling down a hole and into the ditch beside the door, the young man mentally thanking himself that he had locked it up tightly as Crawli had requested. "Oh…now I see why he was afraid of opening it in the first place. Remind me to give him an apology once we're done, okay?"

"Got it!" The young man replied, the duo beginning their exploration of the mountain, the air brimming with the intense heat coming from the magma. Soon enough, their trek was cut off by a fork in the mountain, with a flight of stairs heading up on the right, and a path cut off by a fairly deep ditch to the left. "Hmmmm…seems like the only way we can go is to the right." He mused to himself.

"True, but there could be something beyond that ditch. After all, Madelis did kidnap Amber and say something about waiting within the depths of the mountain." Venam added, looking beyond the pit. "Hey Jules, mind if you do a bit of scouting for me? Perhaps there's something you can do to fill up this pit or something."

"Alright then, I'll do that for you. Besides, I still owe my auntie for giving me a new home, so I'll do anything and everything I can to save her and Amber. Just give me a quick call on my CyberNav should the path become accessible." Julius agreed, with Venam nodding in confirmation.

"I'll be more than happy to do so. Just don't leave me behind, or I'll ensure you'll never walk again." She stated firmly, the young man paying attention to her threat as he walked down the path to the right and climbed up the stairs.

Having arrived onto the next floor, Julius looked around the nearby area and saw a familiar sight; a few faded crystals embedded in the mountain floor, much like the ones that Cera's accomplice conjured up during her little game in Mount Carotos. As he was about to investigate them further, he was soon alerted by the sound of approaching footsteps, the young man turning to his side and saw an older gentleman walk up to him. The newcomer had brown skin, short silver hair and was of average build and height. His outfit was almost identical to that of the Kakori Ranger's uniform, but his pants were light grey instead of the much darker shade the rangers wore.

"Hmmm? My apologies, but I had expected you to come from the front entrance." The man commented, glancing briefly at the opening behind him, with Julius determining it to be the same entrance that was blocked off by the lava pit.

"So Team Xen did stage a trap beyond the entrance. Well it was foolish of you to break the trap you carefully put toget—" The young man began, only for the older man to raise his hand and offer what looked like a leather pouch to him.

"I have no allegiance with Team Xen. Anyway, you'll want this Emotion Power if you hope to successfully navigate the mountain quickly." He interrupted, the young man glancing at the bag suspiciously before taking it for himself.

"Thanks, but who are you exactly?" Julius inquired.

"You'll find out soon enough. For now, you must defeat the Team Xen agents who have suppressed the crystals' power. That way, you can sprinkle the powder onto them in order to change Mount Valors' mood. Now if you'll excuse me…" The older gentleman explained, giving the young man a quick nod before making his way toward the entrance and stepped outside. Though Julius was still unsure about who he was, he had a hunch that the man could be trusted; pocketing the pouch into his pocket, the young man continued exploring the vast mountain before noticing a Xen scientist observing a large red crystal atop a ledge, with Julius hiding behind a rock to spy on his foe.

"How fascinating…these crystals contain energy that have the power to change the mountain's internal environment, or "feelings" as the local populace call it. Good thing we have the capability to steal and encase that energy; who knows what we could use it for. besides, it keeps those insolent rebels from progressing up the mountain." The scientist spoke to himself, a low chuckle escaping from between his lips as he heard the sound of crunching footsteps behind him.

"Thank you very much for that useful information. Mind if you tell me more nuggets of wisdom?" Julius smirked, confronting the scientist as a low growl escaped his foes lips.

"You! I knew you would try and get in our way." He growled in anger at the young man, who merely shrugged his shoulders in response.

"You only have yourselves to blame; not only did you vermin kill my mother, but you've constantly harassed and attacked my friends, and there's no way I'm gonna let that slide." He retorted, bringing out a Pokéball as the older man laughed dryly at Julius.

"Hahahaha! Me, challenge you to a battle? No thanks, I know all about your repeated success against our forces; battling you would be a waste of effort. I'm gonna report this to our higher-ups; rest assured they will crush you swiftly!" The scientist commented, walking away from the crystal and down a narrow gully as Julius inspected the crystal momentarily before sprinkling a pinch of powder onto it, the mountain quivering in response as a look of fear soon appeared on the scientist's face. "W-Wait! You shouldn't have activated tha—ARRRGGGHH!"

Julius could only stand by and wince as streams of lava filled the gullies inside the mountain, the stench of burnt flesh permeating the air as the scientist was cooked alive by the lava inside the gully he was in. "Ahhh…that was a bit too brutal for my liking." He commented, covering his nose to protect himself from the foul stench in the air. He took the time to check his CyberNav for a message from Venam, but didn't see on pop up. Realizing that this meant a path hasn't opened up yet, Julius continued his exploration of the mountain, hopping onto the small stones that floated atop the lavas surface so as to not fall in and end up like that man from before. Though the heat was getting to him, the young man let out a sigh of relief when he saw another large crystal on a ledge, this one a dazzling dark blue. Quickly checking the coast for any patrolling grunts, he walked quickly towards the crystal, taking out another pinch of powder and sprinkled some onto it, the mountain quivering and quaking once more as ice cold water streamed out the same holes the lava came from and doused it. The once unbearable heat became a frigid cold wave as snow soon started to form on the mountain floor and walls, the lava slowly getting replaced by the icy water. The young man was puzzled by what he saw, questioning how such a thing was even possible when his CyberNav started vibrating, with Julius picking it up and raised it to his ear.

" _Glad you got this, Julius. I don't know what you did, but water started pouring into the pit a few moments ago. Looks like we can cross over it now."_ Venam informed him over the phone before hanging up on him. Knowing full well that he had completed the first task at hand, he made his way back down to the fork in order to join up with Venam once more, the young teen gazing at the pool in confusion. "So, Julius. How exactly did you manage to fill the pit with water?"

"Long story short, these pits can be filled with either lava, water or nothing at all depending on the mountains mood. Someone gave me a small pouch of powder that can manipulate several crystals in order to change the mood at will. However, he left before I can ask who exactly he was." He explained his side of the story.

"I think I get what you're saying, but I don't know how such a thing is possible." She replied.

"I don't either, but that can be figured out at a later time. Right now, we've got more pressing matters at hand." Julius said, the duo crossing the pit of water and walking down the flight of stairs to the lowest level of the mountain. There, the duo found themselves in a fairly large cavern, a deep pool of water separating the duo from Amber and Tesla, who were sitting atop a fairly high ledge overlooking the pool. On the side closest to them was Madelis, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited for Melia to arrive for the exchange.

"I-If we d-die here, I-I just wanna say so-sorry for saying all those terrible things back there…" Amber apologized to her mother, shivering from a mixture of the cold and fear as Tesla embraced her in a warm hug.

"It's okay, I can never stay mad at you, my precious child." Tesla replied, turning to the side as a smile soon graced her face. "Though you shouldn't talk doom and gloom because guess who came to save us?"

Upon hearing those words, the fiery redhead turned to where her mother was looking at and saw both her childhood friend, and her former friend entering the large cavern. "V-Venam? Julius?!" She exclaimed out loud, attracting the Xen admin's attention.

"Well, well. You've finally arrived. Come to exchange Melia for my prisoners?" Madelis walked up to the duo, a confident smirk on her face.

"Nope, we've got a counteroffer for you. Release your prisoners and we'll let you walk out of here alive!" Venam offered, a smirk on her face as well as she and Julius boldly confronted their treacherous foe.

"Cute, but it's a no deal for me. I asked for Melia, and you failed to hand her over. So I guess I'll have to take them back to Xen Headquarters, where they'll be getting a nice suite in the prison cells, or at least nicer than the ones available at that ghastly resort back there." The redhaired woman coldly answered, only for Julius to chuckle to himself.

"Oh you can do that alright. But how will Madame X feel about you bringing strangers back to her personal hideout? Furthermore, what would happen if Geara and his group find out about your prisoners? They'll start asking questions and before you know it, your little ruse will be uncovered. And I don't think I need to tell you how your superior would react to that, especially after you revealed that your position is in jeopardy. One way or another, you put yourself in-between a rock and a hard place and there's only one way out. Let Amber and Tesla go, and I'll forget this entire thing happened." Julius proposed, the young man fairly confident that his clever plan will succeed in the end.

"A nice plan, but there's one tiny flaw in it; I could just capture you instead. Granted, you aren't as valuable as Melia in the grand scheme of things, but if I bring one of Team Xen's most deadly adversaries to justice, I'm sure Madame X will forgive me for my failures." Madelis countered, glancing briefly at the large pool of water behind her. "Besides, even if you defeat me, there's no way you can defeat what lurks underneath the surface."

"Pffft, like I'm scared of some—" Venam began, before being cut off by the mountain quivering and quaking once more, a large shadow soon appearing in the water. "Wh-What was that?!"

"I-It's that whale again; it's back to finish off what it started!" Amber exclaimed, letting out a quick yelp of fear as the mystery creature leapt out the water, revealing itself to be the legendary Kyogre before it dove under the surface once more.

"Kyogre? Eh, nothing I can't handle." Julius replied, working out how he was going to solve this predicament before turning to face Venam. "Hey Venam, would you mind distracting Madelis for me while I rescue our friends? After all, she was the one who tried to capture Melia back in Gearen City, which laid the groundwork for all the shit we've been through."

"Is that so?" Venam replied, a malicious grin forming on her face as she slammed her fist into her open hand. "Guess I get to deliver some justice for terrifying the one who means the most to me."

"Heh, I'm not frightened of a little upstart like you. I'll capture Julius once I'm done with you!" Madelis retorted, the duo selecting their first Pokéballs and engaged in a battle, as the young man selected two of his own balls and sent out Frosthra and Brainoar, and informed him of his plan.

His friends nodded in agreement, with Brainoar diving into the water and swam towards the ledge where Amber and Tesla were sitting atop, the Sea Basin Pokémon eyeing up the large fish and swam towards it, only for a chilling beam of frozen energy to strike its back. The large whale turned around and stared at the Frosthra in annoyance over the sneak attack, opening its maw as a relentless stream of water gushed out of its mouth, the graceful moth dodging just in time to avoid the powerful attack. Having reached its destination, the Brainoar rose up to the surface, gesturing calmly at Tesla and Amber to climb on its back. The older woman was more than happy to do so, gently encouraging a hesitant Amber to climb on as well, with the Brain Eel Pokémon beginning its escort mission back to the other side. Though it had to stop a few times to avoid any sudden waves as a result of Kyogre's flailing about in the cold water, it eventually arrived at shore and lowered it's head so the two can hop off its back, with Julius petting his friend affectionately as Amber and her mother hugged each other tightly once more.

"Thank you for saving us back there. I-I'm sorry about saying all those awful things to you back there…" The young redhead apologized, turning to face the young man.

"No need to apologize, that's all in the past as far as I'm concerned." Julius brushed her apology aside, recalling his Brainoar. "Besides, of course I would rescue you both; I got to pay off my debt for giving me a new home."

"Julius, there's no need for you to worry about paying off debts and such. Besides, even if such a debt existed, I'd say you paid it off today." Tesla replied, embracing her nephew in a warm hug before slipping something into his jacket pocket. "Here, I managed to swipe this key from Madelis before that Kyogre came to ruin my day." She whispered into his ear

"Thanks auntie, I'll make sure I put this to good use" He smiled back at her, gently patting his pocket with the key in it before realizing that he still had a job to do. "Frosthra, use Freeze-Dry on the water!"

Giving him a quick nod, the graceful moth flew over the pool and began flapping her wings as small ice crystals fell from its wings and landed on the water's surface, the Kyogre realizing what its foe was going for as the water began freezing over. Shooting one last glare at Julius, the Sea Basin Pokémon dove into the water and retreated from the area as Frosthra had finished freezing the water surface in a thick layer of ice, the young man congratulating his comrade before recalling it back to its ball.

"…And that about wraps it up!" Venam smirked, her Seviper standing triumphantly over Madelis' Houndoom as the Xen Admin recalled her fainted Pokémon, having been crushed easily by the respected gym leader.

"Th-This can't be…all that time spent planning my redemption, tossed aside like a piece of garbage." She commented weakly, stepping back in shock and fear as Tesla confronted the Xen Admin.

"That's what you get for kidnapping my daughter!" She retorted boldly, narrowing her eyes at her adversary. "For a supposedly ingenious plan, you made one critical mistake. You had the ability to stun us all and capture Melia there and then, so why did you risk it all just to capture Amber when you could've brought Melia back to your headquarters by now?"

Madelis, now realizing that all eyes were on her sighed and decided to confess to them. "…it's kind of embarrassing to say, but I'm…I'm…I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN!" She called out, clasping her hands together before the Elite 8 member, who sighed wearily in response. "When I heard Melia was at your villa, I thought it was the perfect opportunity for me to get your autograph and all that!"

"Now wait just a fucking minute; you mean to tell me that you put me through all this shit, just for my mom's autograph?!" Amber exclaimed, her voice raised in anger as she glared at her kidnapper.

"Well…when you put it like that, eheheheheheheh…" Madelis chuckled nervously, as if she was a completely different person from the cruel admin that she is.

"Leave, now. I don't want to ever see your face around the resort, again!" Tesla demanded, glaring at the Xen Admin who nodded firmly before turning to walk up the stairs, but not before waving her farewell.

"What the fuck did I just hear?! 'Oh, I know how I'll get my idol to notice me. I'll just fucking kidnap her daughter and hold her for ransom.' Thank god you didn't relent and give her the damn autograph." Venam chimed in, recalling her Seviper.

"The sad thing is that I've heard of worse things that happened." The older woman sighed calmly. "Thank you for saving my daughter, despite whatever bad blood you two may have."

"No worries. True, I may have said a whole lot of things, but there's a difference between saying it, and actually hoping it happens." The purple-haired teen replied.

"That's nice and all but can I go home now? I'm freezing over here!" Amber requested, shivering on the spot once more.

"After what we went through, I don't blame you. I'll see you two soon!" Tesla waved farewell at Venam and Julius, the group splitting up into pairs of two as they went their separate ways. Though the hike through the mountain was long and arduous, the duo had each other to pass the time by engaging in some small talk about random stuff and all that. However, they soon found themselves blocked off by the strangest of obstacles in their path, a brick wall with a pair of Xen grunts patrolling the pathway on the top.

"Well would you look at that, it's Julius and Venam! Luckily for us, we've thought of everything!" The male grunt called out whimsically, outstretching his arms to show off the brick wall. "Behold, the Xen Wall! Now you won't be able to pass by it, or over it!"

"Why on earth would you build a wall inside a mountain?! I've seen some dumb shit, but this would have to take the cake!" Julius exclaimed in awe at the ridiculous sight before him.

"Aw, what's the matter. Did we drive you up the WALL?" The female grunt mocked the duo, laughing with her teammate over the crappy joke as Venam and Julius shuddered over the poor attempt at comedy. "I bet you thought you could just WALLtz right in here? Well, you're wrong!"

"Enough with the shitty jokes already! How were we supposed to be able to deliver Melia to the peak if there's a damn wall in the way, not that we'd ever consider that option." Venam called out, the two grunts staring at her before turning to each other.

"Y'know, she raises a point actually." The male grunt replied.

"Ah, what does it matter? Our scouts saw Melia flying on her own towards the peak, therefore we don't have to let these two fools pass." The female grunt reassured her teammate, turning back towards the duo. "Sorry, but we're not gonna let you pass."

"That's ok, we'll just bust through it." Julius smirked, bringing up his CyberNav and dialed up a familiar number. The two grunts stared at him in confusion before a quick rumble shook the area, causing them to flee in terror. With a loud "Charge!" a blur crashed through the wall, tearing a hole through the brick structure as a strange machine burst through the wall once more and stood before Venam and Julius. It took on the appearance of a four-legged spider with a large spherical body that sported a powerful laser cannon, and a "head" of sorts with three seats on it, with Saki, Valarie, and Adam sitting on top.

"Hahahahaha, that was amazing!" Saki cheered for joy, eyeing up the duo before her. "How'd you like that Julius? It's my latest invention!"

"I'm just glad you got my call, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to pass this wall inside the mountain. Thanks for the assist; your machine's pretty nifty." The young man replied.

"That's nice and all but can you tell her to slow down? I'm feeling queasy over here…" Valarie requested, holding back the urge to vomit as she gripped the arms of her seat tightly.

"I tried telling her not to go so fast, but did she listen? Noooo, it's always about the speed with her." Adam dryly commented.

"Aw come on, I wasn't going _that_ fast." Saki replied whimsically. "Anyway, we've got more grunts to beat up so we gotta fly!" She continued, pressing a button on the machine as it sped off through the mountain, with Valarie and Adam letting out hollers of fear.

"…Well, that was a thing that just happened. Come on, let her have her fun; we've got more important issues at hand." Venam told the young man, the duo walking through the hole in the room and wound up in a secret room within the structure. Noticing a sleeping figure locked inside a cage, Julius spotted a switch near the barred door and flipped it, watching it open as the figure stirred awake and stood up, revealing herself to be Reina.

"Ahh…that was a nice nap." She mused to herself, noticing that the door was open and stepped out the cage. "J-Julius? Thanks for opening the cage for me. I tried flying to West Gearen by I got too close to the mountain and was shot down by Team Xen. They threw me in this cage and locked it up."

"It's best if you leave this mountain now; some serious shit's about to go down, most likely started by us." Venam informed Reina, who nodded curtly in response.

"I see, in that case I'll take heed to your advice. Thanks again for letting me out!" She smiled at the duo, quickly going through the entrance that Venam and Julius had come from as the purple-haired teen turned to face the young man.

"She knew your name; do you two have any history together?" She inquired.

"Yeah, she's Reina, Ren's younger sister. The three of us used to hang out together when we were young." He explained, turning towards the other opening. "Anyway, I'm sure she'll make it out of here on here own, we've got to press on further."

"Right! I refuse to let anything happen to Melia, even if it means risking my life!" Venam declared, the duo continuing their quest through the large mountain.

 **0000**

Though the trek was long, arduous and even a bit tedious at points, the duo had finally stepped into sunlight once more, taking in a deep breath as they stared in awe at the amazing view they have of the entire island. The sky was fairly clear, with only a few clouds in the sky and the temperature was a lot more bearable than the extreme range they endured while inside the mountain.

"Ahhh…it's days like this where I could just sit back and relax." Julius sighed happily to himself, stretching his arms in the air.

"You can have your little catnap once we're done teaching those assholes at the peak a lesson." Venam replied, nudging him lightly in the shoulder. "Jokes aside, I'm glad you didn't just leave me in that room back there while you played the big hero. That would've been a bad fuckin' move, Julius."

"I know, I would've gotten my legs broke…" He commented, with Venam letting out a quick chuckle.

"That would only be the beginning of it; I'd have thrown you down the mountain and break your arms with rocks before you get the chance to crawl away. And then I'll finish off with—" She began elaborating on her threat, before a joint chuckle surprised the duo, putting them on full alert as the crept up a ledge and hid behind a fairly large tree. Sitting casually in a small clearing atop the mountain was Sharon and Eli, the former helping the latter with a few tips regarding the Aevium language.

"Hahaha, that's not how you use that word. Fret not, you'll get the hang of it eventually." Sharon said, unaware that they were being spied on.

"I don't understand…How would I say that…then?" Eli slowly replied, making sure he wasn't making any mistakes.

"You wouldn't, you'd—" She began, before the sound of twigs crunching underneath someone's feet surprised her, the two Xen grunts turning around and saw Venam and Julius confront them. "I'm not surprised I'd see you again at this point, it's becoming awfully repetitive at this point."

"Likewise." Julius retorted, noticing a small entrance behind the grunts. "So are you two going to move, or are you too busy with your other business?"

"Uh…how long you two spied us?" Eli inquired, eyeing them up curiously.

"Close. The proper way to say it is 'How long have you two been spying on us?'" Sharon corrected him.

"Ah, I see. Thanks, Sharena!" The man beamed, his eyes lighting up in joy as Sharon chuckled lightly, ignoring the fact that he got her name wrong, again.

"Look, I'm sure you're nice and all but we don't have the time to be standing around here so if you can let us pass, that'll be appreciated." Venam requested, making her way to the entrance only for Sharon and Eli to block the way.

"I'm feared we cannot do that, girl!" Eli boldly declared.

"Not perfect, but almost there." His partner whispered to him, turning to face the heroes. "But as he said, we're not going to let you get past us, even though I'm sure you'll get by us anyway."

"That's a defeatist stance you're taking on there…why not let us pass if you think that way?" Julius inquired, with Sharon letting out a small sigh as she began forming her response in her mind.

"Had it been that simple, we would've done it a long, long time ago…" She replied.

"It is very simple; all you have to do is quit Team Xen and spare yourself from all this idiocy!" Venam called out.

"You don't know a damn thing about being part of Team Xen!" Sharon snapped back, catching the purple-haired teen off-guard with her burst of anger as she pointed to the 'X' on her uniform. "You see this right here?! It's the mark of death, that is what defines us. By putting on this uniform and holding this sigil on our chests, we have relented ourselves to becoming their disposable tools. We've already had two strikes against us for our failures; losing right here would render us useless."

"A pity, but I suppose it's to be expected. The last thing Madame X wants is for her former grunts to become whistleblowers." Julius mused to himself, staring down his adversaries once more. "All that aside, I guess that means we'll have to force ourselves past you. Venam, you ready?"

"Obviously. I won't let a sorry pair of grunts get in our way!" She replied boldly.

"In that case we'll put a stop to your ambitions, together!" Sharon retorted, as she and Eli selecting their first Pokémon and threw their balls to the ground, sending out a Rhyperior and Tangrowth respectively. "I—We refuse to be thrown away by Team Xen!"

"Huh, you finally evolved your Rhydon, eh? In that case, I better go for Cocancer!" Julius said, sending out his first Pokémon as Venam opted to go for a Gengar instead of her trusty Seviper. The Cocancer was a large crab with a highly durable body, it's back covering in sand, shells and even a fake palm tree to act as a lure to attract its prey. It had six stubby legs and a pair of large claws that resembled coconuts, its two eyes carefully analyzing the enemy Pokémon. Soon enough, it scuttled towards the Rhyperior, its firm claw raised in the air as it swung down hard on the Drill Pokémon, the latter letting out a low growl as it stepped back a couple feet.

Raising its heavy foot in the air, Rhyperior chose to retaliate by stomping on the ground hard, a series of tremors shaking up the nearby area as the other three Pokémon tried to keep their footing, with Gengar letting out a cry of surprise as it fell onto its back. Tangrowth saw this as an opportunity to follow up with a decisive blow and dug its vines into the now cracked ground, hoping to ensnare its foe into its grasp. However the Gengar was able to recover in time, chuckling mischievously to itself as it leapt into the air and spewed a wave of toxic sludge from its mouth, the noxious fluid poisoning the local plantlife as the Vine Pokémon shivered in pain, stepping back and slipping on the sludge before falling on its back. The Drill Pokémon turned its head abruptly and saw its comrade fall on its back, enabling Cocancer to scuttle towards it as fast as its short legs can carry it, leaping into the air to slam its glowing green claws onto Rhyperior's back, the bulky Pokémon roaring in pain as it was sent falling to the ground and collapsed beside the Tangrowth.

"W-We can still win, yes?" Eli inquired nervously, the two Xen grunts recalling their fainted Pokémon as they studied their foes carefully.

"I-I'm sure we can come out on top, especially since we've got this are our disposal." Sharon replied, albeit it a little hesitantly, the duo moving their hands to their latest captures and sent them out. Venam raised an eyebrow over the sight of her foes choosing a Gyarados and Milotic respectively, wondering what they had in store for them.

"Don't let your guard down, Gengar. They could have a surprise in store for us." She warned her friend, the Shadow Pokémon eyeing up its foes carefully as it awaited their first move. Almost instantaneously, the Milotic coughed up a noxius green ball of sludge at Cocancer, the viscous fluid oozing all over its body as the large crab shivering from the toxin entering its body. Meanwhile, the Gyarados began quivering its body in some sort of frantic dance to heighten its spirits before lunging at the weakened crab and snatched it up in its maw, its ice-cold fangs piercing its back as the Cocancer hissed in fear and pain as its stubby legs were flailing around in the air. The Gengar, seeing the predicament its teammate was in charged up a ball of electricity and shot it at the Gyarados, the large leviathan writhing in pain as the shock caused it to loosen its grip on Cocancer as it fell onto the ground, the Beach Pokémon unable to continue fighting.

"You did well, Cocancer. Return." Julius complimented his companion, recalling it to its ball as he began pondering on who to send out next, before it dawned on him. "Alright Vilucard, time to teach these two a lesson!"

The all too familiar Villainous Pokémon emerged from his ball, striking a dramatic pose before gulping in fear at the sight of the Gyarados, the weakened sea serpent glaring at the much smaller Pokémon. Shaking his head to get back in the game, he quickly scrambled up a nearby tree and began firing a small barrage of sludge bombs at the Milotic, who managed to swat a majority away with her tail but was struck by the remainder, with Gengar opting to use Thunderbolt on Gyarados once more, the large leviathan thrashing in pain once more before slumping down to the ground. The Milotic, angry at the Gengar for defeating her teammate channeled all her energy and fired a chilling beam of ice at the ghost, the attack striking it head on as the Gengar started at it with glowing red eyes before falling on its back, a spectral form emerging from its body and dove towards the Tender Pokémon. It phased through the Milotic, causing her to let out a weak cry as she collapsed onto the ground shortly afterwards.

"I should've known it'll go for that move…" Sharon sighed wearily to herself, recalling her Pokémon alongside Eli before they opted to settle things with their aces. Letting out a last-ditch battle cry, the duo sent out their trusty Mismagius and Honchkrow with Venam recalling her own Pokémon before settling with her Sevpier, the large serpent hissing at the enemy Pokémon.

Glancing briefly at each other as if they figured out each other's attack plan, Vilucard and Seviper gave each other a quick nod before lunging at their respective foes, with the Villainous Pokémon jumping atop Honchkrow's and began smacking the back of its head repeatedly, the Big Boss Pokémon narrowing its eyes at the cat bat begore picking up speed in an attempt to shake its opponent off its back. While this was happening, the Seviper was slithering in the grass, avoiding any Shadow Balls the Mismagius sent its way before lunging towards it and sank its sharp fangs into it. The Magical Pokémon then let out a shrill cry, the serpent flinching in shock as it let go of its foe and coiled up in order to block out the oppressive sound, enabling the ghost to counter with another Shadow Ball which sent the Seviper skidding back a few feet. Amused over her minor victory, the Mismagius let out a small chuckle before it was soon struck by the falling Honchkrow, the latter having been dealt an especially hard smack from Vilucard. Quickly making its way back to its partner, both Vilucard and Seviper agreed to deal the finishing blow, the duo rearing back and unleashed a unified Sludge Bomb, with neither the Honchkrow nor the Mismagius able to dodge in time as the dual attack struck them head on and sent them flying into the rock wall above the entrance. There, the slowly slid down to the ground before collapsing into a heap, neither of them able to continue battling.

"Even when we try our hardest…we still can't defeat them…" Sharon mused sadly to herself, an unsure look in Eli's eyes as they both recalled their Pokemon before the young lady began laughing quietly to herself. "Hahahah…I don't even know what I expected when I challenged you two. It was foolish of me to think that we'd win just because I gained some motivation!"

"Sherin, it's okay…calm down please…" Eli attempted to calm his partner down, only for her to turn his way with a defeated look in her eyes.

"I can't calm down, we both know what happens next. You know what happens when a Xen grunt fails several times." She replied, quickly eyeing up the edge of the cliff before running towards it, with Eli following in hot pursuit. Both Venam and Julius had a sinking feeling about what she was going to do and opted to follow the pair, only to see Sharon stop right at the edge.

"S-Stop! Don't do that, Sharien!" Eli requested desperately, watching her edge closer and closer.

"What choice do we have?! I've heard horror stories about how painful the deletion is; I'd rather end my life here than go through such a thing." Sharon retorted.

"Now, now. There's no need to do anything so stupid. I-I'm sure everything will be just fine…" Venam attempted to reason with her, though it was evident that this was an unfamiliar situation for her.

"I'm just so tired of this whole thing, I wish they would've left me where I was before. Why'd they pick me for this role when there were so many others who could've done it better than me? I'm not even supposed to be—" Sharon sighed to herself, only for a familiar figure to suddenly appear behind her, causing Venam and Julius to widen their eyes.

"Please spare me the melodrama…" Crescent sighed contemptuously, glaring at Sharon. "You know what they say about people who hesitate? All they need is a little _push_ in their life." She smirked, shoving Sharon with a surprising amount of power as the Xen grunt fell over the cliffside, screaming in a mixture of shock and fear.

"S-SHARON!" Eli cried out in fear, running towards the edge as he watched her fall in a state of helplessness.

"W-What the fuck was that for, Crescent?!" Venam snapped at the mysterious girl, the latter chuckling to herself as she spun around and gazed at the two heroes.

"Well, if it isn't Venam and Julius. I remember you two from Amethyst Cave; back when I informed you about Melia's "death"." She smirked casually. "No need to get angry, I just gave her what she wanted. Besides, its what all these Xen scum deserve."

"Look, I get that Team Xen is evil and all that, but that doesn't mean you can just push them to their death!" The purple-haired teen replied angrily.

"And? How is it any different from what _he_ wants?" Crescent replied, pointing her thumb towards Julius. "As far as I know, he harbors serious animosity towards a certain someone."

"There's just one problem with your comment; there's a world of difference between what he did, and what she did. Besides, even I wouldn't go so far as to do…that to him." Julius answered back.

"Oh really? I assume you'd stand by your beliefs the moment you're presented with a chance to finish him for good? Even if he took everything from you once more?" The mysterious girl pressed the young man, with Julius unsure on how to answer her question. "Your silence speaks louder than words, hypocrite…"

"You're a cruel person, you know that? A cruel, self-righteous bitch!" Venam growled at Crescent, the latter shooting her an uninterested look. "I can tell from her tone that she didn't want to do this at all; she was merely afraid of her current situation."

"Heh, it wasn't about what she wanted, but what she rightfully deserved." Crescent retorted, turning her head to look at Eli, who was on his hands and knees, whimpering inaudibly to himself. "If you're that desperate to see her again, then allow me to reunite you two—"

"Is that a reunion party I hear? High-Ho!" A voice echoed out from below the cliffside, a surprised Sharon flying over the edge as Eli helped her onto her feet, the other three at a loss as to how she survived. They would soon get their answer as the familiar sight of Saki and her machine flew up onto the ground, with dizzy expressions plastered on Valarie and Adam's faces. "Who says they can have a party without me, the guest of honor!" Saki declared boldly.

"For once in my life, I'm glad to see you." Venam commented, letting out a sigh of relief.

"I'm sure Melia would be more than happy to hear about this stunning development." Julius chimed in.

"Yes, and I'm sure she'll be just as happy to see your face after my foot finished giving it a makeover." The purple-haired teen retorted, chuckling to herself in fear as the young man gulped quietly in fear.

"Aw, I'm glad you two are working out this whole relationship thing. Now who's the one throwing lovely ladies off ledges?" Saki inquired, causing Venam and Julius to stare wide-eyed at each other before stepping away, fierce blushes on their faces.

"That'll be me…" Crescent answered, raising her hand in an unamused manner. "Besides, it's not like you saved her by doing this. You've only delayed the inevitable, which is something you people only seem to do. Did you really think her life was worth saving?"

"No shit! Even if she did some bad shit in the past, she should get a chance to atone for her crimes." Venam answered abruptly.

"…It's like talking to a stone wall when it comes to the lot of you. None of you have any idea what's going on, believing everything can be sorted into Good versus Evil, Light versus Darkness. One day, reality would hit you all over the head like a frozen sack of potatoes." The mysterious woman replied, sighing to herself in frustration.

"Then why don't you elaborate on what's going on, because I sure as hell would appreciate this information." Julius requested.

"How ironic that _you_ of all people are at a loss as to what's going on." Crescent retorted, leaving everyone baffled as to what she meant, especially Julius.

"Look, I've had enough of you and your nonsensical droning. It's about time that we disciplined you for your crimes." Valarie called out.

"Agreed, we'll take care of her for good. Julius, Venam, you two keep on going! We'll join you once we're done with Little Miss Edgelord over here." Saki chimed in, with Venam and Julius nodding in response as they quickly made their way up the ledge and towards then cave entrance the Xen grunts were guarding. As they stepped beyond the opening, a question plagued the young man's mind; what on earth was Crescent implying with her last comment directed at him?

 **And with that, the first half of the Mount Valor rescue mission is complete. Given how the upcoming showdown is one of my favorite moments in the entire game, I'll be looking forward to writing it, so I hope you all enjoy it. Thank you very much for reading, I'll see you all next time.**


	31. Chapter 31

**As I promised you all, today is the climactic showdown atop Mount Valor. It'll be one of my longest battles yet, so I hope I do a good job of impressing you all with it. Keep in mind, I'll be very eager to show you the chapter after this one as well, but I'll talk about it when the time comes.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Going beyond the entrance, both Venam and Julius were at a loss upon stepping into the vast room before their eyes; it was like they had stepped into a completely different area. There were large statues of Arceus lining the paved brick road, which lead towards a massive set of locked doors colored blue and pink. The air inside this chamber was…surprisingly pleasant, neither too hot nor too cold, which was strange considering what the rest of the mountain was like. Standing before the doors, facing towards them to inspect them was Melia herself.

"Melia, there you are!" Venam called out, as she and Julius ran up to her with the blonde turning around to face the duo. "We've spent ages searching this damn mountain for you!"

"Venam, Julius. I thought I told you two not to follow me." She replied, a slightly annoyed expression on her face. "This is between me and them, and I don't want either of you caught up in my affairs. After all, I only bring misfortune to anyone who comes close to me."

"Don't go saying that about yourself. True, I may be the last person in the world to tell you not to say stuff like that, but you got me out of that jam so it's time for me to return the favor!" Julius chimed in, a small smile on his face.

"Besides, you think we give a damn about that? We wish to help you out, no matter what we're up against. Can't you just accept the fact that we're gonna stand by you, even at the bitter end…?" Venam added.

"You two…" Melia began quietly, eyeing up the duo before quickly embracing them in a warm hug. "Th-Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me…"

"No need to thank us, you know how much you mean to me." The purple-haired girl replied, eyeing up the room some more. "On another note, do you have any idea what's with this room? It's nothing like the rest of the mountain."

"Well I do have a theory, but it's only based on what I saw back at Mount Carotos. You see those large doors over there? There could be an especially powerful Pokémon kept behind there, a legendary perhaps." Julius proposed to the duo.

"I don't know…if there was a Pokémon of the magnitude you stated, then it would've found another way out. This I'm 100% sure of." Melia knocked back the proposal quickly, almost as if she knows more about that door than she's letting on. "Back to the matter at hand, I have a plan on how we can rescue Nim, but I need you to cooperate no matter what the circumstances are."

"W-We'll cooperate, just tell us." Venam requested, a smile forming on Melia's face as she gestured at one of the Arceus statues, the duo jumping back in surprise upon seeing a perfect replica of Melia walk up to the group.

"H-How is that—" Julius began, before pausing to think it over once more. Soon enough, he figured out how her plan worked and quickly whispered the answer to Venam, who had managed to fit the pieces together upon hearing what the young man said.

"I see you two have figured out my plan; pretty clever if I say so myself." The blonde giggled, gesturing at the second Melia to transform back into its initial form, the Illusion Fox Pokémon letting out a low chuckle.

"Your plan is ingenious, Melia! I knew Zoroark were masters of disguise, but to see it with my own eyes is a sight to behold!" Venam gushed, amusing the young man with her cheery demeanor.

"So I assume you two understand my plan now? If we want to pull this off successfully, we need to do this quickly. I can only go so far with my mimicry before they grow suspicious." Melia said to them.

"Crystal clear, Melia. We won't let you down. I've prepared myself in the event that things go haywire, but let's hope that things turn out for the best." Julius stated, the blonde nodding firmly at him as the group began the final leg of the trip towards the summit. Soon enough, they arrived at the summit and climbed up onto a small ledge, ducking beneath it so that they couldn't be seen. The wind was especially fierce up there as the young man held a firm grip onto the mountainside to avoid toppling over.

"Ok, are you ready?" Melia whispered to her Zoroark, the Illusion Fox soon transforming into its Melia form. "All right. Now go on and make momma proud!"

Nodding firmly, the Zoroark walked up towards the mountain and spotted the four Xen Admins playing a few games of Contract Bridge, with Geara's Giratina narrowing its eyes at its "master".

"Come on, when will she come up here?! I'm sick of playing this stupid game with that cheating bastard over there!" Geara hissed, glaring daggers at Professor Larkspur.

"It's not my fault you were too impatient to listen to the rules." The bespectacled man retorted, playing his last card and added up the totals. "And that looks like another victory for me and Jenner."

"Pffft, whatever. We've had enough fun, now to—" Zetta chimed in, packing up the cards as he soon saw 'Melia' standing before them. "Well there's your question answered, Geara."

"Yes…answered." He replied, eyeing her up before performing a series of quick gestures at Giratina, the Renegade Pokémon huffing to itself before disappearing from view. "Welcome, Melia. It's so good of you to join us."

"Forget the idle chatter; where's Nim?!" 'Melia' demanded, the real one using her voice to give her friend the illusion of speech, though it seemed to be a bit on the loud side.

"Woah there, take a chill pill. No need to start screaming at your teach like that." Zetta replied, trying to calm her down.

"Before we begin this exchange, we want to make sure everything is in order. Don't want to get cheated, you know. After all it's highly likely that you learnt some tricks from that wretched Julius." Larkspur pointed out.

"After all, you wouldn't want Nim to become part of the Earth now, do you?" The blonde man chimed in once more.

"Fine, let's go!" 'Melia' conceded to the request.

"…again with the shouting; you're acting weird, you know that?" Geara inquired. "I mean your lips are moving, but your voice sounds…far away, if you get what I mean."

"I-I came down with a nasty cold the other day. *cough* *cough*" 'Melia' coughed, covering her mouth with her hand. "I-It's making my voice sound funny."

"Hmmm…sounds legitimate. What say you, Geara?" Larkspur inquired.

"Whatever, it's none of my business. Come on, she's just up ahead." The young man replied, the three of them walking off as 'Melia' followed closely behind them, with the real Melia hi-fiving her friends as they crept up the mountain and hid behind a large rock to continue their ruse. Once they were in position, the saw the three admins gazing at Nim, her petrified body hanging precariously over the lava. Melia was a little confused over Jenner's lack of appearance but determined that he was too frightened to confront her again.

"T-That's her right? Bring her to me now!" 'Melia' demanded, glaring at the villainous agents.

"Someone's quite the eager beaver. Take a chill pill and relax, we'll give her to you, once we're through the teleport warp-pad." Zetta replied, gesturing towards a small device situated on a stone altar of sorts. "Now, if you'll be so kind as to follow us…"

"No! I will not go through until you fulfill your end of the bargain!" 'Melia' demanded once more. "How can I be sure you won't destroy her as soon as I step through?"

"I told you to chill out, everything is going to work just fine." The blonde man reassured her.

"Yeah, just lower your voice for once. I'm tired of all your screaming." Geara requested, covering his ears to cancel out the noise. Julius frowned at the scene before him, having noticed that things seemed to be going downhill. But just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, his back was soon struck by a bone-chilling cold, one that he recognized…from the basement of Wispy Tower.

"D-Do you think this is some sort of joke?! Either you hand Nim over or I'm leaving!" 'Melia' screamed at them.

"J-Just hand her over already, I'm tired of her shill screeching!" Larkspur pleaded to his comrades. "Man, how the hell does her friends put up with her?"

The cold draft that soon appeared intensified, causing Julius to turn to face the source and gulp quietly at the sight of a familiar foe. Venam, wondering what had put her friend on edge turned around as well, her face paling upon seeing the terrifying sight of the Renegade Pokémon, glaring coldly at them. "M-Melia…" The purple-haired girl whispered.

"Not now, Venam." Melia whispered back to her, only to see what had put her friends on edge in the first place. Geara, having noticed his Giratina in place decided to spring the trap now.

"You can come out now you three; your little joke's been busted!" He called out, the Renegade Pokémon unleashing a gust of ominous wind that pushed the trio out of their hiding spot, and into the enemy's line of sight. "Giratina, dispose of this worthless duplicate!"

The Renegade Pokémon let out a shrill cry and fired an Aura Sphere at Zoroark the attack striking her head on as it broke her illusion and sent her flying towards Melia's feet.

"B-But how?!" Venam inquired, watching Melia recall her fallen Pokémon.

"Hahahahaha! Did you really think that you can trick me with an illusion? Newsflash, I have complete mastery over illusion!" Geara bragged, puffing his chest out proudly.

"Well that explains why they kept your dumb ass despite your failures." Julius replied snidely, crossing his arms.

"Why don't you go to sleep now? It's past your bedtime and the adults are busy having an important conversation." Larkspur taunted, smirking at the young man but was taken aback to see him standing straight. "B-But how?!"

"For your information, his nightmares are a thing of the past, all thanks to me. Besides, Julius is more mature that you three combined!" Melia retorted. "Then again, it doesn't take much to be more mature than a bunch of pathetic losers like you."

"Heh, quite the sharp tongue. Did your father teach you such things?" Zetta whistled at her.

"You shut your mouth about that man, you slimy bastard!" The blonde teen hissed viciously at him.

"Meliaaaaa, why do you hate me so much? Is this about that whole thing in the forest?" He whimsically replied, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's because of you that my life as a simple girl ended. All I wanted to do was live a peaceful life with my friends, but you wouldn't let me have that!" Melia snapped back at her adversary.

"Please, your life as a normal girl was fake all along. I mean, I would know…" Zetta began, but was soon cut off by his teammate.

"Yal, yak, yak. That's all you two are doing! This isn't some shitty teen drama, you know. Giratina, take care of those pathetic friends of her. I'll take care of little Melly over here."

Shooting a vicious glare at its "master", the Renegade Pokémon screeched loudly at the two trainers with Venam and Julius standing tall before it.

"You battled this thing before, right?" The purple-haired teen inquired, reaching for a Pokéball.

"Yeah, and from the look of things it doesn't appear Geara took care of it that much. A coordinated assault from us should topple it easily." Julius replied, opting to send out his Baariette as Venam chose to send out her Drapion, the two Dark types hissing at their foe. The bipedal ram initiated the offense by lunging at the large dragon and attempted to smack the Giratina's Griseous Orb away, but it protected its treasure with its life and used its wings to push Baariette away. Drapion seized this opportunity to lunge at the Renegade Pokémon and rake its sharp claws down its back, the massive dragon crying out in pain as its body thrashed around violently.

Giratina soon shook the Drapion off it's body and unleashed a series of Aura Spheres to knock its foes away, the two Pokémon letting out cries of surprise as they were pushed back a few feet. Realizing it was time to get serious, the Baariette charged at the serpentine dragon and grabbed it by the tail, using its foes strength to hoist it up into the air and slam it down onto the ground, with the Drapion opting to use a similar tactic, hoisting the weakened Giratina up in the air and chucked it, before jumping off the ground and assaulted with a series of dark slashes once more to send it hurtling towards the ground, causing a large amount of rubble and dust to get kicked up into the air as both trainers shielded their faces. When the dust settled, it showed that their foe was knocked out from the series of attacks.

"Hell yeah! That's what you get for messing with us!" Venam cheered, as she and Julius gave each other a hi-five, their Pokémon doing the same thing. Meanwhile, Melia was forced to step back from Zetta and Geara, realizing that it was unwise to challenge both of them at the same time.

"Heheheh, seems like you didn't need me after all." Larkspur commented, raising an eyebrow at the sight of Venam and Julius joining Melia alongside their Pokémon. "Seems like they were able to defeat your Giratina though."

"Bah, stupid piece of shit had one job and it blew it…" Geara seethed under his breath. "Still, at least I managed to defeat Melia. That ought to be sufficient punishment for being that perfect, overconfident girl who thinks she can pull one over us."

"Hey piss off mate! There's no need for you to say such horrid things about her!" Julius defended her, only for the blonde teen to raise her hand.

"I thank you for your concern, but I can handle this guy myself." Melia eased his concerns.

"Truth be told, I should dunk Nim into oblivion, but I won't since I'm nice. Come with us right now, and we'll forget about this little stunt." Zetta called out as Melia was at an impasse, neither of them aware that Nim was slowly getting dragged to the other side of the pit towards land.

"I…I…" The blonde girl began.

"Don't go, Melia! W-We can still work this out!" Venam pleaded, only for her friend to turn to her, a sad look in her eyes.

"…But what choice do I even have?" She replied.

"Listen to us, we'll fend off those assholes ourselves if you're unable to. That's what we can here for!" The purple-haired teen continued, stepping up in front of Melia with Julius following suit, with Nim continued to be pulled down as Larkspur soon noticed what was going on.

"Y-You two…" The bespectacled man called out to his comrades, the two Xen Admins turning to where he was looking at and saw it as well.

"G-Geara! Nim's being pulled down!" Zetta repeated out loud.

"I know that already!" Geara snapped, eyeing up the culprit with an especially vicious glare. "And it looks like we've been betrayed…"

Quickly running towards the source, the Xen Admins left the area, enabling the three heroes to recall and heal their Pokémon before following the villains. Soon enough, they were on the opposite side of the lava pit, where they saw Professor Jenner quickly pulling on the chain in order to save Nim.

"No! I-I only needed a little more time." Jenner cried out, pulling harder on the chain in order to speed up the process as he soon turned to face Melia. "I'm so sorry Melia, I-I tried to make things right…

"You fucking traitor! This wasn't part of the plan!" Geara roared in anger at the older man. "You pissed me off for the last fucking time!"

"I-I don't care anymore about what you do to me, I-I only wanted to help Melia, as—as atonement for what I've done…" Jenner resided to his fate, watching Giratina slowly creep up to him, the Renegade Pokémon recovering a small amount of strength.

"Is that so? Then perhaps I'll punish you in the least merciful way possible." The black-haired man smirked in a sinister manner at his former ally.

"Uh…perhaps you're being a bit to hasty here…" Zetta chimed in weakly.

"Go ahead, punish me. I don't care one bit. You'll suffer the same fate as I, though. And if you say otherwise, then that just makes you three naïve." Jenner replied, shooting a weak glance at Melia. "I've done nothing but wrong to you, Melia. I was a terrible father to you. Even if you weren't my real daughter, I still loved you as if you were my own, even if my actions said otherwise. The only good thing that came out of joining Team Xen was the opportunity to meet you. Which is why I'm prepared to make the ultimate sacrifice if it ensures your safety."

"Just do it already, Giratina! I'm sick and tired of hearing all this sappy shit!" Geara screamed in angry, the Renegade Pokémon huffing as it swung its tail at Jenner, sending the man flying into the lava pit. He floated on the surface for a few seconds, letting out one last scream of agony before slipping below the surface to his demise.

"D-Dad…" Melia sniffled weakly, falling to her knees as Julius wrapped his arm around her in an act of comfort, knowing all too well what sort of pain she's going through.

"Heh, seems Julius wasn't the only one who saw a parent die before his eyes." Geara chuckled, breaking down into laughter with Larkspur following suit. Melia, having gotten back onto her feet confronted the three Xen Admins, a look of raw, unbridled fury in her eyes.

"Geara…I'll never forgive you for this. You've crossed the line, big time. I will not stop until Team Xen is destroyed. For all the innocent people whom you've inflicted great suffering on, I will show you no mercy!" She growled at the black-haired man.

"Oh put a sock in it already and give up. There's no way you can—" Larkspur began, only for Venam to interrupt him.

"Hey asshole, why don't you battle me? I'll make you pay for what you did to my friends!" She called out to him, the bespectacled man letting out a sigh as he walked past Melia and Julius to accept her challenge.

"You know, I should've killed you back at Wispy Tower. A bit brutal for my liking but it's what you deserve. Melia; she saved me from the specters of my past and for that, I'm eternally devoted to her, obeying her every whim and desire. So when some asshole causes her immense suffering, then I'm not afraid to go all out on the vermin responsible." Julius pledged, standing right beside her.

"Pah, like a lapdog to its master; and you call me vermin. Well if you want to obey your master that much, then you better put your money where your mouth is!" Geara snapped back, gesturing Zetta to come join him as both Xen Admins selected their first Pokémon, a Krookodile and Absol respectively. In response to this, Melia and Julius opted to send out their Pyroar and Syrentide respectively, the two heroes knowing that they were in for their toughest challenge yet.

Giving each other a firm nod, as if they knew what the other was planning, the two heroes opted to begin the offense with Pyroar spewing a stream of intense fire at the Disaster Pokémon, the heat of the volcano intensifying the moves power as the Absol was pushed back by the powerful attack, its fur singed in a few areas. Meanwhile, the Krookodile lunged at the Syrentide, attempting to clamp its powerful jaws down on her but the graceful siren was able to dodge the attack in time, jumping up into the air and called forth a Moonblast to send the crocodile flying back, the bulky Pokémon crashing into its ally. Both the Absol and Krookodile slowly got back up on their feet and were about to launch a counterattack, only for the Syrentide to retaliate with a potent Surf, with Pyroar heating up the water with another Flamethrower. The combo attack quickly swept the hostile Pokemon up, the duo letting out cries of confusion and fear as they were swept off the peak and landed on a small ledge a meter below them. Both Geara and Zetta ran over to the ledge and saw that their Pokémon were unable to continue fighting.

"Oh boy, looks like they're not pulling back any punches…I knew angering her was a foolish mistake." Zetta commented, the duo recalling their Pokémon before making their next selection.

"Well I'm just as pissed as she is, so by that logic my Pokémon should be just as strong as hers!" Geara retorted, the duo sending out a Gyarados and Typhlosion respectively as the leviathan let out an almighty roar to intimidate its foes. Hoping to regain the advantage, the Gyarados cloaked its tail in water and swung it at the Pyroar, only for Syrentide to block the incoming attack, enabling the lion to deal with the Typhlosion. It let out a loud, ear-splitting roar at the badger, causing it to wince in pain as it covered its ears to drown out the noise, only for Pyroar to follow up with a Wild Charge, it's body cloaked in electricity as it tackled its foe into a rock, shattering it into pieces. The Typhlosion managed to get up and glared at the lion, its fur bristling as flames shot out from its back to form a cloak of sorts as it opted to fire an extremely potent stream of flames, the powerful attack causing the volcano to quiver and quake slightly. Not wanting to back down, the Pyroar retaliated by firing its own stream of flames at the Typhlosion, the attacks colliding midair for a moment with Typhlosion's attack seemingly overpowering its opponents. However, the attacks soon created an explosion, sending both Fire types flying back as a thick blanket of smoke covered the area.

Meanwhile, Syrentide was busy fighting the Gyarados, though she seemed to be having some trouble with it. While she could resist special attacks like they were nothing, physical attacks like the ones Gyarados were known to use were a different story. The leviathan knew this and was taking advantage of it, crushing nearby boulders and flicking the jagged rocks at her, the siren using her arms to shield herself as the rocks scraped and pierced her flesh. Once the attack was over, the Syrentide charged up some lunar energy from within and fired it at the Gyarados, the attack striking it head on as the large Pokémon growled lowly in pain, before glaring back at her. The leviathan reared its head back and charged up an attack, hoping to deal the finishing blow to this menace before it, only to get caught by a surprise Thunderbolt from out of the blue, the Gyarados roaring in pain before slumping down on the ground, with Geara taken aback by what he just saw.

"B-But how?!" He inquired, a familiar chuckle snapping him out of his stupor. "Y-You!"

"I'm surprised you forgot all about me." Melia quipped, her Gardevoir standing boldly beside its trainer. "Zetta's last attack managed to knock out my Pyroar, but I also managed to knock his Typhlosion out. Not to worry though, my trusty ally's taking a nice rest now."

"Heh, you thought that just because you have Fairy type Pokémon on the field, that means you've won? Well my Vileplume would like to object to that statement!" Zetta called out, having finally made a decision before sending out the sentient flower, who let out a quick, happy chime. Geara, huffing to himself, opted to send out his Marowak, the ethereal blue flames on its large bone indicating that it was the Alolan variant. Determining that the Syrentide was the main threat to look out for, Zetta ordered his Vileplume to deal with it swiftly, the flower Pokémon unleashing a cloud of spores that caused the siren to grow drowsy upon inhaling them, teetering side to side before slumping down on the ground and drifted asleep. Opting to seize this opportunity, the Vileplume began storing power within its large flower, the bright sun in the sky speeding up the process by a substantial amount. Soon enough, it fired the beam of solar energy at the Syrentide, the Water Pokémon letting out a surprised cry of pain as she was sent flying back to Julius' feet, the young man knowing all too well that she was unable to continue battling.

"Don't worry, once we've dealt with these chumps I'll take you back home to rest." He consoled his injured Pokémon, recalling it back to its ball before quickly making his next decision. "Alright Drilgann, let's make them pay for hurting our friend!" Julius called out, his next Pokémon emerging from its ball as it sniffed the air cautiously. It was a large, predominantly brown mole with magenta paws that ended in sharp claws that resembled small drillheads. It also wore a magenta mask over its eyes, a pair of small tusks stemming from its mouth that ended in drillheads just like its claws. Finally, its tail took on the form of a much larger drillhead, though it was a lot more ridged that a tail usually was. Kicking up the ground beneath it, it quickly burrowed underground as the Xen Admins watched it go.

"Well if it wanted a lava bath that badly, I would've indulged it. Ah well, guess I can finish off the Gardevoir now." Zetta chimed in, ordering his Vileplume to use Sludge Bomb. Tilting its flower towards the Embrace Pokémon, the Vileplume fired a barrage of noxious sludge at its foe in order to knock it out, only for the Gardevoir to retaliate by conjuring up a wonderous barrier to protect itself from the incoming attack. Once the barrier wore off, it focused all its mental energy on ensnaring its foe within its mental grip. The Vileplume began panicking, struggling in the air to break free from its foes grasp, but to no avail; within an instant, the Gardevoir lowered her arms, slamming the flower Pokémon into the ground and kicked up a big cloud of dust.

While this was happening, the Drilgann emerged from the ground to attack the Marowak, sending it and a sizable amount of rocks in the air. The Bone Keeper Pokémon was able to recover while midair and used its bone to swing a couple rocks towards the large mole, who reared up on its hindlegs to bat the rocks away. Having landed on the ground safely, the Marowak charged towards the Drilgann, its bone reared in the air and ready to strike, only for the mole to clamp down on it and yank it away, tossing it to the side before picking up the smaller Pokémon in its jaws. It shook the Marowak for a few moments before tossing it to the ground, stomping its front paws onto the ground as a tremor rocked the nearby area and sent the Marowak flying back a few feet, crashing into a nearby rock and was knocked out as a result. This loss had caused Geara to growl under his breath as he saw that Zetta's Vileplume was also knocked out.

"Ack! These two are getting on my last nerves." He grumbled under his breath, both admins recalling their Pokémon before making their next selecting, with Geara and Zetta sending out a Jellicent and Dragonite respectively.

"Powerful as they may be, they're no match for our teamwork, right Julius?" Melia called out, turning to her ally.

"Right on the money! Drilgann, use Rock Slide on the Dragonite." Julius suggested, the mole giving him a quick nod of confirmation as it quickly used its paws to dig into the ground once more, sending a barrage of rubble towards the large dragon, who shielded its face with its arms. And although the attack did leave some serious scratches on it, the Dragonite was able to take it due to its impressive bulk. Once the bombardment ceased, the large dragon flapped its wings and took to the air, swooping down to the Drilgann and whacked it with its firm tail, the mole letting out a quick gasp as it was pushed back a few feet before opting to change tactics and began barreling towards Jellicent. Meanwhile, the Gardevoir got herself into position and began gathering lunar energy from within her before firing it at the Dragonite, the attack hitting it head on as the large beast roared in pain and fell to the ground, slowly picking itself back up. Cloaking its fist with static electricity, it lunged at the Embrace Pokémon and punched her, the Gardevoir letting out a gasp of pain as she skidded backwards on the rocky terrain.

The Drilgann turned its head momentarily to check on its ally, only to get caught off-guard by an incoming blast of water knocking it off its feet, with the Jellicent floating closer towards it. Managing to get back on all fours, the large mole let out a quick hiss, lunging towards the spectral jellyfish and clamped down hard on its tentacle with its jaws, the Jellicent emitting a gurgled moan of pain before cloaking its free tentacle in water and smacked the Drilgann on its snout, causing it to let and back off a couple feet. Shaking it's head to recover from the attack, it braced itself to prepare for an incoming attack, with Gardevoir opting to stand by its side before a booming cry echoed from the sky, the three Pokemon averting their gazes towards the sky. Flapping its wings slowly, the Dragonite let out an almighty roar, its body glowing in a fierce orange aura before divebombing towards the ground, crashing into it and caused an explosion before the other three Pokémon could even think about retreating. When the smoke and dust died down, it showed that all four Pokémon were knocked out from the last-ditch attack.

"Good going Zetta, you knocked out my own Pokémon!" Geara hissed at his comrade. "Now we're both down to our last Pokémon."

"Uh…yeah, my bad. I-I was hoping to take out their Pokémon, and it seemed to work." Zetta replied, shaken by his comrade's hostile attitude as they recalled their Pokémon, with Julius and Melia following suit. Soon enough, the Xen Admins opted to send out their ace Pokémon, a Gengar and Silvally respectively. Realizing that the finish line was in sight, both Melia and Julius chose to send out their ace Pokémon as well, their Togekiss and Vilucard respectively.

"This is it, Happiness; a little more and we'll be free of these worthless losers." Melia informed her friend, a determined look forming on the Jubilee Pokemon's face.

"Don't be afraid to go all out, because our foe's not going to show us any mercy." Julius reminded his pal, the Villainous Pokémon letting out a quick chuckle and eyes up the Gengar, recognizing it from the time it attempted to strangle Aelita while it was a Haunter. The four Pokémon soon charged at one another and began their offense, with the Gengar opening its maw and spewed a barrage of sludge at the Togekiss, the Jubilee Pokémon dodging most of the sludge while Vilucard batted the rest towards the Silvally, the Chimera emitting a low hiss as the attack soiled its pristine fur coat. The Villainous Pokémon dove towards the Gengar and clamped down hard on its body, the ghost Pokémon letting out a gasp of pain as the cat-bat began draining its energy with its fangs, recoiling back and spitting out the noxious fluid onto the ground. While its foes head was turned, the Gengar cloaked its free hand in a shadow aura and swiped at it, sending the Vilucard back a few feet as it quickly recovered from the surprise attack. Cloaking its claws with a more ominous shadow, the cat-bat quickly scurried towards the Gengar, dodging any incoming Shadow Balls its foe spewed at it before leaping into the air and swiped at the ghost with his claws, the Gengar letting out a cry of pain as it was flung back a few feet and crumpled onto the ground, unable to continue battling.

Vilucard chuckled to itself over defeating the one who had hurt Aelita back then, when it was suddenly knocked to the ground by the Silvally, the large chimera about to deal the finishing blow before its flank was struck by an incoming Aura Sphere, courtesy of Togekiss. Stepping away from the cat-bat, the Silvally shot a glare at the Jubilee Pokémon before digging its sharp claws into the earth, hoping that the incoming barrage of rocks would knock it out of the sky. But to its dismay, the Togekiss dodged the incoming attack, it's body glowing with an intense pink aura as it unleashed the fae energy it had gathered and sent a beam of intense light towards the chimera. The Silvally roared in pain, its body getting assaulted by the light as it was sent flying back towards the Gengar, where it crumpled beside it and was deemed unable to keep battling. Sighing deeply in exhaustion, Melia gave Julius a quick look before the duo hi-fived each other, their Pokémon joining in on the celebration.

"I…uhhh…" Zetta was at a complete loss for words, the two Xen admins recalling their Pokémon as a look of inhuman fury appeared on Geara's face.

"N-No! I won't let it end like this!" He screamed, stomping his foot on the ground like a spoiled toddler, his anger intensifying as he saw that Venam had easily trounced Professor Larkspur.

"It's over Geara. We won, and you lost. Stand down and admit defeat! Now you two can sit there and let me take Nim down." Melia smugly replied, as she and Julius recalled their Pokémon and made her way to the pulley, the young man keeping an eye on the duo to prevent any sudden movements. She began pulling on the chain, the petrified body of Nim edging closer and closer as both Zetta and Geara watched her go, with Venam and Larkspur watching the scene from where they were. Anger and hate brimming in his eyes, Geara waited until Nim was close to the edge where, in an instant, he dug into his pocket and brought out a remote, pressing the button on it as the hanging chain released Nim from its grasp.

"NIM!" Julius cried out in fear, the young man watching helplessly as he saw Nim's body fall into the lava, bobbing on the surface momentarily before sinking to the depths below. Both Melia and Venam had horrified looks on their faces, an expression that was surprisingly shared by Zetta as even he had no idea about that little remote his teammate had.

"I…N-No…this wasn't supposed to happen. W-We were supposed to save Nim; we all worked so hard and faced so many hardships to save her. Why…why did it end like this?" Melia weakly replied, a few small tears falling down her cheeks as Julius glared at Geara. Rearing his fist in the air, he lunged at the Xen Admin to punch the smug bastard, only for the older man to intercept him, delivering a swift punch to his side before flinging him towards the edge of the volcano, the young man falling over and grabbed the sides, desperately climbing up the side so as to not fall in the lava.

"Julius—A-Ah!" Melia cried out, her wrist getting violently grabbed by Geara. "L-Let go of me, now!"

"I've had it up to hear with your shit, Melia. I'm gonna make you watch as your friend falls into the lava pit like your dear old dad." He taunted her, turning Melia towards the pit as she watched the young man slide down the side.

"This is insane, you fucking psycho—h-hey!" Venam called out, yelling out in surprise as Larkspur pushed her aside, the bespectacled man hooting and hollering over the imminent demise of his nemesis. Julius grunted in exasperation as he attempted to climb up the side, only to cry out in surprise as the wall crumbled, causing him to lose his grip as he began falling towards the lava, his mind slowly wandering as he made his descent. He had failed in his duty to keep his new friends safe from the people who sought to hurt them; he failed to avenge his old friends by bringing their murderer to justice. He wondered on whether they would be willing to look him in the eye after failing both them and Melia's group. As he fell into the lava, his body rocked by an agonizing wave of pain, he saw one last thing; Melia desperately calling out to him in fear and anguish before his vision faded to black.

 **?**

"Uggghhh…" Julius groaned in pain, rubbing his aching head as he slowly got up off the floor. To his immediate shock, his body wasn't singed to ashes by the lava; heck he wasn't in much pain at all. Did he somehow survive getting dunked in lava? No, that was impossible; he must be dead and passed on into the next life. The only question remaining was whether he found salvation or damnation.

From the get-go, things seemed to be positive; he checked his surroundings and found himself on a tranquil, seaside cliff with a large forest behind him. The young man tried entering the forest, only to get pushed away by some unseen force, as if telling him that this wasn't the way to go. Turning to his side, he saw a small dirt path running towards the and determined that this was they way he was supposed to go and opted to walk down it. At first, things were calm; the sound of waves crashing against the cliff-side proved surprisingly comforting, but then weird things started happening. All of a sudden, the bodies of his friends, both old and new started littering the grass besides the path, with even the bodies of his parents present. Walking closer to one of them, the body of Aelita to be precise, he knelt down to check their vitals only to sigh bitterly to himself upon failing to detect a pulse. They were all dead, but from what; there were no obvious external wounds on their bodies, and their facial expressions were peaceful, as if they had been taken in their sleep. Realizing that there was nothing he could do for them, he continued down the dirt path and further up the cliff.

Once he reached the peak, the first thing he spotted was a large, two-story cottage overlooking the sea, arguably one of the fanciest houses he's ever seen. And there, sitting on a bench that overlooked the sea was Crescent, her Gothitelle acting as her personal bodyguard. Noticing the young man coming up to her, she gestured him to sit on the bench beside her, an offer that the young man accepted.

"Wh-Where am I…? What's with my friends lying on the ground back there? How did they die?!" Julius asked desperately, yet it didn't seem that Crescent was listening to his pleas.

"…I still come here to remember the days of old. The breeze and the waves crashing against the rocks beneath us. This place…I guess you can say that it gives me the strength to continue doing what I do." She chimed in calmly, refusing to answer his questions.

"Did you hear what I just said; I want to know what this place is and how I got here." The young man repeated himself, causing the young lady to sigh to herself in annoyance.

"Considering how you always do the exact opposite of what I tell you to do, I don't see why I should answer your questions." Crescent replied, turning to face the young man, a frown on her face. "Do you even remember what happened to you, Julius?"

"Y-Yeah, I was pushed into the lava by that bastard Geara. I still remember the few moments of searing pain I felt upon falling into the lava." He answered curtly.

"Yes, you died. There's no other way to look at it. You and your friends thought that you were invincible because you were together. Truth is, reality doesn't give a damn about friendship or what amount of strength you possess. If you're not on the right side of the coin when it flips, you're done for." She explained, her somewhat pessimistic statement rubbing Julius the wrong way. "I assume you saw the bodies right, the ones of your friends and family?"

"Yeah, I asked you about that but you brushed the question off." The young man answered.

"Back then wasn't the proper time to talk about them; now then, those people you saw on the way here? Those were the ones we lose…the ones we loved, they led you to this very spot, as if they were guiding you here. Perhaps this place is a figment of your imagination, a reflection of your very soul. It makes sense when you think about it, these people who are tied to your heart exist here, waiting for you to wake up…" Crescent continued, catching the young man off-guard.

"A-Asleep? But you just said I was dead!" Julius rebutted.

"Did I? Or did you perceive me to say such a thing?" The black-haired woman chimed back, a small smile on her face. "Your job isn't over yet, Julius.; there are great things that you've yet to experience. Something I learnt on my journey is that the future isn't set in stone. No matter how hard one tries to carve their destiny, life has it's way of throwing a monkey wrench into things. So, Julius…it's time to wake up. You must reclaim those we lost."

"Wake up? How would I even—" He began, a bright light emanating through the area as he shielded his eyes from the intense light. When the light died down a few seconds later, he found himself back on the summit of Mount Valor, except that the colors were all inverted. Quickly checking his bag, the young man sighed in relief when he found that all of his Pokémon were safe and sound, his eyes soon focusing on the ground where a light green line was drawn on the rocky ground. Determining that he had to follow it, he quickly walked beside it, climbing up several flights of inbuilt stairs to see where it wanted him to go. Soon enough, he saw that it ended at a twinkling patch of dirt at the top, right near where he was pushed to his "death" earlier and stepped on it. In an instant, he soon found himself back in the regular world and rushed towards the altar, where he saw Geara and Zetta attempt to drag Melia towards the warp-pad, with Venam glaring at the villains as Larkspur held onto her arms tightly.

"This was all your fault; had you not resisted us, your precious little Julius would've lived, though not for much longer." Geara mocked her, his Giratina watching over the scene as Zetta still had his hesitant look in his eyes.

"Unhand me you swine! I-I'll make you all pay for this!" Venam demanded, struggling against Larkspur's firm grip.

"Ohohohoho, I have no reason to fear you. Your friend is—" He began, looking over his teammate's shoulders as his smug smirk soon turned into a horrified gasp, his jaw dropping wide as he began pointing and spluttering to the approaching Julius.

"Goddamn it old man! What is your—" Geara snapped, as he and Zetta turned to see where he was pointing at, only for their eyes to widen as much as possible. "H-How is this possible?! I saw him die!"

"W-What's goin—J-Julius!" Melia cried out in joy, breaking free from Geara's and running over to hug the young man.

"I-I'm not sure how I lived, but I'm not out yet." Julius returned the hug before glaring at the villains. "Seems that we have some unfinished business to deal with. Care to join us Venam?"

"Hell yeah, let's teach these creeps a lesson they'll never forget!" She cheered, stomping on Larkspur's foot and broke free from his grip, joining up with the young man as they formed a defensive stance to protect Melia.

"What is even going on anymore…?" Zetta inquired, his mind at a complete loss. "By all accounts, you should be dead, but you're not."

"Allow me to answer your queries…" A familiar voice echoed throughout the area, as Crescent soon appeared before the three Xen Admins.

"No…NO! I-I don't want to die!" Larkspur cried out in fear, running for his life down the mountainside as Julius had no choice but to let him go.

"Tch, can't believe he's getting away. No matter, Melia's safety is my top priority at the moment." He muttered to himself.

"Y-You!" Zetta backed away in fear, recognizing her as the one who trapped him in that weird dimension all those weeks ago, the black-haired woman moving swiftly towards him.

"Funny…I don't remember letting you out of that prison, Zetta." She replied, swiftly punching him in the gut as the older man crumpled to his knees. "Had you been a good boy, I would've let you out early, but it seems that you're too unstable to be kept around anymore. Guess I have to settle for drastic measures…"

"Hey, mind your own business, you bitch!" Geara hissed at her, causing Crescent to sigh at the man in contempt.

"My, my. Do you speak to your mother like that?" She smirked, infuriating the man.

"D-Don't you dare speak of that woman to me! Giratina, kill her!" The Xen admin screeched, ordering his Pokémon to attack her. With an amused sigh, she snapped her fingers, a rift suddenly appearing as a familiar Pokémon stepped out from it and launched a blast of psychic energy at the Renegade Pokémon, causing it to crash onto the rocky floor as Geara gasped in shock and horror.

"A Mewtwo?! Where on earth did you get that?" He angrily demanded.

"She has a name you know, it's Dranna. And I rescued her from Madelis' clutches back in the Xen lab built into Carotos Mountain. Keep in mind, I am not her master, but an acquaintance who she's pledged her services to." Crescent answered, an amused smile on her face.

"As Crescent was the one who freed me from my prison, I have pledged myself to becoming Crescent's loyal agent as thanks for saving me." The Mewtwo, or Dranna as she was known as spoke, turning towards Julius for a moment. "I offer my apologies for causing you and your friend some trouble during your time in that laboratory."

"N-No need to apologize, it's all water under the bridge now." Julius replied, thankful that she was no longer against him, for now that is. Turning towards the Giratina, Dranna flexed her mental power to break the bracers that were placed on its head, the Renegade Pokémon quickly rearing its head before turning to face the Mewtwo.

"Be free, ruler of the Distortion World! You are no longer a slave to this wretched trainer!" She spoke to the Giratina, the Renegade Pokémon letting out a screech of gratitude as it flew off into the sky, with Geara watching it from his position of helplessness.

"C-Come back here! You're supposed to be mine!" He yelled angrily at it, stomping his feet once more as Crescent redirected her attention back to Zetta.

"Don't worry Geara, I'll make it up to you, with a nice magic trick courtesy of Lady Crescent." She bowed before the group, outstretching her hands over Zetta.

"W-What do you think you're doing?!" The blonde man demanded.

"Oh? And here I thought that you'd appreciate me reverting you back to what you were…I'm sure you know what I mean." Crescent smirked at the man, a look of horror forming on his face.

"N-No…please, don't! A-Anything but that!" Zetta pleaded desperately, as Crescent's hands started to glow.

"I'll take that as a yes. In that case, let's get started, shall we?" She smirked, her hands emitting a green light as they struck Zetta, the Xen Admin groaning in pain as his pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears, his body glowing and began warping and contorting into various different shapes. Melia, Venam and Julius watched the scene in a mixture of shock, horror and even a little awe as the light show died down and Zetta's true form was revealed; a humble little Solosis.

"W-WHAT?!" Geara jumped back in shock, his eyes widen with fear as Crescent fished a Pokéball out of her pocket. "Y-You just turned Zetta into a fucking Solosis!"

"Did you hear what I said earlier? I merely reverted him to his true form. See, when Melia was young, she wasn't fit for Madame X's grand plans. So they opted to take her DNA and used a Solosis to replicate her. After many failed experiment, they managed to succeed with Zetta over here, however not even he was compatible with his plans. So they opted to make him a Xen Admin instead of destroying him." Crescent explained the situation to them,

"But he was able to successfully conjure up those Dimensional Rifts. If that was a failure, then I hate to see what their endgame was…" Venam mused to herself, as Melia was still unable to take her eyes off the Solosis.

"So when he said he got his attitude from me back then, was this what he was referring to?" The blonde girl mused to herself as well.

"Technically, that makes you two brother and sister. Same blood, same DNA, just different parents. But I can't just let him do whatever he wants while in this form…he could reform back if left alone for long enough." Crescent stated, fling her Pokéball at the Solosis as it was soon ensnared by the device, the ball quivering and shaking on the spot as the light died down, indicating a successful capture. "Welcome to the team, Zetta…" She smirked, picking up and pocketed the ball.

"Phew, now I no longer have to worry about losing my mind from an overexposure to the Dimensional Rift air." Julius sighed in relief, with Geara having completely lost it and backed away in fear.

"Y-You're all crazy! Nuts! Bonkers! Insane!" He started hyperventilating, a few small tears of fear falling down his cheeks.

"It's the end of the line Geara. Before Madame X disposes you for your failure, let her know that Madelis tried to ruin your plan by claiming Melia for herself." Julius chimed in, with Geara's eyes widening even further.

"Madelis! So she's the reason my ingenious scheme failed. Rest assured, she'll get her dues!" He hissed under his breath.

"Oh I'll be dealing with her soon, but for now I'll deal with you." Crescent smirked, walking up to Geara and violently grabbed him by the collar as she got up to his face. "There's something I've always wanted to say to Madame X, and I'm sure those three over there wish to express the same sentiments."

"Wh-What is it…?" He asked weakly, with Crescent taking in a deep breath while maintaining eye contact with the man.

"Fuck off!" She answered, pushing him into the teleporter as Dranna fired an Aura Sphere at the altar, shattering it and the teleporter into thousands of tiny pieces before turning to face the heroes. "Those lost won't be forgotten. In fact, they're not lost at all. They're on their own journey. Soon you shall see."

The trio could only watch as the mysterious woman and her Pokémon disappeared in a flash, their minds pondering what they had just witnessed. Within a few minutes, Crescent managed to neutralize two high-ranking admins of Team Xen and caused a third to run for his life. They spent their time pondering one her parting words; wondering what exactly she meant by that. However, Julius was worried about something; what exactly happened to Saki and her friends? After all they did challenge Crescent to a battle, so it was possible that they lost and were sent back to Tesla's villa to recover.

"Well, today had exhausted me greatly so I'm heading back to the resort. I'll see you there!" Venam called out, making her way down the mountain. Julius was about to follow her but noticed that Melia had a miserable look in her eyes.

"I-Is everything alright?" He asked her.

"I-I can't believe it; I'm supposed to be happy over our victory, but I'm not." She answered, turning to face the young man. "Nim was right there, Julius. Had I pulled on that chain just one more time, she would be here with us. And then there's Jen—my father; he risked everything to right his wrongs. H-He wanted to atone for his misdeeds but was unable to."

"I'm sure he would want you to be happy and live your life to the fullest. After all, he did ask me to keep an eye out for you at the beginning of my league challenge." Julius informed her about it.

"I-I see…" Melia replied, as she began walking down the mountain. "I'm heading over to Tesla's Villa, do you want to come with me? I think…I think I'd appreciate it if you did."

Nodding in response, the young man walked over to her and held her hand in his, squeezing it gently to show his support. Melia began blushing faintly over this kind gesture, a small smile forming on her face as the duo began their trek back together.

 **What a climactic end to one of my favorite moments in the game. I'm really hyped up about the next chapter as it'll contain an intense gym battle and even a nice, heartwarming moment. Thank you all for reading and supporting my story, I'll see you all soon.**


	32. Chapter 32

**It's that time folks, for a long-awaited gym battle between Julius and Amber. Which one of these talented trainers will emerge victorious? Well read on to find out the answer!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Having arrived back at Tesla's villa, both Melia and Julius were surprised to see the place so…empty. Sure, Venam and Amber were there, alongside Crescent who was lounging idly on the plush sofa, but the room was a lot quieter than they anticipated. And while they could deduce that Tesla was out to report the incident to the Aevium League, they were confused as to why Saki and the others weren't present; perhaps Crescent might have some answers regarding their situation.

"Julius, Melia. Nice of you two to join us." Crescent called out to them, gesturing at them to come listen to her, the duo exchanging a quick glance with each other before complying with her request. "Good thing too, since I was just about to mention what happened to Saki and the rest."

"I mean, I'm not losing sleep over it, but it's not like I want anything bad to happen to them." Venam chimed in, her gaze fixed on the older woman. "Besides, I figured you'd know where they are since you were the last person to see them."

"I suppose you have a point there. I won't worry about them, I'm sure they're fine." The black-haired woman replied casually, as if talking about the weather outside.

"You're SURE they're fine; what did you do with them?!" Julius demanded, leaning slightly closer to her with a displeased look on his face.

"Woah, chill down. I did you all a wonderous favor by sending them elsewhere. After all, I'm sure the others know of Aelita's fate, am I right?" Crescent smirked casually, causing the young man to slap his face in frustration over forgetting to tell the others.

"Aelita…? What happened to Aelita?" Melia inquired, turning to face Julius as the young man sighed quietly to himself.

"Aelita…Aelita was affected by a Garufan curse during our quest for the Magma Stone; she's now in a coma and I don't know if she'll ever wake up. I really wanted to tell you sooner, but I didn't want to jeopardize the mission at hand." The young man answered dejectedly, mentally cursing himself for failing to uphold the Eldest's sole request.

"You're not the only one at fault; I should've asked about her sooner. I was so caught up with rescuing Nim that she completely slipped my mind." Melia admitted as well.

"Wh-What can we do?!" Venam asked urgently, a small chuckle escaping from Crescent's lips.

"There's nothing for you to do; there's a spiritual healer somewhere in Grand Dream City that can help Aelita. I sent Saki, Valarie, Adam and Braixen to help her and the Eldest make the trip to that healer a while ago. Since their purpose on Valor Mountain was fulfilled, I put them in charge of taking them to seek the healer." She answered casually.

"Couldn't you have waited until we had rescued Nim from Team Xen? Had they have been able to help us out back then, then things would've ended differently!" Julius protested, with Crescent raising her hand to rebut him.

"As I said, their purpose had been fulfilled. Therefore, you do not need to worry about them." She replied bluntly, startling the young man as a few questions were raised in his mind. What did she mean by "their purpose"? Does he and the others have a purpose in her little game, and if so, what is it? It's evident that he's a vital piece in her game, otherwise she wouldn't have saved him from death. But if that's the case, then was Nim spared as well? He highly doubted she would answer such questions, so he opted not to ask them.

"So that's it then, I'm supposed to not worry about them at all?!" Melia snapped at the older woman, snapping the young man back into reality.

"Obviously. I told you not to worry…so why worry about it?" Crescent answered, with Amber sighing to herself as she had grown tired of this rambling discussion.

"Look, I've had enough of the depressing conversation you lot are heavily invested in. I'm gonna throw a party soon, and I don't want my vibe ruined. That being said, you're all invited, even Ms. Goth Girl over there." Amber informed everyone, pointing her thumb at Crescent.

"A party? How could you even think about such a thing right now?!" Melia glared at the redhead, who casually shrugged her shoulders.

"What? It makes no sense for me to be moody all day. Come on, kick your legs up and have a—" She began, only to get cut off suddenly.

"I said I'm in no mood!" The blonde yelled at Amber, catching everyone except Crescent off-guard.

"M-Melia, calm down. She's just trying to help in her own way." Venam stepped in to defend her former friend.

"Help? How is a party supposed to help me?! Our friends are missing, Aelita's in a coma, and we're supposed to trust Crescent's word that they're alright?! How can I not worry about them, especially after what happened back at Mount Valor?" The blonde pressed her friend harshly.

"Melia, please calm down. It'll do you no good to lose your temper right at a critical moment in time. You don't have to come to the party if you want, but it'll help put your mind at ease." Julius offered to her.

"Et tu, Julius? I thought you were above all this party nonsense, but I guess not! Fine then, go to your stupid party; see if I—" Melia continued ranting, before taking a deep breath to calm herself down. "I-I'm sorry everyone. I didn't mean to snap at you. I just…I just need some time alone." She replied in a much calmer tone, her shoulders drooping slightly as she left the villa.

"Melia…" Venam said sadly, watching her friend go before turning to Julius. "We should check on her a little later; perhaps she might feel like joining us at the party then."

"Speaking of which, I won't be attending. I've still got some business to do." Crescent informed Amber, the latter merely shrugging her shoulders.

"Meh, your loss. Come on you two, the party's not going to last forever!" The redhead called out to Venam and Julius. "Since you helped me back there, I'll let you battle me. There's a badge in it if you manage to win."

"A badge, eh? Well sign me up then, I could use more badges." The young man smiled, with Venam pumping her fist in joy as the two teens made their way outside the villa. Julius was about to join then, only for Crescent to call out to the young man, his ears perking up as he turned around to face her.

"Julius, I say this with the intent that you follow my advice. Stop involving yourself with them; every single one of them." She demanded.

"What, why would you want me to do that?!" He demanded an answer back.

"I've been keeping an eye out on you for a while now. I saw how they used you back when they first arrived at this resort. I saw how all those Dimensional Rifts they ordered you to fight turned you into some rabid beast with an unquenchable bloodlust. You always, ALWAYS end up with the short end of the stick, yet you still stand by them like some loyal mutt. In case you forgot what happened on Mount Valor, you died. Had it not been for me, you wouldn't be here right now. I won't be able to save you like that again." She explained her reasons.

"But I can't just abandon them; I already watched one group of friends die, and I don't want my new friends to die as well." The young man protested.

"Friends…how amusing. They say they're your friend, but that's just a lie those fools lay out for you. If anything, I want you to keep smiling, if only for a little while longer. So despite what I said, you should go to the party. Because soon, so very soon…smiling will be a luxury that very few would be able to afford." Crescent suggested, teleporting out of the room upon finishing her comment. What did she mean by her last statement; was something disastrous about to happen in the near future? Regardless, it wouldn't do him any good to stand by and worry about it, he had a gym badge to obtain after all. Taking one last look where Crescent had sat before, Julius turned around and made his way to the Music Hall in the main hotel, where Amber would no doubt host her party.

 **Music Hall: Telia Hotel**

As the young man had anticipated, the music hall was jampacked with people young and old, partying their worries away. In the center of the dance floor, RorrimB was competing with several younger trainers to see who could dance the longest, with Holly and Crawli watching him go with amused smiles on their faces. To the left he saw Reina and Louise casually chatting over a bottle of soda, the former asked the latter about her expertise with the piano, on top of asking for a little advice. Additionally, he also saw Eli and Sharon dancing together in a somewhat isolated part of the dancefloor, the duo wearing a more casual attire to keep their allegiance to Team Xen a secret. However, it was the sight of Venam sighing sadly at the bar that drew his attention, the young man making his way to her and sat down beside her.

"Is everything ok, Venam? It's not like you to be this glum during a party," Julius inquired.

"I know…it's just that I can't stop thinking about Melia. That whole business at the mountain took it's toll on her, and to sit here partying my worries away while she's all depressed has me feeling the blues." Venam admitted.

"I know that feeling as well; I want to help her out as well, just like she helped me. But as she said, she needed some time alone. Maybe we should follow your advice and check up on her a little later." The young man offered, a small smile forming on Venam's face.

"Yeah…I suppose I'm right." She replied, her gaze shifting to the side as she saw Amber walk up to the bar and order herself a drink.

"Hey, you two. How's the party so far?" The redhead asked the duo, receiving her drink and took a small sip from it.

"I-It's pretty great so far. How'd you manage to invite so many people so quickly?" Venam inquired, with Amber chuckling lightly.

"Oh, I didn't invite them, they all knew I was hosting a party, so they dropped whatever they were doing and made a beeline to this place. Everyone on Terajuma Island knows that I throw the best parties of all time!" She huffed proudly to herself, her gaze shifting towards Julius. "Mom's informing the league about what happened at the mountain. Don't worry, she'll be here to see me wipe the floor with you."

"Oh, is that how you want to play? Because I'm more than confident in my chances of defeating you. I'll show you how battling goes down in Tandor!" The young man retorted in a determined manner, the trio soon breaking out into quiet laughter.

"Hahahahaha! Now that's the Julius I know and respect." Venam stated in joy, making up her mind on what to do next. "I'm going to check up on Melia. You coming with me?"

"Most definitely. Let me jus—" The young man replied, his voice trailing off as he saw a fight brewing between RorrimB, and a certain Axis High graduate he would not mention.

"How dare you! I say how dare you get in my way of my fabulous dancing!" RorrimB scoffed at the young man.

"Hah! You call that dancing? I've seen Magikarp flail about with more grace than you!" Texen retorted, crossing his arms to assert his dominance.

"Young whippersnappers like you have no respect for your elders!" The rainbow-haired man chided the young punk, who merely shrugged his shoulders.

"And why should I respect some old fossil? Face it, your moves are outdated. Now let me show you how you get all the cuties to the dancefloor—" The orange-haired man sneered.

"I've heard about you and your…philandering ways. Seems that your personal dance skills are quick lacking, if you have a relentless desire to "pick up chicks" as the youth today phrase it." RorrimB smirked, a mask of rage forming on Texan's face.

"I'm gonna make you eat your words, punk!" He snarled, lunging towards the older man as the duo got into a major scrap, attracting everyone else's attention.

"Argh! Now's not the time for some silly scrap. Julius, can you help me break it up?" Amber called out to the young man.

"S-Sure…" He replied, turning to face Venam. "Please forgive me, but it seems I cannot come with you. Tell Melia that I'm sorry, if you could."

"Got it! I'll be back in a jiffy!" The purple-haired teen replied, making her way out of the bar as the others moved to intercept the fight.

 **0000**

"Ahhh…just what I needed." Melia sighed in bliss, sitting on the beach as she dipped her bare feet into the refreshingly cool water. The blonde teen had spent the last half hour thinking to herself about what had happened back at the villa. She knew that her friends had no ill intentions when asking her to join the party, and only wanted what was best for her. Still, she couldn't help but express some worry over what had happened to Aelita, Saki and the others. Were they really in safe hands? She wanted to remain skeptical about Crescent's claims, but she couldn't figure out what she could claim by lying to her about their fates. Around a few seconds later, she heard what sounded like someone running towards her, the blonde turning her head back to see Venam approaching her.

"There you are!" The purple-haired teen called out, taking off her shoes and sitting down beside her, her feet in the cool water as well. "I was wondering where you were."

"Oh, hey Venam. How's the party so far?" Melia inquired.

"Yeah, it's pretty swell so far, but it'll be a lot better if you were there." Venam admitted, resting her hand on her friends' shoulders. "Just wanna let you know that we're here for you; me, Julius, and the rest."

"Thanks…where is he by the way? I thought he would've come with you." The blonde asked her friend.

"He really wanted to, but a fight broke out at the party, and Amber needed his help to break it off. He offers his apologies for not coming to see you." She answered.

"Speaking of apologies, I want to apologize as well. You and Julius were only trying to help, and I took my anger out on you two." Melia apologized, a look of guilt in her eyes.

"Eh, don't sweat it, we forgive you. Besides I highly doubt Julius would get angry at you for raising your voice at him, considering what happened that time." Venam accepted the apology, the duo getting back on their feet and hugged each other passionately, petting each other's backs. "Heh, I bet Julius would enjoy seeing us hug like this…"

"Ah come on, he's not some deranged pervert. But I'm sure he'll be glad to see me all better." The blonde teen chimed in, the duo separating to put their shoes back on. "You know what? I will come to the party as well, if only to help get my mind off a few things."

"Great! I'll promise you have a good time." The purple-haired teen pledged, the duo holding hands as they made the quick trek back to the Music Hall. But upon walking up the stairs to the hotel, the say Julius roughly dragging Texen by his collar out the building.

"Amber told you to take a hike, so do us all a favor and go, now!" Julius demanded, the orange-haired man chuckling dryly.

"And what are you, her dog? By the way, I heard that Aelita's in a coma. Serves that bitch right for messing up my—" Texen began, only to get cut off by a harsh punch to the gut as Julius got up into his face.

"Now listen closely, you little brat. You talk about Aelita like that again, and I'll disfigure your face to the point where your own mother won't be able to recognize you. Got it?!" He whispered harshly to the young man, who gulped nervously before nodding meekly, with Julius tossing him to the ground. "Now get lost; I don't want to see your ass around here!"

Picking himself up off the ground, Texen quickly retreated from the area with Melia and Venam watching him leave before turning to face Julius. "Remind me not to make you angry." The purple-haired girl commented, alerting the young man.

"A-Ah, you saw that? M-My apologies…" The young man replied in a more sheepish tone, his gaze turning towards Melia. "Sorry I wasn't able to cheer you up when you needed it the most…"

"No need to apologize, we can always talk it out later today. Besides, I want to apologize for raising my voice earlier." Melia replied back, offering her hand. "Shall we shake it off?"

"Yeah, let's shake it off." Julius smiled, the duo shaking each other's hands firmly as the trio soon made their way inside the Music Hall once more, where they saw Amber talking to…her mother? Did she arrive in the few minutes Julius was out of the room? Regardless, her presence now meant that the main attraction was about to begin.

"Melia, you decided to show up after all!" Amber called out to the blonde. "Good thing you did, since we've got something special in store for my fellow partygoers."

"I take it you're finally challenging Julius to a Gym Battle?" Melia inquired.

"H-Hey, no spoiling the surprise!" Amber protested, poking her tongue out playfully, with Telsa chuckling lightly.

"At any rate, I'm glad I'm able to see the upcoming battle. I've been hoping to see just how well Julius can fare against my daughter." The older woman commented.

"Well I won't be going down without a fight, that's for sure." The young man pledged, with Amber making her way to the stage and spoke into the microphone, calling for everyone to follow her into the next room, opening the door with her special key as she stepped inside, with everyone else following right behind her.

The arena was what Julius had expected it to be; a hard, rocky terrain with several pools of artificial lava scattered allover the area. Sure, it's nowhere near as hot as real lava, but its still hot enough to burn any non-Fire type Pokémon that comes in contact with it. The audience quickly made their way towards the stands on either side of the arena, with Melia, Venam and Tesla getting front row seats. Amber and Julius then made their way to their respective side of the arena, the former having a large stereo system behind her, a microphone before her that was plugged into the system.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the main event of my awesome party! In my corner, we have the dashing, the talented, and the amazing, AMBER!" She spoke into the microphone, the crowd applauding her. "And in the corner opposite of me, we have the man who Team Xen check their closet for at night; give it up for, JULIUS!"

"I gotta say, this was a pretty sweet party despite Texen trying to ruin it. All that said, don't expect me to go easy on you; my pride as the Champion of Tandor is at stake." Julius boldly replied.

"Nice, now that's what I was hoping to hear!" Amber replied, quickly selecting two Pokéballs from her belt. "Arcanine, Rotom, let's get things cooking!"

The young man watched as the redhead sent out her Pokémon, the large dog letting out a majestic roar while the poltergeist hovered on the spot happily, taking on its Heat Form. "Interesting choices, but I think fighting fire with fire would suffice for this battle. Astronite, Krilvolver, ready yourself for battle!" He called out, sending out his own Pokémon.

Both Melia and Venam knew what the first Pokémon was, from their experience way back in Gearen Sewers, but the other Pokémon surprised them. The Krilvolver was a large shrimp with a royal blue back and light blue underside. It had a couple pairs of small legs on the sides of its curved torso, its tail splashing calmly in the artificial lava as its left claw groomed its feelers. The most notable feature was that its right claw was a lot larger and was shaped like a six-chamber revolver, the shrimp taking careful aim at its foes with it. Additionally, there was a small crest on its head that resembled a ten-gallon hat, like the one's cowboys were known for wearing.

"Your little shrimp may look rather neat, but it's firepower is no match for my crew! Rotom, cook that shrimp for me; I feel like having seafood tonight!" Amber called out, the Plasma Pokemon opening up its oven door to unleash a large blast of fire from within, the pillar rushing towards Krilvolver as it steadied itself and took aim. In a near-instant, the Sharpshooter Pokémon shot a large jet of water from its "gun" to intercept the incoming fire, the two attacks colliding in midair as a large amount of steam soon blanketed the arena. With its sight now limited, the Arcanine had little choice but to use its excellent sense of smell to locate its foes, the large dog raising its head in the air and sniffed around for the scent of its enemy.

Managing to locate the Astronite, the Legendary Pokémon let out a howl and charged towards its location, its body cloaked in electricity as it tackled the Traveler Pokémon, who letout a moan of pain as it crumpled onto the rocky floor before getting right back up. Its right arm poised in the air, the Astronite used its mental power to levitate a large rock in the air, shattering it into hundreds of smaller rocks before sending the barrage right back at Arcanine, the large dog letting out a howl of pain as its bulky frame was assaulted by the onslaught. Shaking its head to recover from the attack, it got into an aggressive stance and was about to pounce when a sudden blast of water from within the steam sniped the Arcanine, who let out a cry of surprise as it was flung towards a rocky wall and crashed into it. When the steam finally subsided, it showed that Arcanine was unable to battle, a smug look plastered on Krilvolver's face.

"W-Wait, that thing's a Fire AND Water type Pokémon?!" Amber exclaimed in shock, eyeing up the nimble shrimp as she recalled her Pokémon.

"Yes, it is. A type-combination long thought exclusive to Volcanion is now laying right before your eyes." Julius chimed in, a confident look in his eyes. "Why, you intimidated?"

"Far from it; as a matter of fact, I have a perfect counter for it. Chandelure, I choose you!" The redhead retorted, the chandelier Pokémon emerging from its ball and gazed carefully at the opposing trainer. Julius knew that with a Ghost type now on the field, his Astronite would be in danger, so he would have to act quickly.

"Krilvolver, take out that Chandelure as soon as possible!" The young man called out, the Sharpshooter Pokémon taking aim and fired a rapid salvo of water balls from its "gun", only for its attack to get intercepted by a bolt of lightning from the Rotom. Noticing this, the Astronite attempted to go for a second Power Gem, lifting the shattered rocks from off the floor and used its mental energy to sent them flying towards the Plasma Pokémon. The Rotom quickly turned around and retaliated with another bolt of lightning, shattering most of the rocks although a few did hit their target. Emitting a distorted chirp from its body, the Rotom conjured up a Shadow Ball and flung the eerie ball at its foe, striking the Astronite as it floated backwards to recover, only for it to get struck down by a much stronger Shadow Ball courtesy of the Chandelure. The Plasma Pokémon let out an amused cry over defeating its foe, only to get struck from behind by a boiling hot blast of water from Krilvolver, the Rotom crying out in shock as it crumpled onto the ground, unable to continue battling.

"That was some impressive tactics you used Amber, I see why people regard you as one of the best gym leaders in Aevium." Julius praised her, recalling his Astronite as the redhead recalled her own Pokémon.

"Aren't you glad you waited for a battle against me now? Had you challenge me back then, I would've crushed you effortlessly, and this star player would've dealt the finishing blow. Volcarona, time to heat things up even further!" Amber declared, the majestic red moth emerging from its ball and showered the arena with its bright, sparkling scales.

"I've always had a soft spot for Volcarona; the perfect combination of beauty and power. But even it's amazing power pales in comparison to my next Pokémon; Beliaddon!" The young man called out, the ground tremoring slightly as the bipedal demon emerged from its ball and let out a blood-curdling howl as the audience watched on in a mixture of awe and horror.

"Oh man, the last time that thing came out, it tore through Angie's team like a hot knife through butter!" Venam commented a little uneasily, only for Melia to rest her hand on her friends' shoulder.

"I wouldn't worry about it now; Julius is a lot calmer than he was back then." The blonde reassured her, the duo redirecting their attention to the battle once more.

"That thing looks like serious trouble; in that case I better take care of it as soon as possible. But first, I think a little dance is in order, don't you think?" Amber chimed in, bringing out her guitar and played a quick melody, with Volcarona dancing to the beat as its body glowed in an ethereal light as a newfound power coursed through its body. Once it had finished off its dance, the Sun Pokémon began flapping its wings rapidly to generate an ear-splitting buzz, with both Krilvolver and Beliaddon wincing in pain from the irritating noise.

' _This isn't good, that thing's now twice as powerful as before. But if I focus on it too much, then her Chandelure would strike my friends down from behind. I need to deal with them one by one, but in what order?'_ Julius pondered to himself momentarily, before reaching a decision. "Beliaddon, strike down Chandelure with a Knock Off! Just be gentle alright? I'm no longer as vicious as I was back then…"

Complying with the request, the large demon barreled towards the chandelier Pokémon and slapped it with its clawed hand, causing it to let out a whine of pain as its item, a lump of charcoal was knocked aside and rolled onto the floor. Quickly backing away from its foe, the Chandelure retaliated with a series of Shadow Balls in the hopes of knocking the Beliaddon off its feet and while the attacks landed and did a fair bit of damage, the large demon was still standing. Its massive clawed hand outstretched in the air, it conjured up a sword made entirely from molten lava, pointing it at the Krilvolver as the latter fired a blast of hot water to cool the weapon down and solidify it. Twirling the now rocky sword in its hand, it lunged at the chandelier and struck it down, the Ghost Pokémon moaning in pain as it was sent flying towards a wall and crashed into it, sliding down a bit before crumpling on the floor, with Amber knowing that it was too tired to continue.

"Between your shrimp and your demon, I gotta say, Tandor has a lot of interesting Fire-type Pokémon in it." The redhead chimed, recalling her Pokémon before selecting another one. "But now's the time for me to knock them BOTH out in one fell swoop! Blaziken, time to knock the opposition out!"

The bipedal chicken emerged from its ball, letting out a determined cry as it punched the air a few times to bolster its spirit. Julius knew that Blaziken were a serious threat based on his experience with Aelita, so he opted to plan his moves carefully. "Alright Krilvolver, use Scald on the Blaziken!" He called out.

Eyeing up its foe, the Sharpshooter Pokémon took aim once more and fired a boiling hot stream of water at its foe, only for the Blaziken to leap up in the air to dodge the attack, its fist cloaked with static electricity as it dunked it into the artificial lava, sending waves of electricity that shocked the shrimp Pokémon, a few residue sparks indicating that it was temporarily paralyzed. Noticing that its teammate was in trouble, the Beliaddon raised its sword in the air and attempted to strike the Blaziken down, only for the Volcarona to intercept the attack, its wings conjuring up a searing hot gust of wind that shattered the rocky sword into hundreds of tiny pieces. The large demon swung its tail around to strike the Sun Pokemon, quickly following up by slashing it with its sharp claws, the large moth chittering in pain as it shook its head momentarily before flapping its wings once more to emit another ear-splitting screech, temporarily immobilizing both Pokémon.

The Blaziken used this opportunity to launch another attack at the Krilvolver, its blindingly quick punches assaulting the shrimp as it was flung back a few feet and made a splash in a second pool of artificial lava. The Sharpshooter Pokémon was able to recover from its paralysis and poked it's head out of the lava, leaping up into the air and fired another torrent of boiling hot water at its enemies, the attack striking them both as they shielded their face from the assault. Once the coast was clear, the Blaziken lunged at the Beliaddon, assaulting it with a series of punches and kicks as the large demon fell over and crashed onto the floor, kicking up some dust in the air.

Having noticed this, the Krilvolver spewed a stream of flames at the Volcarona, the attack striking its torso and causes dozens of small scales to fall to the floor as Beliaddon slowly managed to pick itself up off the ground. Realizing that the only way to break this stalemate was with its ultimate attack, the Blaziken began glowing a harsh red, rearing its right leg in the air as it stomped on the ground, causing a series of fiery pillars to emerge from the ground. However, the pillars came into contact with the shed scales, creating a series of explosions that rocked the arena with everyone ducking down to protect themselves from the ensuing chaos. Once all the smoke and explosions had died down, it showed that all four Pokémon had been knocked out from the attack, with both Amber and Julius checking on their Pokemon with looks of concern on their faces.

"A-Are you two ok?" Julius asked his Pokémon, the duo giving him a weak nod as the young man sighed in relief. "Thank goodness, I don't know what I would've done if it was the worst-case scenario." He continued, recalling his Pokémon with Amber doing the same after checking on her Pokémon.

"Sorry about that everyone, I didn't expect things to get this…intense." Amber apologized to the crowd, who were unharmed but rattled from that last attack. "Luckily for you, I've still got my ace Pokémon with me; Magmortar, let's teach our opponent what real firepower feels like!" She sent out her final Pokémon, with the Magmortar taking aim at Julius with its arm cannon, a confident smirk on its face.

"So that's your move, eh? In that case, allow me to treat you all to a Pokémon so rare, that many people doubt its existence. Though it may not be a legendary Pokémon, its power can be compared to one; come to me, Xenoqueen!" Julius responded, taking out a specially marked ball as the crowd cooed in awe at the specimen. Her body was long, slender, and was curved in a way that resembled the symbol for the Greek letter Omega, its body colored in a mixture of black and green as her two "humps" had blade-like fins protruding from them. She had four short and stubby legs that stood from as the two tiny arms on her torso clasped each other, her fin-covered tail waving in the air carelessly. Her head was ovular in shape, more green fins stemming from the back as her sharp green teeth shone brightly in the light, her beady eyes gazing at the Magmortar as both it and its trainer stared at the mysterious entity in confusion.

"What is that…?" Amber inquired in curiosity, as Julius let out a light chuckle.

"I could tell you, or I could show you. Let's go for a Sludge Bomb, alright?" The young man requested, the Mutant Pokémon emitting a low chittering as she opened her mouth and spewed a barrage of sludge from her maw, the attack striking the Magmortar and dealt a fair bit of damage. Shaking the filth off its body, the Magmortar raised its arm to the air and shot a bright ball from it, the attack exploding midair as it shone brightly on the field, creating the illusion that they were fighting under the blistering hot sun. With the "sun" in the air, the Blast Pokémon took aim and launched a stream of fire from its arm cannon, the attack intensifying in power from the heat as it struck the Xenoqueen, who let out a screech of pain as she was pushed back a few feet. Now enraged at the Magmortar for attacking her, she opened her mouth once more and spewed a noxious ball of green sludge at the Blast Pokémon, the attack striking it as it let out an agonized moan of pain and dove into the lava to wash it off, sighing in relief as its body was free of the radioactive sludge.

Emerging from the lava pool, the Magmortar quickly gathered light in its arm cannons before firing the powerful Solar Beam at the Xenoqueen, the latter opting to retaliate by emitting a powerful beam of radioactive energy from her mouth to intercept the attack. Both beams of light collided with each other midair, with both combatants attempting to overpower the other in the hopes of finishing each other off. And though the Magmortar had the initial advantage due to the sun, the Xenoqueen was able to overpower it in the end, the beam of radioactive energy vaporizing the Solar Beam as it struck the Blast Pokémon head on and sent it flying towards the wall, where it crashed into it and slid down to the ground, unable to continue battling.

Amber, stunned at what just happened was about to recall her fallen companion, when Julius made his way to her and whispered something in her ear. A little confused, she agreed to his idea as the young man sent out his Hazma, the small Pokémon waddling towards the weakened Magmortar to inspect its health. Locating the issue, a pair of tentacles grew from its body and held a firm grip on Magmortar, the Blast Pokémon soon letting out a sigh of relief as the Overcoat Pokémon siphoned all the residue radiation out of its body. Once the detoxing had finished successfully, the Hazma let out a happy chirp with the Magmortar nodding in appreciation as both trainers congratulated their Pokémon before recalling them back to their balls.

"Thanks, I guess, but what did you do exactly?" Amber asked the young man.

"Simple, I cleansed your Magmortar to prevent the possibility of contracting radiation sickness. It's why I don't use my Xenoqueen that much; I don't want to run the risk of another nuclear outbreak like what happened back in Tandor." Julius explained to her, the young man noticing Melia and Venam walk up to the duo to congratulate them on the amazing battle.

"Was that one of those Nuclear-type Pokémon you told us about way back at Magnolia Library?" The purple-haired teen inquired, the young man nodding in confirmation.

"Yes, it's a powerful but dangerous type. Super effective against everything but Steel, and weak against everything except itself; a glass cannon that also runs the risk of inflicting radiation poisoning on its opponents. Luckily I have Hazma by my side to ensure such a thing doesn't happen." He replied. "And should Jenner's plan of introducing the native species of Tandor to Aevium go through, then there's a good chance that the stores will stock special medicine to help deal with radiation poisoning."

"Y-Yeah, let's hope it goes through…" Melia's voice trailed off, with Julius mentally cursing himself for bringing up such a sensitive topic right now.

"It sucks that the fist gym battle I've had in a while was a loss, but at the very least I'm glad it was you I lost to. That and the crowd loved it so it was a success overall." Amber told Julius, fishing in her pocket and handed the man a shining red badge in the shape of a red flame with a joined eighth note on either side. "You've more than earnt the Lyric Badge. The battle may be over, but the party's far from over! Everyone, we've got an after-battle party to attend to; all drinks are half price!"

The crowd, exhilarated over the cheaper drinks quickly got off the stands and made their way back to the main hall, following closely behind Amber. Julius was about to join in, only to stop as he felt someone tapping lightly on his shoulder, turning around and saw Melia standing idly beside him. "Ah, Melia. Is there something I can help you with?"

"I just wanted to say that your battle back there was amazing. I daresay it even got my blood pumping a bit." She smiled at him, leaning in closer towards his ear. "Can we meet up on the rooftop of Tesla's villa tonight? There's something…I need to get off my chest."

"No problem. I'll see you when the time is right." He agreed to the request, the blonde giving him a quick nod of gratitude as she went back into the main hall, the young man following her as he pondered on what exactly she wanted to talk to him about.

 **0000**

Crescent was walking casually in the eastern half of Route 6, a kilometer or so from Kakori Village, looking side-to-side as if making sure nobody else was following her. It was raining lightly on the route, not enough to warrant bringing out an umbrella as the raindrops pelted lightly on the trees that lined the area. Soon enough, Crescent found a spot that was isolated enough for her liking, the black-haired woman letting out a quick sigh of annoyance.

"Hmph…idiot. As if I'd just let you die without finishing your duty." She grumbled to herself, outstretching her arms before her as the spot glowed an eerie green. A few seconds later, Nim appeared where Crescent had outstretched her hand, the young teen no longer petrified as a look of confusion was evident on her face. "I find it extra detestable that you let yourself get to this point, Nim." The older woman scolded her.

"Ugh…where am I? What happened…?" Nim asked, turning to face Crescent as she rubbed her aching head. In an instant, Crescent brought out a pair of scissors and cut Nim's hair so that it was much shorter than usual, the younger girl caught off-guard by the speed of the haircut. "M-My hair! Why the hell did you cut my hair?!"

"Listen carefully, because I'm only going to tell you this ONCE. Your name? It'll no longer be Nim; you're going to forget about that name and take up a name that reflects who you truly are. Forsaken, alone…" The older woman began, leaning closer to Nim's right ear. "Lorna…"

"L-Lorna?" Nim inquired.

"Yes, Lorna. I think it suits you perfectly. The forsaken girl, the girl who is all alone. And rightfully so; your incompetence has caused me so much trouble. You lost the right to live by the name you gave yourself. Nim died on top of Mount Valor, so Nim will stay dead." Crescent answered, her cold words stinging Nim's heart as she soon realized what she had gotten into. There was no way out of this, no act of salvation that could fix this mess and reunite her with her friends. Right now, there was only one path available to her, and it was one she would have to walk, alone.

"Al-Alright then…" Lorna answered, finally accepting her new name. "W-What is it you want me to do?"

"I'm glad you asked. You see…" The older woman began, leaning towards her ear and whispered some mysterious orders to her new chess piece. Once she had finished conveying her orders, she leant back and stood tall before her. "Do you understand, Lorna?"

"Yes…I understand." She nodded in confirmation.

"Good, now get out of my sight." Crescent ordered, teleporting out of the area as Lorna began mulling thins to herself.

"My name is Lorna…the girl who is alone. Nice to meet you, Lorna…" She spoke to herself quietly, before making her way towards Kakori Village to get ready for her first task.

 **Later that night**

Julius had arrived on the villa rooftop, spotting the bench that was overlooking the resort and sat down to gaze at the night sky. Truth be told, he had arrived here five or so minutes earlier than Melia had stated before, but that gave him some time to mull over the events of his league journey so far. For the most part, it had been a series of downs that almost broke him; the fall-out between Ren and him at Goldenleaf, the Blacksteeple experience and the death of his mother, the hellish experience he endured at the hands of Angie and her fanatical devotion to Arceus, and the failed mission to rescue Nim, which lead to the loss of Aelita, Saki and so many others friends of his. However, there were a few positive things that happened as well; his bond with Maria for one thing. As a matter of fact, he befriended so many amazing people during his journey; Venam, Melia…

A strange feeling coursed through his heart upon thinking about them, like that time he was searching for RorrimB in Terajuma Jungle; did he really love the both of them? The young man had a hunch the both girls had feelings for one another, given how close they can be at times, so it was completely preposterous for either of them to love him back…or was it? After all, he was around their age so it's not like it was taboo or something. He would have to shelve those questions for now, as he heard footsteps walking up the stairs and towards the rooftop.

"I'm glad you kept your promise." Melia called out to him, the blonde teen making her way to the bench and sat down next to him, looking out over the horizon. "It's a wonderful night, isn't it?"

"Yes, it's very peaceful. The complete opposite of the party from before." Julius chimed in, his gaze fixated on the stars, shining brightly in the cloudless sky. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Well I…I…" The blonde teen began, her voice trailing off as her mood became a lot more miserable all of a sudden.

"Don't be afraid to let it out. It doesn't matter if it's joy, anger or misery, I'll lend you my ears tonight." The young man told her, resting his hand on her shoulder. Melia's eyes soon started to tear up, the blonde teen quickly embracing him as she began to sob profusely into his shoulder, the young man stunned over what just happened. "M-Melia?"

"T-Today was an absolute disaster; I was so close to rescuing Nim but I let her down when she needed me the m-most. M-My father also died that day, sacrificing himself to right his wrongs. I hated him; I hated him with all my heart, wishing so many bad things to happen to him. Y-Yet despite all that, he never stopped caring for me; h-he genuinely cared for me this whole time and I responded with abuse. I-I never got to apologize to him…" Melia cried, the young man comforting her by bringing her into an embrace, his hand gently patting her back.

"There, there. Better to let it out than let your misery well up inside you." Julius consoled his grieving friend.

"And to top it all off, I-I nearly lost you as well. I saw you fall over the edge, desperately clinging onto the wall for your life, before you too fell and sank into the lava. I-I don't know how you lived, b-but I don't know what I would've done if I lost you back there…" She continued crying, her last statement catching the young man off-guard.

"S-Surely I'm not worth crying over. A-After all, I haven't known you for as long as say, Venam." He replied, with Melia ceasing her crying and wiped her tears away.

"T-That's where you're wrong Julius…" Melia spoke quietly, slowly looking up to face the young man, her soft cheeks blushing a vivid red. "Julius…I love you…"

"L-Love me?!" Julius exclaimed, shocked at what he just heard. He was certain that she loved Venam with all her heart; did she love both her and him, much like how he loves the both of them?

"Yes…I-I don't know when these feelings rose to the surface, but I've felt this way for some time now. I know you have your reasons to shy away from a topic like this, but I needed to get this off my chest." The blonde teen continued.

"T-That's the thing Melia, I too have romantic feelings for you. I kept them inside me since I wasn't sure if you were interested in me, but now that I know you are, I can happily say that I love you too…" The young man replied softly, his cheeks a bright red as well. Staring into each other's eyes, their faces moved in closer as they began kissing each other passionately, hugging each other in a warm embrace. However, a few seconds later, Melia broke the kiss off as stared at Julius with a concerned look.

"W-Wait! Before we continue, there's something I must tell you." She informed him, the volume of her voice lowering a bit. "Th-There's someone else I love with all my heart; someone I want to spend the rest of my life with…"

"Relax Melia, I'm sure all three of us can live a happy life together, especially if your crush is who I think it is." Julius answered calmly, an intrigued look appearing on Melia's face.

"Oh? And who do you think is this mystery crush of mine?" She smiled, the young man leaning towards her ear and whispered his answer, the blonde's eyes widening in surprise as he had hit the jackpot. "B-But how?!"

"The signs were all there; the chemistry you two have is so perfect, that I'm a little concerned that my presence would ruin things. Heck, I'm surprised that you confessed to me before confessing to her." Julius answered.

"I'm surprised that she hasn't confessed to me as well, as I know how she feels about me. I guess…I guess we're waiting for the perfect moment to express our feelings for each other." Melia replied, the duo leaning closer to each other. "As for your concerns, I'm sure she'll be alright with you joining in on the fun, as long as she gets priority over you."

"I can work with that, after all her feelings are more important than mine." The young man agreed to the terms, his attention fixed back onto the starry sky. "So my lady, what's our next plan of attack?"

*giggles* "Well it'll take around a week or so to get ready, so you can help yourself to any spare requests from the Help Centre. Just watch out for Kecleons, okay?" The blonde giggled, her attention back onto the stars as well. Julius wished with all his heart that this magical moment would never end; after all, smiling would be a luxury is Crescent is to be believed. But with his friends and his new lover by his side, he knew that they will all triumph in the end.

 **What a lovely moment to end things off on, the beginning of a new romance. Don't worry Melia x Venam fans, there will be plenty of sweet moments in the future for you to enjoy as well. The situation may be a bit controversial, but I do hope the original author is pleased with my work so far.**

 **Now as for the next chapter, it's going to be a bit of a break from the story as I deal with several miscellaneous side quests that I feel would flesh out the story a bit more. I'm not quite sure whether it'll be the standard length, or a little shorter, but I hope you enjoy it. Catch you all next time!**


	33. Chapter 33

**Welcome back to the next chapter of Rise from the Ashes. It'll be slower than the last couple chapters, but it should serve as a nice cooldown before we begin the next episode of Rejuvenation's story. Speaking of which, I'll put a small list at the end of this chapter on my favorite episodes from the game, as well as a quick reason why.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Julius yawned himself awake, the young teen sitting up in his bed as he rubbed his weary eyes open and began planning out his day. Since Melia told him about a few Help Center requests she needs to get done, but was too busy to do so, he figured he'd start off there and begin working his way elsewhere. Quickly getting himself dressed and groomed for the occasion, he stepped out of the guestroom quietly, making sure he didn't wake up Amber and Tesla and exited the villa, the young teen closing the door only to jump in surprise when he saw Venam standing right behind him.

"Hahahaha! That look on your face was pure gold!" She snickered, amused over frightening the young teen as he regained his composure.

"W-Well you would be scared too, if someone suddenly appeared right behind you." Julius rebutted, letting out a quick sigh of amusement. "That aside, good morning Venam."

"Morning Jules! I just saw Melia make her way to Kakori Village with a most radiating smile on her face; what was it you two talked about last night?" The purple-haired girl inquired, a curious look in her eyes.

"We had a heart-to-heart chat about how one deals with the pain of losing a parent, as well as our misery over failing to save Nim. Afterwards, we talked a bit about the stars in the sky to cheer us up a bit, and that was that." Julius told a half-truth, the young teen not ready to bring up last night's confession to each other.

"I guess I can see why she would want to talk to you about losing Professor Jenner, considering what had happened to you." Venam replied casually. "So, are you planning on helping her with whatever she's doing?"

"I am helping her, but in a different manner. Last night, she also mentioned a couple of Help Center requests that she needed to get done but was too busy to do so. So, I stepped in to lend her a hand, just like that other time." The young teen answered, bringing out the CyberNav and showed Venam the requests that Melia had forwarded to him. "If you want, you can lend Melia a hand with her business. I'm sure she'd love to spend some time with you, alone."

"I might go do that, actually." The purple-haired girl greatly appreciated the idea. "Catch you later Jules; good luck with the requests!"

"See you later, Venam!" Julius waved her farewell, the duo going their separate ways for the day as he made his way to the dock where Tesla's yacht was docked. As he got the motor running, he took a look at the first request sent to him and was surprised to that it was sent by…Karen? The message even stats that she's only interested in Julius picking up the request, so why it was sent to Melia in the first place was a mystery. Perhaps Ayuda remembered that Julius fulfilled the original batch of requests sent to Melia and assumed that he would do the same thing again. The note mentioned that she would be waiting in the deepest room in the Hidden Library, the same one where she had found her precious Mega Ring. Hoping that things would wind up a lot better than last time, he put in the route on the onboard GPS and laid back as the yacht took him to his destination.

 **0000**

Having made his way back to the Hidden Library after a quick walk following the yacht trip, Julius was unsurprised to see that the place was as quiet as it had been when he first found it alongside Karen. Making his way to the back room, he noticed that Karen's attention was fixated on the large plaque at the back of the room, the young teen clearing his throat to attract her attention.

"Ah, if it isn't my favorite Little Dove. You seem a lot…cheerier than the last time we met." Karen shot Julius a small smile.

"Well truth be told, I can't say I'm all that happy since the last week or so dealt me a lot of ups and downs. But I figured it'll do me no good to frown all the time, since an acquaintance told me that I'll have very few opportunities to smile in the future." He replied curtly.

"I'm glad you're happy, because a happy worker is a productive worker as they say. I assume you're here to help me with my request?" The older woman inquired, the young teen nodding in confirmation.

"Yes, I am. But I have to ask you something; if you were only interested in assistance from me, then why send the request to Melia in the first place?" Julius wondered, as Karen let out a quick chuckle.

"It's simple, I knew you would do anything to help your lover, so I sent it to her with the knowledge that she would ask you to do this favor for her." Karen explained, her answer leaving the young teen with more questions than answers.

"H-How do you—" He began, only for the older woman to hush him, placing a finger close to his lips.

"I think that little secret is best kept with me…for now." She spoke softly, a confused look appearing on Julius' face before deciding to drop the subject altogether. "Now then, as for why I needed your assistance, it has to do with this door."

"Door? All I see is the plaque." Julius replied, an amused smile forming on the older woman's face as she pressed a few indents in the large stone structure, a low groaning noise echoing out through the room as the plaque slowly split into two halves, the two sides moving further and further apart until the revealed a small metal door embedded in the brick wall behind the plaque. "Oh, that door…"

"Yes; there's bound to be a valuable treasure behind it and I want it! Of course, I'll need your help opening it, and I'll ensure you won't go home empty handed." Karen added, her eyes sparkling with joy and greed over what could lie beyond this door.

"Alright I'll—wait, does this door require a blood offering or something? Because if so, you can keep your reward; I want no part in this." The young teen eyed the door up cautiously, his mind expecting the worst-case scenario.

"Hahahaha! You're so funny, you know that? No, I don't require a blood sacrifice or anything, but there are two stone pillars in this room that may be connected to this door. All I need you to do is press the button on them; of course, they need to be pressed at the same time, hence why I needed your help. So there's no need to act like a scaredy Meowth over it!" The older woman chuckled, her finger pointing towards a pair of stone pillars standing beside the hidden door, the both of them sporting a Kangaskhan statue on top that looked as if it were about to spring to life at any moment.

Sighing in relief over the ease of opening the door, the young teen made his way to the left pillar and soon found the button he was meant to press, his finger hovering over it as Karen made her way to the right pillar, her clenched hand over her mouth as if she were speaking through a radio of sorts.

"Brrrzzzt! This is uh…your captain speaking in. Are you ready to uh…open this door, Private Julius?" She spoke through her "radio" as if she were a pilot, the young man nodding in confirmation. However, just as they were about to do so, a voice called out for them to stop, the duo turning around to see what looked like a girl in her late teens with short orange hair walking up to them, her outfit consisting of a dark brown dress that reached above her knees.

"You, Julius is it? Do not press that button!" She demanded; the young teen confused as to how exactly this woman knew his name.

"Oh no, no, no; Zis' is unacceptable! Who dares interrupt us at a most pivotal moment?" Karen demanded back, eying up the young woman as an odd look soon appeared on her face, almost as if she had met this person before. "…Do I know you from somewhere?"

"Ha, you don't remember this face? The face of a poor girl who had her parents ripped from her life?! I am Karrina; descendant of the Garufa, caretaker of the Hidden Library, and guardian of East Gearen!" The newcomer introduced herself in a most bold manner.

"Pleasure to meet you Karrina. I'd introduce myself, but you know my name already, possibly by talking to Venam and her friends." The young teen called out casually. "But caretaker of the library? Did you inherit that role from your parents?"

"Correct, they were the caretakers of this place before me. And this woman beside you killed them because they refused to tell her the location of the library." Karrina replied, as a sudden realization struck Karen's mind.

"Oh yeah, I did do that, didn't I? Which means that you're…" Karen replied casually, almost as if she was hoping that Julius would forget the part about her being a murderer. "Little Duck! How have you been all these years?! Oh, when I first saw you, you were so small and precious back then! My, have you grown up big and strong~"

"I should've expected something this off the wall sooner or later; these sorts of things tend to flock towards Karen for some reason…" The young teen mused under his breath, his mind slowly getting used to whatever wacky shenanigans this region throws at him.

"Don't you dare pull the 'cool wine aunt' façade with me, especially after what you've done!" The orange-haired teen hissed back at the older woman.

"Aw, don't be so upset Little Duck. This is a momentous reunion, why I can barely contain my excitement! Besides, if you still need a shoulder to cry on, then I'm sure Little Dove can offer you his; he also lost his parents." Karen shrugged Karrina's comment off whimsically, the older woman acting a lot differently then before. "Ah, are you here to help us open this door? Why that'll be appreciated, Little Duck."

"N-No! I came here to stop you two from opening it. My parents guarded that room with their life, and I won't let their mission fail to the likes of you. And once I've defeated you, I'm going to hand you over to the authorities and finally close this library down for good, avenging my parents whom you cruelly massacred!" Karrina declared, only to stop as she saw Karen drifting asleep rather quickly. "Are you even listening to me?!"

"H-H-Huh?!" The older woman snapped awake, quickly scanning the room before staring at the orange-haired teen once more. "My apologies, I had fallen asleep over that incredibly BORING speech of yours. If you wanted this place to be closed forever, then why didn't you just say so in the beginning?" She continued, quickly uttering a chant as the ground beneath their feet quivered and quaked as the sound of something closing shut echoed throughout the place.

"Wh-What did you just do, Karen?!" Julius demanded, a look of concern and fear etched on his face.

"Don't worry Little Dove, I only did what Little Duck wanted." The older woman answered casually. "Since I love and cherish Little Dick so very much, I closed the Hidden Library forever!"

"Right, there's just one problem with that…you closed it while we were still inside!" Karrina snapped at the older woman.

"I did…? Oh…oh god…does this mean…we're a family now?! Oh my goodness, we'll all be so happy together, telling stories and having meaningful interactions with each other. I call dibs on the mommy of course! Julius can be the daddy or the—" Karen began giddily, her eyes sparkling over her sudden realization.

"Excuse me?! I won't no part in this childish fantasy of yours! My life was just getting back together, and you locked me in this damn library! Now either you find a way out of here, or I'll knock you out and take that Mega Ring of yours!" Julius growled at the older woman.

"H-Honey! That is no way to be talking in front of our precious child; why you're no better than that mean old Indriad you encountered a long time ago." She retorted, catching the young man by surprise once more regarding her knowledge of things she shouldn't know about.

"…What in all that is holy is wrong with you?!" Karrina exclaimed, her eyes widen in pure shock over all this nonsense she was exposed to.

"S-See what you did? Now our precious Little Duck is picking up on bad habits! Go to your room; you're making me cry with your disrespect." Karen demanded, the orange-haired girl nodding as she saw a convenient excuse to free herself from this insanity. "And as for you; there will be no late time fun for you mister. Perhaps that'll teach you to watch your mouth in front of Little Duck."

"L-Late time fun? Wh-Why would I want some late time fun with you?" Julius stammered back.

"Ohohohohoho, don't think I don't know about your…desires regarding your friends. Such lustful feelings should be kept in check, you know?" The older woman teased him, the young teen blushing up a storm as he continued to wonder about her knowledge. Did she have some sort of secret spy ring that gathered information for her needs? Or was she, Angie, Indriad and Crescent all part of some global conspiracy to toy with him, as if he were their favorite puppet? "A-All that said…I, I need some time alone. I-I feel bad for yelling at my precious Little Duck like that…" She continued, bursting into tears as she quickly left the spacious room. Julius let out a quiet sigh to himself; he knew that today was going to be one of those days so he opted to send Melia a quick apology message, letting her know that he would be a little later than expected. Once he sent the message, he pocketed his CyberNav and exited the room to find the two women and hopefully get some answers.

Soon enough, he found Karrina casually sitting by one of the tables in the library, her mind elsewhere as she was soon alerted by the young teen taking a seat beside her. "J-Julius, was it? I apologize for getting you into this mess. I should've have warned Venam about letting you get too close to Karen, but it completely slipped my mind." She apologized.

"If anything, I should be the one apologizing. Not only did I open the Hidden Library without letting you know, but I aided the one who murdered your parents." Julius apologized back.

"No need to blame yourself for that, you didn't know that she was a killer." Karrina replied, the duo quickly giving each other a firm handshake. "But onto more pressing matters, the door is indeed closed. Fret not, all we need to do is get Karen to say 'open' in Garufan."

"Unfortunately, she's not as foolish as that previous performance of hers would assume; it'll require some crafty thinking on our part. However, I've been denied some answers for too long and any you could offer would be greatly appreciated." The young teen added, his mind going for what was arguably the most pressing question of them all. "Who exactly is Karen?"

"Ah yes, Karen. She's a very dangerous and mentally unstable woman, but I assume you got a taste of that, yeah?" The orange-haired teen replied, with Julius giving her a nod of confirmation. "She also happens to be a member of the Elite 8; don't ask me why the Aevium League would give someone like her that position, I have no clue as well. Something else I know about her is that like me, her lineage can be traced back to the Garufa. She may be one of us, but with how dangerous she can be I cannot in good faith let her have what is behind that door, especially since she already got the original treasure."

"You mean the Mega Ring?" Julius inquired.

"Exactly; as you may know, a Mega Ring enables a trainer and their Pokémon to take part in a process called Mega Evolution, provided that the bond between them is sufficiently strong. But to activate a Mega Ring, one would need the Pokémon's Mega Stone, as well as the main Mega Stone to power up the ring itself." Karrina continued her explanation.

"But if Karen wanted a Mega Ring and a Mega Stone, then why go through all this tedium surrounding the Hidden Library, when she could've picked one up in Kalos or elsewhere?" The young teen asked, his mind trying to wrap around the older woman's complicated strategy and maneuvers.

"The Mega Ring and Mega Stone kept down here are a lot different than the one's you're familiar with, having been blessed by Garufan magic. I'm not 100% sure what it does exactly, but it may grant her Pokémon the ability to Mega-Evolve without their key stone, even those that do not have one in the first place." The orange-haired teen stated, as a few thoughts flooded Julius' mind. While a Mega Ring like that would be very useful in crushing Team Xen for good, it wouldn't be worth the risk as it could just as easily fall into their hands and enable them to do who knows what with it.

"That answers a couple of my questions, but I'm genuinely curious to learn a bit more about you. Are you really a descendant from the Garufan tribe?" He asked once more.

"Yes, I am indeed a part of the Garufan lineage. A little off-topic, but I do believe Spacea and Tiempa are _very_ interested in you, for some reason." Karrina replied cheerily, the young teen nearly falling from his seat in pure shock over what he just heard.

"S-Spacea? T-Tiempa? Wh-Who are they and what do they want with me?!" Julius stammered, a few drops of sweat falling down his forehead.

"No need to worry, I'm sure Melia would be more than happy to answer your inquiry." She answered his query, before remembering his initial question. "But back to my lineage; my parents were the rightful keepers to this library, but as I mentioned, they were murdered by Karen. Truth be told, I was the one she was going to kill, but Spacea and Tiempa saved me at a cost. I guess if I wasn't there for Karen to have, then she would take my parents instead. It was a foolish move on her behalf, considering that my parents were the only ones who know about the library's location. And in case you were wondering, I learnt of this place my going through my parent's journals. I made a pledge to get stronger so I can take down Karen and avenge my parents, but as you can see that's not working out so far…"

"I-I see…You have my deepest sympathies, Karrina. I too know the pain of losing my parents." Julius expressed his sympathies to the girl beside him.

"I appreciate your kindness, but we need to get working on our escape plan. Unfortunately, the only way we can do so is if we get Karen to say 'open' in Garufan, but that's easier said than done." She replied, shooting him a small smile. "However, that doesn't mean we're completely helpless. I'm sure if we look around, we can find an alternate way out of here. For instance, there are rooms that can only be accessed by walking on top of the bookcases, but that's risky in of itself."

"Yeah, I can imagine…" The young teen winced, shivering over the thought of falling from such a height. However, now wasn't the time to let fear overtake him; he wanted out of here as soon as possible. Allowing Karrina to take the lead, Julius walked behind her and into the eastern wing of the library, the duo noticing Karen sleeping soundly on what looked like a sacrificial altar, the young man shivering at the sight once more.

"I-Is everything alright?" Karrina inquired.

"Y-Yeah, just recalled a bad memory involving altars and whatnot." He replied, the duo quietly climbing up-top the bookshelves and slowly made their way across the room and towards the door, hoping and praying that a loose book doesn't fall out an awaken the slumbering witch. Thankfully, they were both able to get across and entered the hidden room, with Karrina's eyes widening in surprise upon gazing at the statue of a Gardevoir that was out in the open.

"What is this…?" She gasped in awe, stepping closer towards the statue with Julius soon joining her. "T-This wasn't mentioned in my parent's text at all; either they must've missed this by accident, or someone else put it here. Except that it can't be the former, because my parents would never leave something like this out."

"Is there a plaque on the front of the statue base?" Julius inquired, perking the girl's attention as she shifted her focus and saw that there was indeed, a plaque on the statue base.

"Y-Yeah…how did you know?" Karrina asked.

"I remember seeing something like this a while ago; I even know what it says." He answered, clearing his throat as he recalled the Light Prophecy from memory. "With death there is also life. With life there is also death. On the darkest day, on the darkest night, tragedy shall befall the Earth. All those caught in the lord's shadow shall be drained and destroyed. The world can be brought to peace again with four lights not born of man. They shall preserve and save the land, and break down the establishment to single layers of sand. Light shall once again be restored to the world. Prosperity and peace shall mesh in one giant swirl. And the land shall be guided by a new light, the strongest of the four lights. To rid this world of everlasting evil and blight."

"I've heard of that prophecy as well, from my parent's text. However, that isn't important right now; what we need should be underneath this statue. I need a hand moving it though." She replied, the duo getting into position as they slowly but surely pushed the statue to the side, with Karrina's eyes sparkling slightly as her gaze was fixed on the stairway that descended even further underground. "And…there we go! That was trickier than I anticipated."

"A stairway? Didn't expect to see something like this here." Julius commented, gazing upon it in a sense of awe and intrigue.

"Well my parents did show this staircase in the diagram, so I have no idea why that statue was there in the first place; perhaps to hide this from plain view. Either way, we should proceed with caution, who knows what could be hidden in the darkness—" The orange-haired teen began, only for a familiar voice to call out to them.

"Oh, Little Duck…Little Dove, where are you? It's time for dinner! What's for dinner?!" Karen called out from the other room, searching for the duo as they stared at each other briefly before quickly running down the staircase. Having descended into the next room, they eyed up a rather tall bookshelf before them and lunged at it, grabbing any book they can and quickly flicked through it for anything that could point them to an alternate escape route, but to no avail.

"Th-There's got to be something that can help us, but we don't have the time to go through all these books!" Julius exclaimed, putting the book back on the shelf.

"Maybe there's something further in this room that can help us. If the diagram is accurate, there should be a small room up ahead. Come, follow me!" Karrina called out, snatching the young teen up by his wrist and quickly dragged him through the room and to a small alcove lined up with a pair of Arceus statues. But Karrina's look of joy soon turned to one of despair as she saw that in the place of the doorway she wanted, was a brick wall. It was a vastly different color from the cream-colored bricks that made up the walls of this hidden room. "D-Damnit!" She hissed, punching the wall with her hand, a stinging pain soon coursing through it as she shook her hand to dull the sensation.

*sigh* "Looks like this is another one of those days where things won't go my way. Brilliant…" The young teen sighed under his breath in frustration. "Now what do we do?"

"Well you can start by getting dinner ready, Little Dove…" A voice called out to them, the duo recoiling in shock as they saw Karen walking up to them. "Well, well, well. Did Little Duck find this place while I was sleeping? And she didn't even let me know first? How could you do such a heinous act after all I've done for you?"

"All that YOU'VE done for me?! Ha, don't make me laugh!" Karrina retorted dryly, crossing her arms in annoyance, unaware that an Unown 'A' suddenly appeared behind her.

"And what say you, Little Dove?! How could you let her indulge in such misbehavior? And you call ME the irresponsible parent." The older woman continued chewing the duo out, an Unown 'X' soon joining its comrade behind Karrina.

"Are you even listening to yourself?! This whole family act has gone on long enough! I want out of this fucking library, and you will say the damn word to let us out of here, now!" Julius demanded, an Unown 'E' appearing to join its companions as the young teen soon noticed them and stepped back in surprise.

"Honestly, you two are talking so loud that the letters are spewing right out of your mouth, yet only one of you seems to know what I'm talking about." Karen commented, having noticed the Unown from the moment they began appearing.

"What on earth are you talking about now? Don't you know how to shut up?!" Karrina snapped at the older woman.

"Uhhh…you may want to turn around Karrina." Julius suggested, a confused look appearing on the orange-haired teen's face as she spun around and saw the trio of Unown chirping at the humans before them.

"Unown? No need to worry, they're just the local denizens of this library." She replied calmly.

"Correct, Little Duck! However, these Unown are huddled together. Who knows what power they could unle—" Karen began, only for the eyes of the Unown to begin glowing as a warm light enveloped Karrina before warping her to who knows where. "L-Little Duck! Where did you take her?!"

The Unown turned their attention to the older woman, enveloping her in the same ethereal glow before warping her elsewhere, with Karen letting out a holler of excitement before disappearing. However, they chose not to warp Julius elsewhere, instead using their power on the brick wall behind them, the structure slowly creaking open to reveal a hidden passageway. Once it was fully open, the Unown chirped at the young man once more before disappearing from the room, leaving him confused as to what just happened. Taking a deep breath, he stepped beyond the doorway and walked into the unknown, unaware on what exactly would be lying before him.

 **?**

Julius was at a complete loss as to what he was seeing; one minute he was in the Hidden Library searching for a way out, the next minute he found himself in what could only be described as a pixelated world, similar to that of those old videogames he and Ren played when he was a child. The area resembled a lush green plain with a large lake to the west and a very dense forest to the east, with a few patches of tall grass to the north. The feeling in the air was…surprisingly calm despite the circumstances, though he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched from afar.

"I've seen and experienced some crazy shit in my life. But this? This would have to take the cake; it's like I'm in a video game." He mused to himself, noticing a wooden sign beside the lake and took a quick glance at it. "Atebit World? So that's what this place is called. Ah well, if it's like that game I played, then heading north is the way to go."

Settling on a direction to take, Julius made his way towards the tall grass and was about to walk through it, only for a voice to halt him in his tracks. "Hey. Don't you know it's dangerous to walk into the tall grass? Wild Pokémon may attack you!" It spoke to him, the young teen turning around and saw an adorable young girl who appeared to be a year or two older than Maria, with long blonde hair just like her. Her shiny blue eyes studied the young teen, her outfit consisting of a black button up dress and a white undershirt, topped off with a pair of shiny black loafers and a vivid red bow in her hair.

"M-Maria?!" Julius stammered, stepping back in shock over what he's seeing.

"Heehee…that's not my name, silly. My name's Alice." She giggled light-heartedly. "Ah but I digress, you already have some Pokémon with you. In that case, I'll be on my way then."

"W-Wait a minute!" He called out, watching Alice quickly run through the tall grass without a care in the world. Figuring that she might know more about this mysterious world, the young teen quickly followed her in hot pursuit. After a few minutes or so, he had found a lone cabin standing beside a small pond in the woods, the young teen determining this to be where Alice had gone off to as he walked to the door and knocked briskly on it. A voice from the other side gestured at him to come inside, with Julius opening the door and saw Alice sitting by a table, sipping a cup of hot chocolate.

"Ah, it's you again. Please, have a seat." She gestured at him, with the young teen taking a seat beside her and sat down on it.

"Thank you, Alice. The name's Julius, it's a pleasure to meet you." He introduced himself.

"It's nice to meet you, Julius. So what brings you all the way here?" Alice inquired, gazing calmly at her guest.

"Long story short, I was investigating the Hidden Library with this woman named Karen, when we were halted in our tracks by a third person who named herself Karrina. In a surprising turn of events, Karen locked us all in the Library leaving me and Karrina to explore the place for an alternate way out. However, we were soon confronted by a group of Unown who warped us all to this world." Julius explained his side of the story, as an odd look formed on the young girl's face, as if her guest had grown a second head right then and there.

"Library…? I don't know of any library, and I know this place like the back of my hand." She replied to his story. "But you said those two were taken by Unown, right? Don't worry about the Unown too much, they just like to play pranks and tricks on unsuspecting travelers. On another note, I really like your name, Julius; it carries a sort of…regal tone to it."

"Th-Thanks, but I'm not some member of royalty if that's what you're gonna ask about next." The young teen stated, a little caught off-guard by the sudden compliment as the sound of approaching footsteps grew closer and closer to the cabin.

"Ah, that's just my brother. I'll…I'll go see him now." Alice replied, bowing politely before Julius as she quickly walked out the cabin. Around a few seconds later, a second person entered the cabin and eyed up the young man, a look of suspicion in his eyes. He appeared to be a year or two older than Alice and had the same blonde hair and blue eyes as her, albeit it his hair was shorter than hers. His outfit consisted of a black jacket and jeans, with a white t-shirt underneath and a pair of shiny black loafers.

"H-Huh…Who are you and what are you doing in my sisters house?!" The man demanded, staring down Julius.

"My apologies sir, I had gotten separated from my travelling companions, and had hoped that your sister knew where they were." Julius explained his case, raising his hands to show that he meant no ill will.

"…so long as that's all you were doing here, then I guess I can let it slide. The name's Allen, I'm her older sis—brother, yes brother!" He introduced himself, with Julius raising an eyebrow over his slip-up, but opted to ignore it.

"Pleased to meet you, the name's Julius. In case you were wondering where your sister went, she left just a few seconds before you came back here. I'm sure you must've seen her walk by before arriving here." The young teen introduced himself.

"Th-That can't be right…I didn't see here when I made my way back here…Oh no, don't tell me that Team Trappus took her!" Allen exclaimed, his look of anger quickly turning into one of concern as the worst thoughts imaginable plagued his mind.

"Fret not, I won't let this…Team Trappus kidnap your sister. She helped me out when I needed it, so I figured it'll be the right thing to repay the favor." Julius pledged his services to the acquaintance before him, who mulled it over for a moment.

"Well it's not like I can be picky with any help I can get…alright, I'll accept it. Just don't get in my way like a weakling would." The blonde teen accepted the offer, with Julius chuckling lightly.

"Hahahaha, don't underestimate me. I've met several people who brushed me off as weak; I ended up humiliating them in battle." He chimed in casually.

"Let's hope you live up to the expectation you set up for yourself." Allen replied, the duo quickly exiting the cabin and made their way east, only to get distracted by a most confusing sight. Standing atop a rocky outcropping was Karen, constrained with a psychic power by several Unown, including the trio from before with Allen walking up to confront her. "A-Ack, who exactly are you?!"

"I-I cannot move, for I am being punished for my sins!" The older woman cried out, her gaze slowly turning to face Julius. "A-Ah…Little Dove, is that you? P-Please, Help me now!"

"This lady screams a lot. She MUST be a part of Team Trappus!" The blonde teen deduced, with both Karen and Julius staring at him oddly.

"W-What now? I have no idea what you're talking about, shorty. Why are you that short anyway?" Karen inquired.

"Quiet! If you can't get yourself out of this mess, then you must be weaker than this guy over here." Allen retorted, pointing a thumb towards Julius.

"Well to be fair, it's not like Unown are that particularly difficult to deal with." Julius shrugged his shoulders.

"Argh, enough of this nonsense! I've got some business with Team Trappus and I don't have the time to deal with you." The blonde huffed, storming off towards the east, with Julius shooting Karen an apologetic look and promised to help her out later before following the younger man, only to end up losing Allen sometime later, the young teen letting out a cry of frustration.

"Damnit! Where did he go?!" He called out, only to hear the sound of approaching footsteps, the young teen turning around and saw that Alice was walking up to him.

"Where did who go?" She inquired.

"Your brother, Allen. He went this way to rescue you from Team Trappus, whoever they are. He seems nice, despite his temper." Julius told her.

*giggles* "That sounds like Allen alright." Alice chuckled lightly. "As for that lady by the Unown, I'll free her once Allen and I are reunited, I promise you—"

"Hold it right there!" An older man called out, storming up to the duo. His uniform was a warped version of the Team Xen uniform, with a grey and blue coloration instead of the usual black and red. "Well, if it isn't Alice; I've been searching this entire forest for you. Now, you're mine!"

"Leave her alone, asshole!" Julius demanded, the grunt snickering at him in response.

"So you want to play the big hero then? Alright then, I'll fight you in a battle; a hand-to-hand battle so no using your Pokémon!" The grunt challenged the young man, the immediate area warping and shifting until it resembled a grassy arena.

"Hand-to-hand…?" Julius replied, puzzled by what he just heard.

"It's just like those video games you played as a child. You select one of four attacks, then your opponent selects their attack and initiates it. Whoever loses their Health Points first is the loser." Alice chimed in, taking a seat in between two billboards that displayed the health of both Julius and the grunt. The young teen thought that he was in the middle of some sort of fever dream, but the menu that listed four options proved otherwise. The options listed were 'defend', 'precise attack', 'fierce attack' and 'special attack', with Julius opting to go for a fierce attack. Lunging at the grunt, he reared his fist and struck the grunt's torso, only for the grunt to grapple his arm and throw the young teen to the ground.

"Ha! Is that the best you can do?" He jeered, rearing his foot to stomp onto Julius, the young man rolling aside to dodge the attack. Getting back up, he saw the menu once more and opted for a precise strike this time, waiting for the opponent to slip up. The grunt paced side to side, eyeing up the young teen cautiously before throwing a punch at him, with Julius dodging and delivered a quick jab to his gut, the grunt clutching it in pain as he soon followed up by pushing the grunt to the ground. Letting out a strangled roar of anger, the grunt got back to his feet and charged up an energy ball before flinging it at Julius, who stepped back in shot as he was struck directly by the attack and was sent flying back.

"Argh…now that was uncalled for…" He winced, slowly getting back up on his feet and saw the menu one more, a small asterisk by the 'special attack' command. Eyeing it up, he tapped on the asterisk and saw a small text box pop up.

' _A special attack is a most powerful ability that deals a lot of damage and cannot be dodged or blocked. However, such a technique can only be used once per battle, so use it wisely.'_ It read. Julius, realizing that he had no other choice left opted to use this special attack, a small energy ball forming in his right hand. He charged it up before flinging it towards the grunt, the attack striking him head on as he howled in pain and was flung backwards, crumpling onto the ground.

"Heehee…that was pretty fun actually." The grunt told Julius in an uncharacteristically light-hearted tone…before fading into nothingness, as if he had been an illusion from the very beginning. The young teen breathed a sigh of relief and turned around to check on Alice, only to see that she had disappeared. "N-No! W-Where'd you go Alice?!"

"So, Team Trappus really did kidnap my sister…" A familiar voice called out, the young teen turning around and saw Allen walking up to him. "Not to worry, I'll make them pay the ultimate price for their crimes."

"Yes…we'll make them pay, together." Julius pledged, with Allen letting out a quick chuckle.

"Together? Don't make me laugh! While I will admit you handled that grunt rather well, their leader is much stronger than they are; you don't stand a chance!" He retorted, flicking his hair back. "But enough banter, my sister is in trouble and we must save her!"

Nodding in confirmation, Julius followed the young boy through the forest but was once again falling behind. But it wasn't that he was slow or anything, it's that Allen had inhuman speed, the blonde man leaping over various rocks and roots without much effort whatsoever. And as he expected, he was left behind again. Arriving at a crossroad within the forest to catch his breath, he turned his head to the right and saw a pair of grunts knocked unconscious, with Alice quietly gazing at them before noticing the young teen.

"Ah, Julius. You just missed out on an awesome show! My brother knocked both those grunts out at the same time!" The young girl cheered, walking up to him. "Oh, this is wonderful; everything is the way it should be now~"

"The way it should be…?" Julius inquired, his mind wracked over what exactly was she getting at. As a matter of fact, this whole scenario was a complete mess; whenever Alice would go off and disappear, Allen would conveniently show up and vice versa. It's almost as if they were the same person, but which one was real and which one was false? Not to mention that he still hasn't seen Karrina whatsoever, and Karen was still imprisoned by those Unown back on that rock.

"Oh, I remember now. You wanted your friend freed, right? In that case, I shall free them on the way back home. You can come with me if you want!" Alice chimed happily, the young girl running off through the forest once more, the young teen calling for her to slow down before shrugging his shoulders and tried to keep up with her. Eventually, he made it out of that forest and walked by the rock where Karen once stood, noticing that she wasn't there any longer.

"So she did keep her end of the bargain. Better make sure to thank her when I see her next." He panted, his body at it's limit from all the running around he did in this mysterious world. The young teen figured that she might be resting up in her cabin so he made the quick trek towards it, opening the door and saw both Alice and Karen as he expected…with Karrina seemingly chilling beside the table as well. "K-Karrina?!" He blurted, confused by her sudden appearance.

"Ah, you're back Julius. As you can see, your friends are safe and sound." The blonde girl informed him.

"Hey, Julius. Good to see you again. Now do you have any idea where we are?" The orange-haired teen asked.

"Supposedly we're in a place known as the 'Atebit World'. Don't know how it's connected to the Hidden Library, but somehow it is." He answered calmly.

"More talk of this elusive Library? Why I'm intrigued now; I might visit it one day. But where are my manners? The name's Alice." She introduced herself to Karrina. "Contrary to Mr. Silly's statement, we're in the Unown Dimension—wait, does that mean that you two are from…the other world?"

"If by the other world, you mean the real world, then yes we are." Karrina answered her question.

"Ah, the memories. I was born in that world quite some time ago, but my father trapped me in this world, at least that was what I was told. Now I live here peacefully with my brother." Alice explained.

"You mean the same brother who conveniently show's up whenever you're not around?" Julius commented, a hint of suspicion in his tone of voice.

"Oh that? Nothing more than a simple coincidence I assure you." The blonde girl giggled.

"Well that aside, how do we get back?" Karrina asked.

"Easy, there's a cave to the north of the forest. The exit lies within there." Alice informed the orange-haired teen.

"But Little Duck, why would you ever want to leave this place? It's so fun and silly and beautiful and and and—" Karen began rambling, the older woman having recovered rather well from her…imprisonment.

"Well if you like this place so much, why don't you stay here with me for a bit? You can leave whenever you'd like too!" The blonde girl proposed to her elder.

"Hold on a minute. Karen can't stay here because she closed the Library and we need it opened up." Julius interjected, turning his gaze towards the older woman.

"Oh, Little Dove. How could you hurt my feelings like that? There's a saying that goes: if you love it, set it free. Well momma, I'll set it free. I'LL SET IT FREE!" She boldly declared, quieting down as she took a slip of paper and wrote the word on it with a pen before handing it to Karrina. "These are the words that'll set you free, Little Duck. Just make sure Little Dove doesn't hurt himself, alright? He can get quite scary when enraged."

"I-I'll keep that in mind…" The orange-haired girl replied, pocketing the slip of paper before nodding in appreciation.

"It was nice to meet the both of you; please visit me whenever you can, I enjoyed your company." Alice said her goodbyes to the duo.

"Yeah, it was nice meeting you as well Alice. Tell your brother I said my goodbyes." Julius said his goodbyes as well, the duo giving each other a firm handshake.

"I'll make sure he gets the message, Mr. Silly." She giggled, with Julius and Karrina hopping off their seats and exited the cabin and began the journey to the aforementioned cave. Luckily, the young teen was able to make his way through the forest easily, having gone through it a couple times already, and showed Karrina the ideal way through it. Soon enough, they arrived at the entrance to the cave that Alice mentioned, the orange-haired teen walking through it with Julius about to do the same, when a familiar voice halted him in his tracks.

"So, you were successful in saving my sister after all? Heh, I guess you're cooler than I initially thought." Allen shot him a small smile. "So it seems you're leaving this place, right?"

"Yeah, I'd love to stay here a little longer, but I've got some important business to deal with." Julius replied curtly.

"Alright, but you better come back. Or else I'll find you and feed you a three-course meal of knuckle sandwiches." The blonde boy threatened light-heartedly, kinda like Venam would.

"Don't worry, the moment I get some free time, I'll come back here. Perhaps I'll give you a taste on what real power is like." The young teen reassured him.

"Hahahah! Now that's what I'm talking about. Just don't expect to beat me anytime soon, for I'll be training for that day to come." Allen chuckled confidently, the young boy turning around and walked back into the forest. Once the coast was clear, Julius made his way to the cave and stepped inside, where he saw Karrina standing by an altar and was putting the finishing touches to what looks like a tile puzzle.

"Where were you? I was busy dealing with this puzzle for a couple minutes." She inquired, stepping back to inspect the completed image, which depicted a Kabuto.

"My apologies, I got caught up with Allen, Alice's brother. We exchanged our goodbyes and what not." He explained what had happened outside the cave. But just as Karrina was about to protest, the duo were suddenly enveloped by a warm light and were teleported out of the cave before they could utter a single sound.

 **The Hidden Library**

"Ugh…where are we now?" Julius inquired, rubbing his head as he slowly got up off the ground, with Karrina lending him a hand.

"Do not fret, for we're back in the Hidden Library. What even was that world? It looked and felt as if we were in a video game; did it actually happen or was it some sort of glitch in the matrix?" She asked him, an odd expression in her eyes.

"I-I want to believe that it was just a glitch, but Alice felt so real, so endearing that she simply couldn't be an illusion. I…I think I would like to go back home now, my head's aching from this entire experience." The young teen requested.

"There's something about her and her brother that doesn't make sense, and it was a comment that you mentioned in that world; that they're never in the same room together. It's almost as if…they are one and the same." Karrina added, raising a hand to her chin. "But which one is real though…?"

"Well, if they are theoretically the same person, I believe that Alice is the genuine one, as she was the first sibling I saw. But then again, it could all just be a coincidence brought about by that strange world." Julius input his two cents into the scenario, but it wouldn't matter much. The events that just transpired would always remain a mystery to him, no matter how many cents he put into it.

"Let's just forget about that place and go home; Karen's stuck in that world and I wouldn't have it any other way. But just to be safe, let's clear that room she was hoping to get into." The orange-haired teen suggested, with the young teen nodding in compliance as they made their way through the library and back to the room with the large plaque in it, the two pillars still standing firmly in place. Taking in a deep breath, the duo stepped up to their respective pillars and pressed the button, the room groaning and creaking as the door slowly opened, a small blanket of dust escaping from within the room. Walking slowly into the room, the duo were surprised to see a wide variety of Mega Stones line up neatly on a series of wooden benches, a series of labels listing what Pokémon they worked for and what region they came from.

"Woah, I expected there to be one Mega Stone, not a goddamn vault full of them!" The young teen cooed in awe, eyeing up the stones as his eyes focused on the one stone that hailed from the Tandor region, a Syrentideite.

"Karen could come back at any time, so it's best if I take them all now. Since you helped me out back there, I'll allow you to pick ONE Mega Stone to keep." Karrina told him, opening her bag and started putting the stones in as quickly yet carefully as possible.

"Well I've already made my choice." Julius stated, picking up the Syrentideite and pocketing it inside his bag.

"Why am I not surprised you'd go for that one?" She shot him an amused smile, having put the last stone in her bag. "And that's all of them! I'll put these somewhere that Karen would never expect them to hide. Of course, you can't use your stone just yet since you need the Mega Ring itself, but I'm not sure where you'll find one in this region. I want to sincerely thank you for all that you've done for Melia and the rest; I just know that the three of you would be able to live your dream life in the end."

"H-How do you—" He exclaimed in shock, not knowing how she too knows about the hidden feelings he, Melia and Venam have for each other.

"Teehee, a Garufan must keep their secrets safe…" Karrina giggled, hushing up the young man. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to open this place up; I don't intend on spending the rest of my life here."

Chanting the words written on the slip of paper she was given, the area soon quivered and quaked momentarily, indicating that the door had just been opened. Shortly afterwards, Karrina waved the young teen farewell before exiting the room, with Julius following suit as he made the short trek through the library, and back into the open word.

 **0000**

The young teen quietly gazed at the vivid blue and pink stone in his hands before putting it back in his bag, before opting to lookout at the open sea as the yacht made it's way back to Telia Resort. The entire experience back there had eaten up most of the day, the night sky looming over the small craft as it soon ground to a halt and arrived at its destination. Once he had gotten out and tied it in place to ensure it doesn't get stolen, he walked down the pier and saw Melia and Venam waiting patiently for him on a nearby bench.

"Julius! I had gotten your message back then. Are you alright?" Melia inquired, the duo a lot less angry than he had anticipated.

"I apologize for causing you to worry, the request I got caught up in turned pretty haywire unexpectedly." He apologized to them.

"Well what happened that caused you to be this late?" Venam asked the young teen, who spent a moment trying to figure out just how he'll tell the story to them.

"Long story short, I was investigating the Hidden Library alongside Karen, a member of the Elite 8. However, we were soon busted by Karrina, the self-proclaimed Guardian of East Gearen and an acquaintance of Venam's, as I'm sure she'll attest to. Karen then decided to trap us all within the library, leaving Karrina and I no other option than to find an alternate way out. However, the three of us ended up getting warped into some mysterious place known as the Unown Dimension, where we had to play a few games with the caretakers, Alice and Allen before we could escape, or at least Karrina and I managed to. Afterwards, the two of us entered a hidden room in the library were Karrina took all the Mega Stones hidden there, but not before handing one over to me. We managed to get out of the library, and that's what happened to me today." Julius explained his side of the story, the two girls looking at each other as if their friend grew a second head on his body. While they know that he wasn't lying, or acting maliciously, the story he told seemed a bit too fantastical to be real.

"Well as long as you're safe, that's all I care about." Melia reassured him. "By the way, Venam and I were able to get my business done a lot quicker than I anticipated, meaning that we can begin at midday tomorrow."

"That quickly? I guess you two really do go well together. Well, so long as you had fun, then I'm glad you enjoyed yourselves." He shot a smile at the duo.

"It wasn't as fun as you were hoping; if anything, it was downright exhausting. As a matter of fact, we're heading off to bed now since we need to be in tip top shape for whatever Melia wants us to do." Venam informed the young teen.

"Good. Because after what happened today, I could really use a nice sleep. Goodnight you two!" Julius waved at the girls, the trio going their separate was as they got themselves rested for the following day, neither Julius nor Venam aware of what was in store for them.

 **A pretty nice chapter if I say so myself. I know that you con only access this quest after completing the events of Episode 9, but I figured a little shift in order wouldn't hurt the story too much. As for the Mega Stone, I initially thought of giving Julius all the Tandor Mega Stones, but I decided that the Syrentideite would be enough for him. Now as for my absolute favorite episodes, there are four that stand out to me which I'll list below.**

 **Episode 3: Tainted Light: A pretty short episode in terms of story, but I like all the characters that played a pivotal role in it, especially Maria.**

 **Episode 5: Imprisoned: Though a short episode all things considered, it was one of the most pivotal moments in the plot as not only did it make the introduction of Madame X in a spectacular, if tragic way, but it also brought back Melia.**

 **Episode 12: Remember, I Love You: The dramatic escapades through a ruined future were exhilarating enough, but arguably the best part about this chapter is that it laid the groundwork for arguably my favorite paring in ALL of fiction.**

 **Episode 14: Death of One, Birth of Another: My favorite episode out of the four I listed, simply because it was that rare instance where everything worked in the protagonists' favor for once.**

 **And that's my list of favorite episodes, I'd be curious to see what your favorite are and why. But for now I'll be signing off; thank you all for reading my story.**


	34. Chapter 34

**We're going back in time as we get a taste of the rich lore that Rejuvenation has graced us all with. It'll be a bit slow since there aren't that many battles in the first half, but it'll still be a fun read for you all to enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Julius had just woken up from his peaceful slumber and got himself ready as soon as possible; After all, it wouldn't be smart to arrive at his destination wearing only his pajamas. Having finished grooming himself and getting dressed, he had just finished packing his bag and slung it over his shoulder when a brisk knock began tapping on his door.

"Ah, that must be Venam. She must be checking to see if I'm rea—" He mused to himself, opening the door only to get a little surprise at who he saw. "A-Amber? I didn't expect you to be up this early."

"Hey, Jules. I see you're leaving already, what's with the rush?" The redhead inquired.

"This? Oh, I was going to help Melia with some important business later today. Don't know what exactly, but I trust that it'll help us out in the long run." Julius explained calmly.

"I remember her saying something about that at the party…ah well, it doesn't concern me. Hey, why don't we hang out for a bit? I'll show you the awesome TV I have in my room!" Amber offered eagerly to the young teen, as he began mulling it over for a bit. Venam did send him a text last night stating that she'd come around and pick him up when they needed to go, meaning that it was safe to spend some time with the redhead.

"Sure. Just don't keep me around for too long; I don't have all day unfortunately." The young teen conceded, with Amber swiftly clapping her hands.

"Excellent! Our private party would be so much better than that lamo party the other day." She cheered.

"P-Private party…?" Julius repeated the earlier statement.

"Yeah, just the two of us. And no, there won't be any bedroom activities in our party; Saki told me about your perverse desires." Amber elaborated a little, shooting a cocky smirk at the young teen.

"For someone who dislikes her, you sure love using her jokes…" He muttered quietly, letting out a sudden yelp as the redhead briskly dragged him downstairs to her room, sitting adjacent to the indoor pool. Despite it being the first time entering the room, it looked a lot like he imagined it to be; with dozens of flame and music note decals on the walls, colored in various shades of red, orange and black. There was a stand next to Amber's queen-size bed where she rested her electric guitar, as well as a giant flat-screen TV on the wall opposite her bed. Finally, there was a small closet-like room on the eastern side where Amber and Tesla kept their Pokémon.

"Ta-Da! How'd you like it, Jules? My own personal kingdom, and I'm granting you access for the day." The redhead proudly showed off her room.

"It looks nice and comfy." He complimented the room, looking around the place. "Have you invited anyone else into your room before?"

"No, but I could've sworn I saw Venam walking out of it the day before I got kidnapped. Didn't think she'd come here but whatever. Now we can hang out in peace since you decimated Team Xen back on Mount Valor." Amber chimed in. Julius was about to tell her that Team Xen weren't completely destroyed yet, but he didn't want to sour her mood so he chose to keep quiet. "Now then, it's time for something that the both of us can enjoy…if you know what I mean."

"Oh I bet it'll be gre—" Julius began, only for Amber to lightly punch his shoulder.

"Not that, you horndog; the TV!" she pointed towards the flat-screen TV, the duo taking a seat on her bed as she grabbed the remote and switched it on. Expecting her favorite soap opera to be on, Amber was surprised when a breaking news story took the place of her show. "H-Hey, what gives?"

" _Breaking News! Greetings everyone, it's your favorite Gearen News host, the beautiful and most trusted Volta!"_ The newscaster introduced herself. _"I am coming to you live to report on a most baffling phenomenon; a green fog has permeated from the sewers and has blanketed the entirety of West Gearen. Local citizens have reported that this green fog emits an incredibly putrid smell, capable of knocking out anyone exposed to it. Due to this, West Gearen is going under lockdown until further notice! Additionally, an increased presence of security forces will be deployed in East Gearen to ensure the safety of the citizens is secured. This has been Volta, your lovely and trustworthy host!"_

*Yawn…* "So boring." Amber quickly shut the TV off. "It's probably one of Saki's inventions malfunctioning. They'll make a news story out of anything these days; next they'll take images of statues and spin some nonsense about people being turned to stone."

"Y-Yeah…" The young teen replied uneasily, a sinking feeling welling up inside his heart. Something told him that this fog was no ordinary fog; after all it's not like foul smelling clouds that knock out all who smell it are a common occurrence. Part of him wanted to assume that this was another of Team Xen's attempts to destabilize the region,however he doubted they'll launch an operation of this magnitude after the immense defeat they suffered at Mount Valor.

"Whatever, there's still plenty of things we can—" The redhead called out, before getting cut off by the door to her room opening as she narrowed her eyes at the newcomer. "Hey, I don't recall inviting you over."

"Yeah, you didn't. I'm just here to pick up Julius." Venam answered quickly, if a bit bluntly.

"Damn, I wanted to hang out with him a bit more." Amber sighed in annoyance, her shoulders drooping a bit. "By the way, what were you doing in my room back then?"

"N-N-Nothing…" The purple-haired girl stammered easily, quickly snatching Julius' wrist up in her hand. "A-Anyway, we need to go now. Catch you later!" She called out, quickly bolting out the room as Amber watched her go, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as a thought suddenly popped in her mind, causing her to check out the small room where her spare Pokémon were kept.

 **0000**

"S-Slow down Venam, I don't plan on having my arm ripped off anytime soon." Julius requested, the duo abruptly exiting the villa.

"Sorry Jules, but if I didn't drag you away, she would've kept you all to herself." Venam apologized, easing her grip on his arm. "Anyway, she wanted us to meet her close to the summit of Mount Valor. I assume you know what she's talking about?"

"Well there was that one weird room with the large doors and the Arceus statues, is that the one she's talking about?" He inquired, with Venam giving him a firm nod in confirmation.

"Yep, that's the one. Melia and I went over there to do whatever business she needed to get done. And no Julius, it isn't the sort of business you were hoping it was." She replied firmly.

"Aw man, I figured that it would've been the perfect place to go on a date with her girlfriend…" He smirked cheekily, resting his hands behind his head.

"Bu-Bu-What?! Is keeping it in your pants an impossibility for you?!" Venam protested, her cheeks blushing fiercely.

"It's not an impossibility, but the opportunity for a joke was golden. Besides, someone's gotta do it while Saki's not around." Julius casually shrugged his shoulders. "But enough fun and games, we've got work to do!"

"I was just about to say that. Come on, last one there is a rotten egg." The purple-haired teen said, quickly running towards the mountain with Julius following in tow. The race to the mountain was sudden but it provided some needed exercise for the both of them. And though they were both neck and neck, Venam managed to gain an edge at the eleventh hour and was able to beat Julius to the room, the both of them panting like crazy as a surprised Melia turned to face them.

"Oh, did you two have a little race? If so, then I hope you didn't exhaust yourself before the main event." She smiled casually at the duo.

"D-Don't worry…I-I should be…able to fulfill whatever…task you've got…for me…" Julius panted, the young teen collapsing to his knees as Melia giggled quietly under her breath over the sight.

"Make sure you wash yourself as soon as possible; otherwise you'll smell like rotten eggs for the day." Venam cracked a small joke, the purple-haired teen recovering rather quickly from the race.

"Oh come on, I don't smell that bad, do I?" He inquired, raising his arm and sniffed it, only to recoil from the stench. "Eurgh! And I just freshened myself up today. If you'll excuse me for a moment…"

Both girls watched as he exited the cavernous room in order to clean himself up in privacy, as Venam started shivering all of a sudden. "Brrrr…what's with this cold fog in the room? It wasn't like this the other day." She inquired; her arms wrapped around her body.

"That, is what's behind those large doors at the back of the room. I'd tell you what's inside, but that'll spoil the surprise, and I'm sure you'll both love it." Melia answered. "So was Julius difficult to drag out of bed?"

"Surprisingly no, but it was difficult to drag him away from Amber, since she had plans to hang out with him for the day." Venam stated. "Of course, I did fall victim to his quips about the two of us going on a date here as lovers; I guess Saki must've influenced him a little."

"Y-Yeah…" The blonde replied uneasily, her hand masking a growing blush on her flawless face. Luckily for her, Julius had finished tiding himself up and re-entered the room, making his way to the duo.

"There we go, I'm no longer a rotten egg." He replied, taking in the new, more pleasurable smell emanating from his body. "Now then, what's the plan, Melia?"

"I could go over the plan, but I'd rather show you two instead." She smiled at her friends, gesturing them to follow her through the door, with Venam and Julius opting to do so. Upon entering the hidden chamber, the duo was taken aback at the sight that laid before them. They had stepped into a serene forest, a small shower of snow falling onto the ground. There were tall trees as far as the eye could see, with dozens of multicolored crystals scattered all over the place, growing from both the cavern wall and the grassy floor beneath them. Something like this should've been impossible to witness, yet here it was before their very eyes.

"W-What is this place…?" Venam asked in awe. "How can a forest be hidden within a mountain, a mountain that has lava flowing through it nonetheless?"

"This is the Forest of Time, a place that's acts as the connecting point to the past and future." Melia answered, stopping before a fairly large royal blue crystal jutting out of the floor. "What I'm about to tell you must be kept a secret between the three of us, and I'm dead serious about this."

"You can trust us to keep this place a secret." Julius pledged to her, with Venam quickly following suit.

"Good. I'm glad I can trust you. As for what we're doing, we're gonna travel back through time." The blonde answered curtly, causing her friends to step back in surprise.

"T-Travel through time?! But that's impossible!" The purple-haired girl exclaimed, with Melia giggling to herself.

"I knew you two would be surprised to hear that, but I assure you it's not impossible. After all, this forest is unlike anything you two are accustomed to." She replied, with Julius mulling over all the potential that laid right before his eyes. If what she was saying is true, he could go back in time and prevent a whole lot of tragic deaths from happening, be it Nim's his mother's, maybe even Scarlett's. The possibilities were endless and here it was, lying out in the open for him to use.

"I-If we are going back in time, does that mean we're going to change the course of history by saving our friends from their deaths?" Julius asked, his mind and heart hopeful over the prospect.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't work like that. Once someone dies, that's it, they're gone. Attempting to save them would only cause a time paradox, which if left unchecked would jeopardize all of existence. I'm sorry Jules, this news must sting you as much as it stings me…" Melia informed him, the young teen's spirit getting crushed a little. So much for fixing up the mistakes of his past. "So…are you two ready? I should warn you that we won't be able to come back for a while."

"Melia, I may not know what lies in store for us in the past, but I want to let you know, I'll stand by your side to the bitter end. Yes, I may mess up sometimes, and I apologize for that, but no matter where and when we are, I'll always be here for you!" Venam made a vow to Melia. "I may not be the most reliable, resourceful or intelligent person out there, but I'll change for your sake!"

"Agreed. I may not have known you for as long as Venam has, but I will not let anything happen to the two of you. I pledge myself in my entirety to you; be it my dignity, my strength and my life if it must be sacrificed. If Venam is your shield to protect you, then I will be your sword to slay those who oppose your will." Julius pledged as well, with Melia gazing quietly at them before a smile formed on her face.

"Thanks, you two. So, so very much…" She cooed at them in an amused manner. "I appreciate what you're willing to do for my sake, but all I need is for you two to be there for me. Now then, the three of us need to touch this crystal in order to travel back through time. I ensure that I can trust you two to act sensibly?"

Nodding in confirmation, Venam and Julius walked up to the royal blue crystal, the duo touching it with their hands as Melia followed suit. All of a sudden, the trio were covered in an ethereal glow as they were suddenly warped out of the forest, the place returning to the quiet state it was in before.

 **?**

"Argh…my stomach. It feels like I was punched in the gut by a Machamp…" Venam groaned in pain as she rested on her hands and knees.

"Stop exaggerating, it's not that bad." Melia told her, as she and Julius helped get her onto her feet, the young man looking around and saw that they were in a small, forestry grotto of sorts. "Now then, you two should follow me."

Watching the blonde lady walk out of the grotto, Julius and Venam gave each other a quick look before following right behind her and exited the grotto, the duo's eyes widening over what laid before their eyes. Standing right before them was a bustling town, with architecture dating back around 30 years ago, just before the disaster that tore the region into three separate islands. There was a Pokémon Gym in the northeastern side of town that was closed for necessary repairs, a fairly large primary school to the south and a towering corporate building in the center-right, proudly sporting the logo for the Blakeory Corporation.

"Th-This has to be some crazy dream. W-We can't really be back in the past, can we?" Venam chimed in, pinching her arm to see if she would wake up, but it didn't work. "N-No way! We're actually back in time!"

"The brightest minds of the modern era have spent decades trying to find a way to travel back in time, only for their plans to end in failure. Before today, I thought time travel was a fever dream concocted by those same minds. Now that I'm experiencing it in real life, I…I don't know what to say…" Julius commented to himself, his mind at a loss as to what to say regarding his current situation.

"I take it you're impressed with your first trip through time? Don't worry, I was like that as well." Melia shot a smile at the duo, turning around to show off the city behind her. "Welcome to Kugearen City. This is what Gearen looked like before the catastrophe happened."

"G-Gearen City? Does this mean that the gym over there is…" The purple haired girl began.

"Yours? Don't be silly, you weren't even born yet. As for who the current leader is, I'm not too sure myself. All I know is that their unable to battle at the moment, due to the renovations." The blonde answered quickly.

"A shame; imagine if I had challenged that gym and won a badge. It'll make a great trophy to show to the others back in our time." Julius sighed to himself, his mind mulling over the missed opportunity. "So how exactly did that crystal before work?"

"Oh that? It acts as an anchor of sorts that connect two different areas within two different time periods, enabling me and my friends to travel back and forth through time. The crystals themselves are powered up by Tiempa and her temporal power." Melia gave a brief summary of the crystals, a look of slight surprise appearing on the young teen's face. "Is something the matter Jules?"

"Tiempa? I…I remember hearing that name before, but I can't remember when…" He replied, wracking his mind on where he had heard that name before.

"I don't know where you heard it from, because it's new to me." Venam replied to his statement.

"Tiempa was the one who saved me back in Amethyst Cave, alongside Spacea. They brought be back here and enlisted me in their little group, where I spent the last three years getting stronger, though not three years in your time of course." The blonde answered her friend's query.

"Well that explains why you looked a little…more mature." The young teen worded his statement carefully, his gaze turning to the side for a quick moment. "I take it that this Spacea woman has spatial powers, based on her name?"

"Correct, though not exactly. See, Spacea and Tiempa don't control space and time; they are space and time themselves. They see everyone and everything." Melia commented casually, greatly surprising Venam once more.

"S-So they're essentially gods?! Man…this has got to be one of the craziest days of my life, between time travel and these omnipotent gods, my mind has been blown right out of my head." The purple haired girl exclaimed, her shouting alerting a nearby woman who turned to face the trio.

"Hey, I love your purple hair! Where'd you get the dye for it?" She eagerly asked Venam, who was at a loss as to what to say.

"Uh…I got it off the internet?" Venam replied, with Melia quickly walking up to her and grabbed her wrist.

"I'm sorry Venam, but that hair has to go." She whispered into her ear. "It attracts too much attention, which isn't something that's supposed to happen."

"M-My hair?! I am not changing this hair even if my life depends on—" The purple haired girl shot back quickly.

"Oh? And here I thought you would change for me…" Melia smirked back, with Venam stuttering for a moment before conceding to her friend.

"Alright, I'll do it. But only because you asked me to." Venam yielded.

"Thank you." The blonde smiled at her friend, her gaze turning to face Julius. "We're going to head to Amberette Town, it's north of this City. Try not to wander into the tall grass, the wild Pokémon have been acting more aggressively lately."

"Loud and clear." He replied, the trio making their way to the small, grassy route north of the city, the woman from before eyeing them up curiously before shrugging her shoulders and resumed her daily routine. Taking Melia's advice to heart, Julius and Venam kept their distance from the tall grass, pausing momentarily whenever it started rustling violently, only to resume their trek once the rustling died down. Despite these momentary pauses, it didn't take them long to arrive at Amberette Town, a small settlement resting on a cliff overlooking the sea. It consisted of around a dozen small houses, a larger two-story house and a small research lab tucked away in the northern part of the area. Melia shot a glance at the two-story house, gesturing her friends to follow her as they walked up to it and entered the building.

Upon stepping inside the house, the trio were soon greeted by a middle-aged man with short, greyish-white hair and wore a standard professor's outfit, the older man sitting comfortably on one of the seats beside the table in the dining room.

"Ah Melia, it's nice to see you again. And who might those lovely young people beside you be?" The man inquired, glancing at Venam and Julius.

"These are my sidekicks, Irvin. They're Venam and Julius respectively." Melia introduced the duo to him. "Don't worry, I've put my utmost faith in them. You can count on them to help us out."

"H-Hello." Both Venam and Julius replied nervously, watching the older man eye them up as a means of evaluating them.

"Well if Melia trusts you, then I see no harm in helping you out. Welcome to the past, you two, I'm Professor Irvin." He greeted the duo, outstretching his hand with the both of them giving him a firm handshake.

"We can do the introductions a little later. Right now, these two need a makeover. As a matter of fact, I may need one as well." The blonde told her elder, briskly walking upstairs with Venam letting out a dejected sigh before following her friend, with Julius soon joining them upstairs. He found himself in a rather messy room, with dozens upon dozens of books placed in neat piles all over the room. Additionally, there were several cardboard boxes that, from the look of it were stuffed with an assortment of clothes. "Well here we are, my quaint little home, thirty years in the past. How'd you like it?"

"Well there's a lot of interesting books lying around, I'll say that much." Julius commented.

"There are, but I'd appreciate it if neither of you go through them. But enough about that, it's time for us to get changed. Don't worry, Irvin has no problem with us taking some clothes from these boxes." Melia chimed in rummaging through a box on the floor and picked out a few outfits as well as a small dye kit. "Perfect, I think me and Venam are ready to get changed. Luckily there's a dressing room in the back corner that can fit the both of us."

"W-Wait, what do I do?!" The young man inquired urgently.

"Don't worry, you have this entire room to yourself. I'm sure there's something in these boxes that'll suit you." Venam reassured him, the two ladies making their way to the dressing room and stepped inside, with Venam turning around to face the young teen. "Oh and Jules, if we catch you peeking on us while we're getting changed, I'll poke your eyes out. Got it?" She warned him, a small smirk on her face.

"G-Got it…" He replied nervously, shuddering over the gruesome thought as the purple-haired girl closed the door and began conversing with Melia, though the door muffled their voices so that he wasn't able to hear what exactly they were saying. Shrugging his shoulders, the young teen began rummaging through the boxes scattered around the place in search of a nice outfit to wear, thankful that there was plenty of outfits to choose from. There were a few costumes resembling famous pop culture figures, but that would make him stand out more than he already does, which was something Melia wanted to avoid. There were several clothes that were either pitch-black, had flame decals on them, or a mixture of the two; though he liked them, a part of him felt that they were trying a little too hard to look cool and hip.

"Decisions, decisions…" Julius mused to himself, opting to check out a box on the table and opened it, his eyes gleaming with joy upon gazing at its contents. "Aha! Perfect." He smiled, eyeing up an ideal set of clothes. It consisted of a short-sleeved silver shirt, a dark green jacket and a pair of navy-blue jeans. Looking side-to-side to see if the coast was clear, he began undressing himself at a casual pace, unaware that the door to the dressing room had creaked open slightly, the chatter between Melia and Venam having died down. A minute or so later, Julius had finished changing himself and folded his clothes back into his bag and was about to take a seat when the dressing room opened, the young man making his way to check the noise when he stopped dead in his tracks.

There, standing before him was Venam, her overall appearance vastly different than before. Her once iconic purple hair had been dyed a deep shade of brown and was now done up into two short twin tails. Her outfit was also vastly different than before; now consisting of a red plaid jacket over a black and white button up t-shirt, a pair of black jeans and was topped off with a pair of black boots. Julius couldn't help but be mesmerized by her newfound beauty, with Venam eyeing him up as well. "So err…what do you think? I can't say I'm used to it yet."

"I gotta say Venam, you look amazing…" Julius praised her, the brown-haired girl letting out an appreciative chuckle.

"Thanks. You look pretty slick as well, but I'm sure you're waiting to see Melia, right? Well luckily for you, she's just about done, so let's see what's behind door #1!" Venam told him, the duo stepping out of the way as the door swung open and Melia stepped out the room, with Julius' eyes widening in shock over the sight. Standing proudly and gracefully was Melia, her lovely blonde hair having been shortened dramatically so that it was now at her shoulders. Her outfit was a lot like one that a maid would wear, with a long-sleeved white shirt, a black pleated skirt that reached her thighs with a pair of straps that went over her shoulders, topped off with black and white striped stockings as well as her usual pair of black loafers, the complete outfit perfectly suiting her figure. The young teen was stunned speechless over the most beautiful sight before him; truth be told, bunnysuits were his main weakness, though maid outfits come at a close second.

"I-I don't know what to say…y-you look amazing as well…" He managed to stammer out, with Melia and Venam chuckling over his flustered state.

"See, what did I tell you? He loves your new look, not that I can blame him since you look amazing." Venam complimented her friend.

"Thanks, but I like your outfit more. It looks and feels so responsible that I'm at a loss for words. This might be the beginning of a new Vena—" Melia began.

"Hey! I only changed clothes, not personalities." The brown-haired girl retorted.

"True, but I'm sure you'll be willing to learn some responsibility for me. That aside, I love your new look Julius. It suits you a whole lot more than that other outfit you put away." The blonde shot her friend a compliment.

"Thanks, I—wait, were you two watching me get changed?!" He asked them, the two girls soon breaking down into laughter.

"Hahahaha! Why would we ever do such a thing?" Venam chuckled coyly, as if she was trying to hide the truth from him.

"We've had our fun and games, but we should have a chat to Irvin right now. I'm sure he'll want you two to do a few small jobs for him." Melia suggested, her friends nodding in confirmation as they followed her downstairs. And though Julius had a hunch that they both peeked on him, it wasn't worth getting angry over, as there were more important things at stake.

"Ah…looks like you're all took advantage of my surplus supply of clothing. Not that I have an issue with it, since it's not like they ever see much use until now. Come, have a seat." Irvin called out to the trio, who made their way to the table and took their respective seats. "Now then, as I said before, I'm Professor Irvin. Are there any questions you two have for me?"

"Y-Yeah, who's the one behind this whole…time travel thing?" Venam inquired.

"Spacea and Tiempa are the masterminds behind the operation; they know about the great catastrophe that happened in Aevium around this time, which we refer to as Storm-9." Melia began, a sudden realization striking Julius' mind.

"Of course! I remember now; Karrina mentioned that they have great interest in me for some reason, and that I should ask Melia for more information!" He exclaimed, the room becoming eerily silent as all eyes were directed at him. "Did I say something wrong…?"

"Nothing to worry about, I'm surprised that Karrina would mention them to you before you gained knowledge about this operation. And to answer your statement, yes, I do believe that they have shown a great interest in you, though for what reason I do not know." The older man replied calmly.

"K-Karrina? That young lady who has her gang keeping the streets of Gearen free of criminal scum, she's in on this group as well?" Venam wanted to confirm his statement.

"Yes, she's one of us. She keeps an eye out for us in the event that a second Storm-9 occurs, something that Spacea and Tiempa are trying to prevent at all costs. Hence why they founded this secret organization, gathering people from all points in time. Once gathered, they will be given a partner Pokémon to train with; in my case I was able to keep my Togepi." Melia answered her friends query. "They believe that someone is trying to recreate this disaster, with Team Xen being our best guess on the culprit."

"Team Xen, huh. Could that be why they were gathering all that energy back at Blacksteeple?" Julius pondered.

"Maybe, I'm not 100% sure myself. As to how I was recruited, well that happened during the time I was chased by Zetta." The blonde continued, her mind wandering back to that fateful moment.

 **0000**

' _N-No! why'd I take that turn back there?!' Melia cursed herself mentally, knowing full well that she had made a fatal error in her state of fear. As much as she wanted to turn back, she knew that Zetta and his grunts were hot on her tail, their shouting echoing throughout the cave as the blonde girl had no choice but to continue running. Her body was wracked with exhaustion, sweat pouring down her face as she ran downstairs and stumbled into the depths of the cave, a sigh of despair escaping her lips as she found herself in a dead end. "Th-This can't be…a dead end…"_

" _She went down this way! Hurry up!" Zetta's booming voice echoed throughout the cave, the sound of frenzied grunts scrambling towards her location._

" _Come on Melia, you got to think of something. Think of something, please!" she spoke to herself urgently, wracking her mind over what she could do in this scenario but was unable to find an answer. "No…it's useless. I-I'm out of time…"_

" _Out of time? No, I think you have all the time in the world." A soothing voice called out to her, sounding as if it was coming from every direction._

" _Wh-Who's there?!_ _Reveal yourself!" Melia called out to the voice, as a cool fog soon enveloped the interior of the room. "Huh…where'd this fog come from?"_

 _Suddenly, a set of double doors appeared before the blonde girl, causing her to step back in shock as she watched the doors open. "Ease your spirits, Melia. For there is no need for worry." The voice spoke to her once more, as a woman emerged from within the door. She was a very beautiful young woman with_ _long, hot pink hair, fair skin and sparkling blue eyes. She wore a billowing pink dress, which showed off her alluring, curvaceous figure, and a pair of hot pink high heels._

" _There's no need to rush, either. We have all the time in the world." A second voice called out to her, as a second woman stepped out from within the doors. Like her companion, she was also very beautiful, with shoulder length, silver hair, fair skin and mesmerizing blue eyes. Her outfit consisted of a blue, short-sleeved t-shirt and a pair of whitish-silver jeans, which showed off her amazingly curvaceous figure, and a pair of white loafers._

" _Wh-Who are you two?" Melia asked, a thousand questions racing through her mind._

" _I am Spacea, and the lovely young lady with silver hair is Tiempa." The pink-haired woman introduced herself and her companion. "We are here to assist you, Melia."_

" _A-Assist me…?" She replied calmly, taking in a deep breath as she began raising her voice. "Well if you're truly here to assist me, then take me away from this wretched place! This group known as Team Xen is after me, and they'll be here very soon!"_

" _Relax, child. We have all the time in the world." Tiempa reassured the blonde girl. "This fog you see? It is a symbol of my power to stop and manipulate time."_

" _Yes, as long as this fog is visible, time has stopped completely." Spacea added, as Melia was trying to wrap her head around this scenario. Here she was, fleeing for her life and now she's standing before a pair of women who can bend time to their will._

" _I…I wish to go back to Gearen City. I want to go back to my life with my friends, Venam, Ren and—" She began._

" _And Julius?" Tiempa finished her off, catching the young girl by surprise. "We both know about him and what he's accomplished throughout his life. Truth be told, we're very interested in him, for reasons that he himself is unaware of. Why, he could be the key to fixing all out problems."_

" _But back to the topic at hand; unfortunately, we are unable to do that at this moment." Spacea broke the news to the young girl before them._

" _W-Why not?! I don't want to be here anymore; I'm sick and tired of being tugged and pulled in every direction!" Melia snapped at her elders._

" _We have other plans for you, Melia." Tiempa replied curtly, the blonde girl narrowing her eyes at the duo._

" _Hahaha…I get it, you just want to use me. Well grab a ticket and wait in line, because that's all I'm good for apparently!" She snapped back at them once more. "Everyone is just trying to use me; Team Xen, Jenner, you two—"_

" _You are mistaken. While we do need you, we aren't using you in a malicious way. In fact, we're here to give you a choice. Come with us and get stronger, so that you can fight for your own destiny. That way, you can get revenge on Team Xen for ruining your life." Spacea offered._

" _But if I go with you two…what will happen to my friends." Melia asked cautiously. "The know that Team Xen is after me and would end up dealing with them for my sake."_

" _Indeed, they will inherit the problem you have left behind. But we will ensure that this experience grants them the strength they need for when their purpose comes. Besides, we have our own reasons for keeping them safe." Tiempa answered. "Do not worry, you'll see them again; it's in your destiny."_

" _A storm is coming, Melia. One that threatens all of existence. And despite what we said before, we do not have an eternity to deal with it." Spacea told her._

" _If you refuse to come with us, we cannot predict what will happen to you." Tiempa added. "We need an answer from you, that's all we ask for."_

" _A-Are you sure you really need my help? I mean, I'm no one special." Melia double-checked with them._

" _We're positive. Like your friend Julius, you have a hidden secret that is vital to our operation. Our mission would be impossible without you by our side." Spacea confirmed her statement from before._

" _So does that mean you'll accompany us?" Tiempa inquired._

" _Well, it doesn't seem like I have a choice, even though you laid one out for me. So I guess I'll go with you two for now." Melia answered, a warm smile appearing on the faces of the two women standing before her. "I feel…I feel like I can trust you two."_

" _Heh, if you're going to do this, you should probably do it the correct way." A third voice echoed throughout the area, as another young lady, around a couple of years older than Melia stepped out from within the doors. She_ _was_ _quite the elegant lady, with wavy long black hair and bright green eyes. She wore a long-sleeved black shirt and a long, billowing, black skirt, with both articles of clothing decorated with various white ribbons._

" _Crescent…what are you doing here?" Spacea inquired, as she and Tiempa turned to face the newcomer._

" _You were supposed to stay in Amberette Town with Irvin." Tiempa scolded the younger girl._

" _Right, but I'd feel much better if I reviewed this process rather than sitting back." Crescent casually retorted._

" _We did not ask for, nor do we need your assistance." Spacea told her sternly._

" _You're right, you didn't ask. That, was your first mistake." Crescent chided her elders, walking up to Melia. "Your bag, please?"_

" _M-My bag…?" She inquired, handing it over only for Crescent to snatch it up. Stepping away from the trio, she took out what looked like a vial of blood and poured it all over the bag._

" _There we go; by fabricating her death, Team Xen should give up on looking for her. And as for the coup de grace…" Crescent stated, releasing a Galvantula from her ball as the spider sniffed the bag curiously. "The perfect scapegoat for tonight's performance."_

" _Crescent, this is…" Tiempa began._

" _Brilliant? I know." She shot a smirk at her superiors. "Well I'm done with what needed to be done, so let's get going."_

" _Y-Yes, let's go then." Spacea began, still in shock over what she just saw. On their cue, both Spacea and Tiempa walked through the door with Crescent making her way as well, turning around to shoot Melia a soothing glance._

" _Melia, was it? I can tell that we're going to be close. Very, very close." The black-haired girl stated, walking beyond the door as Melia approached it, turning around once more with a sad look in her eyes._

" _Venam, Ren, Julius. I-I'm sorry…" She apologized, walking beyond the doors as they soon closed behind her, disappearing soon afterwards alongside the mysterious fog._

 **0000**

Both Julius and Venam shot Melia a sympathetic look as she concluded her retelling of her recruitment into the organisation. The young teen in particular, gave his lover a reassuring smile to settle her nerves. "So all of that happened back in Amethyst Cave?" Venam doubled checked.

"Yes. However, Crescent went rogue a few weeks later. We're going to have to watch our backs since she's one of the strongest trainers we've ever seen." Melia informed the duo.

"Don't you worry, I'll be more than happy to challenge her should she threaten any of you two!" Julius pledged to them, a determined look in his eyes.

"Thanks, but it wouldn't be smart to act recklessly; a single moment of carelessness and she would pounce onto you without any mercy." The blonde girl reminded him.

"So what about Spacea and Tiempa, would it be possible to meet them now? Because I'd like to thank them for saving—" Venam began.

"I'm sorry to cut you off, but that's not possible at the moment. They can only appear when both space and time link up together, i.e. when an eclipse is present." Irvin cut her off, offering an apology for doing so. "Mind you, they can still watch over us and use small amounts of their power to aid us."

"I think I get what you're saying, Irvin." Julius commented, shooting a glance at Melia. "One last question, did you spend all those years in this time, or did you visit the present occasionally?"

"A couple of times, mainly to deal with Amethyst Cave. We were searching for an item called the Soul Stone—" She began.

"You mean this Soul Stone?" The young teen called out, rummaging through his bag and produced the crystal ball he had obtained long ago, with Irvin's eyes widening in surprise.

"T-The Soul Stone! Where did you get that?!" The older man asked urgently.

"I was given this stone by the soul of Keta, former Gym Leader of Sheridan Village. He wanted me to use this in order to free his physical form from whatever ritual he had performed to separate the duo." Julius answered, with Venam picking it up to get a better look.

"Look's like an ordinary crystal ball to me. What's so special about it?" She inquired.

"The Soul Stone is said to be able to hold the souls of people who have passed on from this world. But it looks empty at the moment." Irvin answered the brown-haired girl's question.

"Empty? But how is that possible? We've lost so many people dear to us that surely one of them would've found their way into the stone." Melia exclaimed in surprise.

"Well…this is just a theory, but what if they're not exactly dead?" Julius hypothesized, with all eyes now directed onto him. "See, back when I first got it, I figured I should try and bring back Melia from the dead. So I took the stone to where she 'died', put it on the ground and waited, but nothing happened. Well as it turned out, Melia wasn't dead which explains why the stone didn't work. And if it didn't work for Nim, Jenner or my mother, then maybe, just maybe they're not actually dead."

"Unlikely. Melia's case was just a coincidence in the end. My theory is that neither of those three had a soul to begin with." Irvin knocked back the theory.

"Hold up, we're talking about three people consecutively not having a soul. The odds of that are so small that it's a near impossibility." Melia rebutted her elder's statement.

"True, but you did say it wasn't impossible, only that it was a near impossibility. Ah, but I've gone off for too long, why don't I introduce you two to our other recruit?" The older man offered to Venam and Julius, the latter putting the Soul Stone away.

"Other recruit? I thought you said there were dozens of people in this organisation." Venam replied.

"There are, but they're all out on important missions. The only other recruit present is Kanon and he's at Irvin's lab." Melia answered her friend's question.

"Alright then, I'll give him a nice big welcome courtesy of yours truly!" The brown-haired girl grinned, hopping off her seat and made her way out the house.

"Come to think of it, it's been a while since I've last seen him. Maybe I should say hel—" The blonde began.

"Unfortunately, you can't at the moment. I need you to do something for me; since owning an entire town is quite expensive, I'll need you to take a job at the restaurant in Kugearen City again. Luckily, you're dressed for the occasion." The older man informed her of her duty.

"Heh, not even a day back and you're putting me back to work. And to think I was hoping to never serve another table ever again." Melia laughed dryly, shrugging her shoulders as she slowly got off her chair and exited the house, the older man directing his attention to Julius.

"You there, why don't we meet up with Venam and Kanon in my lad? I'm sure he'll be happy to meet you." Irvin offered.

"Sure, I've got no problem with that." He replied, the two men getting off their chairs and made the short trip to the laboratory and stepped inside. As Julius had expected, the building was full of important machinery and thick research books that were lined up neatly inside the bookcases that were lined up against the walls of the facility. In the back corner was a young man around his age, with spiky white hair and an outfit consisting of black robe and underclothes, which made him resemble a wizard from all those fantasy novels that were popular with the kids today. They were decorated with white-colored symbols that at a first glance, looked oddly familiar. Standing a few feet beside him was Venam, watching the young teen typing away at the computer keyboard.

"So, what's with the getup? You kinda look like a mage in that outfit, which is pretty cool in my opinion." Venam chimed in, alerting the boy of her presence.

"Th-Thanks, I guess…" He replied nervously. "T-The name's Kanon."

"Pleased to meet you Kanon. I'm Venam, and this young man beside me is Julius. We're close friends of Melia—" She introduced herself, only to jump back in surprise at how much…vigor Kanon had gained upon hearing her name.

"M-Melia?! Is…Is she back?!" He asked urgently, eyeing up the duo fervently.

"Y-Yeah, she's back. To my knowledge she should be at the restaurant in Kug—" Julius began, only for Kanon to make a beeline towards the door and exited the lab. "Well then…"

"He's quite enthusiastic about her, isn't he?" Venam confided to her friend. "Not that I can blame him, she is amazing after all."

"Melia and Kanon are close friends with each other; both were in a state of panic when they first arrived here. That being the case, they warmed up to each other almost instantly, despite Kanon being distant with the rest of the members in the organisation." Irvin explained the situation to them.

"This Kanon seems nice, but I swear if he tries to make a move on her…" Venam commented lowly, a low growl escaping her lips as she quickly made her way outside the laboratory, with Irvin watching her go, a look of concern etched on his face.

"I-I'll make sure nothing happens between them." Julius reassured his elder, with Irvin giving him an appreciative nod as the young man exited the lab and made his way to town, making sure to avoid the tall grass like before. In his haste to prevent a potential argument from erupting, the young teen was oblivious to the hunger that was welling up inside him. Upon arriving at Kugearen City, he paused to catch his breath only to feel his stomach rumbling inside him. "Huh, didn't realise time travel would cause me to be this hungry…luckily I needed to go to the restaurant in the first place." He mused to himself.

Managing to find the restaurant in the city center, the young man entered it and expected a major argument to go down between Venam and Kanon, only to be presently surprised when he saw that everything was as it should be. There were dozens upon dozens of people casually chatting to one another over lunch, with a few waitresses handing out the meals, with Melia being one of them, and to top it off the line wasn't even that long. As Julius made his way to the line to place an order, he noticed Kanon standing there by the wall, his eyes scanning the room slowly.

"Y-You're Julius, right?" The white-haired teen inquired.

"Yes, it is. Are you ordering something today?" He asked back.

"No." Kanon answered, catching the young teen by surprise.

"Well then what are you doing here?" Julius inquired.

"Watching Melia, she's so cool…" Kanon sighed dreamily, his gazed wandering to the lovely blonde lady as she placed a pair of plates onto a table.

"As amazing as she is, I don't think she'd appreciate you watching her like that." He warned the white-haired teen, only for it to fall onto deaf ears. A sigh escaping his lips, Julius placed and paid for his order before taking a nearby seat and sat down on it. As he waited for his food, he took a few glances all around the place, while making the occasional glance towards Kanon and saw that he had not shifted his gaze away from Melia the entire time. Julius deduced that Kanon must've had some pretty strong feelings for Melia, a sentiment that he clearly understands in it's entirety, but staring at her like some stalker was not the right way to go about things. Soon enough, a different waitress handed him his meal, the young man thanking her for her service and was about to dig in, when he saw the door open with Venam stepping inside, her gaze immediately focusing on Kanon.

"What are you doing here?" She asked him, eyeing him up with suspicion.

"Watching Melia. You're not the first person to ask me that you know." Kanon retorted.

"You can't go staring at her like some deranged pervert, you freak! I swear, if you try anything on her…" Venam warned the teen before her.

"Shut your mouth! You don't know anything about me!" He snapped back at her.

"Hey, hey; there's no need to get into an argu—" Julius tried breaking it off peacefully.

"Stay out of this Julius! This is between me and him." The brown-haired girl ordered him to back off.

"Heck, you two shouldn't even be here; you weren't chosen by Spacea and Tiempa!" Kanon shot back.

"Maybe not me, but those two want Julius for some reason. And even then, so what?" Venam retorted.

"That means you shouldn't be here, you don't know anything about suffering." The white-haired teen raised his voice, the duo stepping closer to each other.

"Suffering…what a joke. You're just using that as an excuse to perv on Melia, you freak!" She hissed back at him. "I'll be more than happy to teach you about suffering if you don't stop what you're doing."

"Pathetic, you don't scare me. I've seen and felt real fear; you're nothing but a walk in the park." Kanon retorted boldly.

"Can you two please—" Julius tried breaking up the fight once more.

"Just mind your business already!" The white-haired teen snapped at him.

"Hey, you don't yell at my friend like that." Venam chided him.

"Oh yeah? Because you didn't have an issue yelling at him earlier." Kanon smirked smugly at her, infuriating the young Gym Leader.

"That's it! I've had it up to here with you; let's throw out our Pokémon and see which one of us comes out on top." She demanded, with Kanon chuckling lightly at her.

"Yes…I can work with that." He chuckled, unclipping his lone ball and threw it to the floor, an imposing Salamence emerging from it and let out an almighty roar at Venam, with everyone in the restaurant turning to see the ensuring fight.

"A Salamence? Not bad, kid. But I guess it gives me an opportunity to use this…" She retorted, unclipping a ball from her belt and threw it to the ground, a Charizard emerging from the ball and let out an imposing roar, before quickly looking around the room in shock and confusion.

' _Since when did she have a…'_ Julius thought to himself before remembering something he heard today. Amber had mentioned that she'd seen Venam hanging around her room a while ago; this combined with her eagerness to leave her room could only mean one thing, Venam had stolen one of Amber's Pokémon, thought it could very well be one of Tesla's as well.

The Charizard quickly spun around and saw Venam, a look of fear growing on its face as it did not see its trainer anywhere. Letting out a roar filled with a variety of emotions, it swung its tail around frantically as the patrons back away from the scene out of concern for their safety. Venam tried telling Charizard to calm down, but it wouldn't listen to her whatsoever.

"Hah, you can't even control your own Pokémon? What a joke!" Kanon chuckled, outstretching his hand towards the Fire-type Pokémon. "Salamence, use Dragon Rush!"

Letting out a low growl of confirmation, the powerful Dragon type lunged at the Charizard and tackled it with full force, causing it to cry out in shock as it was flung back and crashed into Julius' table, knocking him and his food onto the floor. With the Charizard knocked out, Venam quickly recalled the Pokémon, a now enraged Julius getting up off the floor and glared at the duo.

"If you two are going to have a fight, then fucking take it outside next time!" He snapped at the duo, with Kanon flinching back in fear.

"I-I'm sorry…I'm sorry!" He cried out, recalling his Pokémon before backing away in fear, as Melia soon made her way to the scene to see what was happening.

"What's going on everyone?" She asked them, wondering what was going on

"Long story short, these two idiots got into an argument and sent out their Pokémon, with "Venam's" Charizard going out of control. I put the emphasis on Venam's name, because it's not actually her Charizard, so much as it was Amber's. And then I ended up on the floor because they thought it would be smart to battle right as I was about to begin eating." Julius explained the situation to her, anger drenched in his voice as Melia shooting a disapproving gaze at her friend.

"I-I didn't steal it, so much as I borrowed it. And it wasn't even hers, but a spare Pokémon that the league gave her." The brown-haired girl tried to defend herself.

"I'm sorry to ask you this, but you must go, now." She demanded from Venam, before turning towards Kanon, a more gentle expression on her face. "You should go as well; you may need the fresh air from the look of things."

"Y-Yes Melia…" He weakly replied, still a little frightened from Julius' outburst as he slowly made his way out of the restaurant, with Venam watching him go and huffed before storming outside the building. Once the coast was clear, Melia made her way to Julius, helping him clean up the mess.

"While I can understand your current frustration, I'd like you to go easy on Kanon. He had a rough life, what with losing his parents and all that." The blonde informed him.

"I-I see…I do apologize for my outburst." He apologized to her, the duo finishing their clean up.

"No need to apologize to me, but I'm sure Kanon would appreciate it." Melia replied, the duo exchanging a quick kiss with each other. "I have to get back to work now, could you check up on them for me?" She requested, the young teen nodding in confirmation before making his way out of the restaurant.

 **And that about sums up our introduction into Aevium's past. Do not fret though, the next chapter will continue from where we left off and I'm sure you'll all enjoy it as well. I do apologize if the descriptions for Spacea and Tiempa are incorrect, but since we only have their overworld sprites for now, I had to take a guess at what they looked like. Catch you all next time!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Having taken our first steps back through time, we will now see what kind of man Vitus/Indriad was before he became the twisted figure we all know him as. That said, I've heard the news about Episode 13 being in the works and I can't wait for it to get released, especially since Episode 12 was one of the best updates I've ever played.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Taking Melia's request to heart, Julius walked out of the restaurant in order to check up on Venam and Kanon. Luckily for him, that latter wasn't that hard to find; pacing up and down in front of the building as a troubled look was plastered on his face.

"Argh…stupid, stupid, stupid! I can't believe I acted so foolishly in front of Melia. I need to find a way to make it up to—" He began muttering under his breath, his gaze looking up to face the young teen before him as uneasiness welled back up inside him. "J-Julius, right? Listen, I'm sorry for what happened to you back there. I-I didn't intend for things to spiral out of control."

"No, Kanon. I should be the one apologizing. Melia told me about what you went through, and I just snapped at you like some spoilt brat. I just want to say that as someone who also lost their parents, I can empathize with what you're going through." Julius reassured the young man, resting his hand on his shoulder.

"I guess that makes my comment about neither of you having experienced suffering firsthand a little insensitive…" Kanon chuckled light-heartedly.

"Eh, it's water off a Ducklett's back for me. As for a way to make it up to Melia, why not hang out with her once her shift is done? She must be going through quite a bit of stress after getting put to work so soon after arriving back here, and I'm sure she'll appreciate some reunion time between you two. Just don't go staring at her like you did before, last thing I want to happen is another argument like that." The young teen suggested, the white-haired boy pondering to himself.

"Yes…that could work. Thanks Julius, you're kinda cool once I get to know the real you." Kanon replied, with Julius giving him an appreciative nod as the two men gave each other a firm handshake. "By the way, if you're looking for that Venam girl, she stormed off towards the center of town. I'd watch what I say if I were you, she seems pissed off big time."

"I see…I'll take your advice to heart then." The young teen replied, making his way towards the town center and began searching for his friend. Luckily, he did not have to search for long, as he found her leaning up against a locked apartment of sorts, the brown-haired girl turning to shoot him a cautionary glance. "Venam, is everything ok?"

"I'm fine, but the nerve of that kid. Who does he think he is, staring at Melia like some starving dog? Had she not been there, I would've punched him in the gut." She muttered bitterly.

"Hey, there's no need to be that rough on him. Melia told me about all that he's been through after you left. Granted, a tragic backstory is no excuse for perving on someone, but I made sure that he wouldn't pull something like that again." Julius informed her, before crossing his arms as he shot a frown at her. "Then again, it's not like you can complain about his questionable actions."

"Wha, you mean the Charizard?" Venam replied, the young man nodding in confirmation. "Look, my mind was still all over the place back then. I was so pissed off at Amber for what happened back then, that I figured it'll be a perfect opportunity to get back at her."

"I can't say I know what happened that caused you, her and Saki to start this whole feud, but I don't appreciate the fact that you did such a thing. Especially since Tesla gave us all a roof over our heads for a few days; to spit on her generosity like that is a most callous move." The young teen scolded her. "Granted, I have no right to complain given how I acted that day, but my point still stands."

"I'll make sure to give it back to her once this is done and dusted." The brown-haired girl brushed his concerns aside. "Anyway, I've had my fill of this town. Wanna check out the forest with me?"

"Alright th—" Julius was about to begin, before he was suddenly cut off by the sound of a woman crying out for help. "That scream, it came from the forest!"

"Come on, we better check it out!" Venam ordered the young man, the duo quickly running off towards the forest to locate the source of the noise. The next couple minutes were a blur to the duo, who quickly leapt over tree roots, fallen branches and other foliage to get to the source in time. Soon, they found out who exactly was behind the cries for help; a graceful middle-aged woman with billowing blonde hair and wore a luxurious green and white dress. The poor woman was backed up against a tree as she was stared down by a pair of hostile Shiftry, with Venam and Julius quickly intercepting them before they could strike.

"Why don't you try picking on someone who can fight back?!" The young teen snapped at the vicious Pokémon, sending out his Vilucard while Venam sent out her Seviper. Almost immediately, the cat bat recognized the seriousness of the situation and leapt up onto the tree, spewing a barrage of sludge balls towards the Wickid Pokémon, who winced in pain as its body was assaulted by the attack. Letting out a growl of anger, the Shiftry began flapping its leafy fans at high speeds, the Vilucard letting out a cry of surprise as it fell of the branch and onto its hindquarters, the Villainous Pokémon rubbing the aching area to ease the pain. Snapping back to action, it lunged at the enemy to strike it, dodging a series of incoming leaves hurled in its directing to jab the Wickid Pokémon's side with its claw-studded paws, with Shiftry letting out another wince of pain as it staggered back a couple feet. It turned to its comrade and saw that it was getting decimated by Venam's Seviper, the two denizens of the forest coming to an agreement and opted to retreat from the area.

"That's what you get for attacking the innocent!" Venam taunted the retreating figures, the duo congratulating their friends before recalling them as they turned to face the older woman. "You're lucky we heard your call for help, otherwise who knows what they would've done to you."

"Th-That was a close one indeed…I knew the wild Pokémon were becoming more aggressive than before, but I didn't think they would outright attack me." The woman replied, still a little shaken from the ordeal. "Oh, but where are my manners? My name is Anathea."

"Sup? My name's Venam, and this guy beside me is Julius." The brown-haired girl introduced herself.

"It's nice to meet you, ma'am." Julius bowed respectfully, his mind buzzing unexpectedly. For some odd reason, the name Anathea was…familiar to him. But he couldn't remember where he had seen it before.

"It's a pleasure to meet the both of you, but I wonder what Julius got that strange Pokémon from. I don't recall ever seeing something like that before." Anathea commented, catching Julius off-guard as he tried thinking of a convenient excuse to cover his hide.

"Well…it's from a…faraway region. Yeah, that's it!" He quickly answered, a puzzled expression forming on the older woman's face before brushing it aside.

"I see…tell you what, why don't I thank you two properly with a nice meal? My home is a quick walk north of here." She offered, with Venam's eyes lighting up with joy.

"A free meal?! Thanks, miss!" She chimed happily, with Anathea giggling lightly over her enthusiasm.

"Your enthusiasm reminds me so much of my daughter…come, follow me." The older woman called out, the trio slowly making their way through the forest before stepping into a courtyard, one that made Venam and Julius step back in shock upon laying eyes on the home before them. It was the exact same mansion that the two of them broke into that fateful night, before becoming a part of Indriad's twisted game. The statues of Gardevoir and Absol were the same, the structure and color of the exterior were the same, even the various flower beds were the same. The only difference was that it was a bright sunny day today, instead of the oppressive rainstorm from back then. "Ah, I see that you're impressed with my home?"

"Y-Yeah, it's really impressive." Venam answered a little hesitantly.

"I'll let you look at the flower beds while I get your meal ready. Please be careful with them, I spent ages taking care of them." Anathea smiled at the duo, stepping into the vast mansion as they continued staring at the massive structure.

"I-I'm not so sure I want to step inside anymore. What happens if that freak puts us through another game like before?" The brown-haired girl whispered into Julius' ear.

"I don't know, but I'm sure Anathea would convince him to spare us. Furthermore, since we're in the past, I doubt he'd recognize us." Julius tried to reassure her.

"That makes sense, I suppose." Venam replied, as a question soon formed in her mind. "That lady mentioned something about having a daughter before we got here. If this mansion is the same one as before, then that means…"

"Maria!" The young teen exclaimed, quickly making his way inside, leaving a confused Venam standing there before she opted to follow him inside. As she stepped inside, Venam took in the interior of the mansion; as she expected it was exactly the same as it was before. The brown-haired girl soon found Julius standing by the entrance to the main foyer, marching up to him and lightly slugged him in the arm, causing him to wince as he rubbed the injured area.

"Be careful next time, you could've fallen into a trap." She scolded him.

"S-Sorry…I just—I just wanted to see her again." Julius replied sadly, looking down at his feet.

"That little girl really meant something to you, didn't she?" Venam replied, the young man before her nodding slowly in confirmation. "Don't worry, I'm sure she's all fine and dandy."

"Ah, you two made it in. I had just finished reading the letter I found on the foyer table, can you believe how persistent that Mr. Blakeory is, constantly badgering us to move out so he can claim this land. We were here first, so he isn't owed squat." Anathea walked up to the duo, casting the letter aside on the small table beside her. "So, what do you think of my humble abode?"

"Humble? Not to be rude, but this amount of extravagance doesn't seem all that humble." Venam gave her two cents, noticing a few differences from before. For one thing, the tiled floor was a mixture of black and white, the left side being white and the right side being black.

"No offense taken. After all, this place does scream luxurious. Alas, it is what I call home." The older woman replied, quietly gazing at the grand piano in the south-left corner of the foyer.

"Mommy? Mommy is that you." The voice of a young girl called out from somewhere in the house, her voice causing Julius' heart to tighten slightly as the door to the left wing opened wide. Stepping into the foyer was Maria, her eyes widening with joy upon seeing her beloved mother. "Mommy's home!" She chirped in joy, running up to hug her mother.

"Yes, I'm home dear." Anathea replied, returning the hug before gesturing her to greet her guests. "Maria, these nice children helped me out of a pinch. They're names are—"

"Oh, Oh! I know them; they're Venam and Julius!" Maria chimed happily, quickly running over to Julius to embrace him, the young teen on the brink of tears as he returned the hug.

"You don't know how long I've waited to see you again…" He whispered into her ear, giving his eyes a quick wipe as the young girl made her way back to her mother.

"Ah, I see you two are already acquainted with Maria, the pride and joy of the Theolia household." Anathea exclaimed proudly, turning towards her daughter. "Why don't you show them that song you've been working on?"

"Ok, mommy!" Maria replied, making her way to the grand piano took a seat. With a quick wish of her fingers, she began pressing down on the keys as a most enchanting melody filled the room. It was unlike anything the duo had ever heard before, the notes of the song lulling them in a sense of security as they were mesmerized by the beautiful music that was being played.

"Wow…" Both Venam and Julius cooed in awe upon the song reaching a conclusion, with Maria taking a bow before the duo. "Seems like she has quite the future laying ahead of her." The brown-haired girl commented.

"That was amazing, Maria." Julius added.

"Thank you." She smiled back at them.

"Well you've had your fun now, but it's time for you to get ready for 'Tasia's math tutoring. I'm sure you wouldn't want to be late." Anathea chimed in, the young girl nodding enthusiastically as she quickly made her way to her room.

"Aw, that's kinda cute, but how can someone as skilled as Maria require tutoring?" Venam inquired.

"Oh, she isn't the one who needs tutoring, but rather her friend Anastasia, or Tasia for short." The older woman answered.

"Ah, I see. So what does she teach this Tasia; addition and subtraction?" The brown-haired girl questioned further.

"No, my darling Maria tutors Advanced Calculus." Anathea answered once more, stifling a laugh over witnessing Venam's jaw drop in shock.

"W-What?!" She exclaimed in shock.

"Maria is incredibly intelligent for her age. She can calculate any number without thinking twice."

"I knew she was amazing, but I didn't think she was _this_ amaz—" Julius began, before a knocking echoed through the room, stemming from the set of double doors at the back of the foyer.

"Anathea, who are you talking to? I'm trying to concentrate in my study." The voice of a middle-aged man called out from behind the doors, as they opened slowly to reveal the source of the voice. Standing before them was Indriad…or at least the duo thought it was him. he had short blonde hair and wore a pristine black five-piece suit. The look in his eyes was a more…docile look, as opposed to the cold one that he had back then. "Ah, pardon my rudeness. I didn't realize we had guests. My name is Vitus; who are you two?"

"My name's Venam, and the guy beside me is—" She began to introduce herself.

"Julius, it's nice to meet you, Vitus." The young teen introduced himself, eyeing up his elder cautiously. He may not be acting like the manipulative bastard he was back then, but it didn't hurt to exercise caution around him, especially since Maria was back into his life.

"These two children are very kind, they saved me from a pair of hostile Shiftry out in the woods." Anathea informed her husband.

"Anathea, you know how I feel about you going out into the woods on your own. Please, allow me to run any errands you need to have done from now on." Vitus replied, turning to face the duo. "That said, I thank you for coming to my wife's aid when she needed it."

"No worries, it was the right thing to do." Julius chimed in, the sound of another set of footsteps from within the study echoing throughout the foyer.

"I hate to be so rude to these brave heroes, but they need to leave. Master Vitus is incredibly busy." An odd voice called out, a Gardevoir stepping into the room as Julius was surprised at the sight of her. He knew that the shiny Gardevoir in Aevium were different than the ones in other regions, as Melia's Gardevoir showed him before. But this one was a lot different that hers, with a coloration of crimson red and pitch-black, similar to that of a Zoroark. Her voice was even more mysterious than her body; half the time it sounded like a sweet maiden comforting a lost child, other times it sounded like an old crone beckoning that same child to enter her lair. But rather than contrast with one another, they blended with each other perfectly. And her eyes…her eyes were like that of a hawk, carefully analyzing all the other occupants in the room. It was clear as day to the young teen that this Gardevoir was a lot stronger than the rest, hence why he needed to be careful around her.

"M-My apologies, Gardevoir. I was just about to make these two a nice meal." Anathea apologized to the Embrace Pokémon, the latter standing beside Vitus.

"Supper isn't an option in this instance, you still have your obligations to fulfill, Anathea." Gardevoir informed her. "Isn't that right, Vitus?"

"R-Right…my apologies to you two, but you need to get going. I have some important business to get back to." The blonde man apologized to the duo.

"N-No need to apologize, we had places to be anyway. Who is she anyway?" Venam inquired, her eyes locked onto the strange Gardevoir.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gardevoir, Master Vitus' assistant." She introduced herself, taking a step closer towards the duo. "I commend you for protecting Lady Anathea, but I'm sure you understand why you must leave. Master Vitus has some business with that infernal Blakeory, as that letter on the table so callously states."

"If you're going into town, then make sure Maria gets to Anastasia's house for tutoring." Anathea requested.

"Very well, I shall take her there before dealing with this unfortunate land dispute. Rest assured, I will not accept no for an answer." Vitus pledged.

"Indeed, everything will go according to plan. Have a little faith, my lady." Gardevoir added, the door to the left wing opening once more as Maria entered the foyer again. "Ah, Maria. Vitus will be taking you to Anastasia's house instead."

"Oh, ok." Maria replied, accepting the change of plans as she walked up to her father, the duo soon making their leave as they exited their vast mansion. Gardevoir gave Venam and Julius one last glance before re-entering the study and closed the doors behind her.

"It seems I cannot fulfil my promise to you two. I apologize for this turn of events." Anathea bowed respectfully to the young duo.

"No need to apologize, as we said we've got other business to deal with." Venam replied.

"It was nice to meet you, Anathea." Julius bowed respectfully, the duo making their leave and exited the mansion as Anathea made her way to the left wing. Once the pair had left the courtyard and back into the forest, they opted to have a quick discussion on what happened back at that mansion.

"That guy, Vitus. He was definitely Indriad, I couldn't ever forget a face like his." Venam commented.

"True, they are the same man, but only in terms of appearance though. Personality wise, they're two completely different people. For one thing, Vitus was a lot kinder and more rational that Indriad, that and Maria wasn't frightened of his mere presence. At any rate, I'm glad he isn't being an abusive bastard to her, otherwise who knows what I would've done to him." Julius replied, his fists clenching a little tightly. "Perhaps…perhaps we might find out what made his personality turn a complete 180. This land dispute for one thing sounds suspicious."

"Agreed, perhaps Mr. Blakeory did or said something so heinous during the negotiations that it caused Vitus to snap and do something terrible. Whatever the case, we have to follow him around and keep an eye on him. Furthermore, we should keep Melia out of this; after all I want to make it up to her for my actions back in the restaurant." The brown-haired girl informed the young teen, who let out a low chuckle.

"So I guess that makes me your partner in crime." He smirked back at her.

"Yep, I'm glad you're willing to team up with me for this mission!" Venam shot a smiled at her friend. "Well come on then, let's find this 'Tasia household."

Giving her a quick nod in confirmation, Julius allowed Venam to lead the way on this mission, the duo briskly making their way through the forest in order to avoid any more encounters with aggressive Pokémon. Upon reentering Kugearen City, the brown-haired girl had spotted Vitus and Maria enter a small one story house to the south of the city, the pair eyeing each other briefly before making their way to the house and entered it…only to step into what looked like a miniature laboratory. There were a few machines lined up against the walls, a couple of scientists working at them feverishly as the duo's attention was soon directed towards the back of the main room.

There, they saw Vitus and Maria greet a middle-aged woman, with short auburn colored hair and matching eyes. Her outfit was a white business-suit that doubled as a laboratory coat, a clear indication that she had achieved major success throughout her life. Indeed, her eyes showed pride, ambition and intelligence, but they also showed coldness, as if success was all that mattered to her in the end.

"Ah, good day Katsu." Vitus greeted the woman before him.

"A pleasure to have your presence once again, Mr. Theolia." The now-named woman greeted back. "I see you have brought your daughter over to help Anastasia with her studies."

"Indeed." The blonde man replied, gesturing at Maria to join her friend in the next room over.

"Now then, if that is your only business here, then I'd like for you to leave. As you can see, I am a very busy woman." Katsu requested, her eyes glossing over towards the door.

"I understand your request, but there's something else I came here to talk about. Namely how you…educate your daughter." Vitus stated, the woman before him shooting him a dirty look.

"With all due respect, _Vitus_ , I don't think it's your business to tell me how to raise my daughter." She shot back at him.

"Pardon my rudeness, I did not mean to impose. I just wanted to suggest giving her a break every now and then. A child needs freedom in their life." He implored her, with Katsu narrowing her eyes a bit more than before.

"Anastasia is not an ordinary child. She is a genius and I will not have her waste her potential on trivial things such as that." She retorted.

"Sure, you're growing her book smarts, but a child needs social skills as well. Why not—" Vitus began only to get cut off abruptly.

"You're pissing me off, Vitus. Learn your place!" Katsu snapped at him. "You can give your daughter as many breaks as you want, but when its time for them to enter college, Tasia will be on top. We'll see how good your "breaks" are then."

"Fine then, I'll leave you to your work then." The blonde man huffed, turning around and made his way towards the front entrance, where Venam and Julius were spying on him. "I swear, talking to her feels like talking to a brick wa—Oh, did you two hear all that?"

"Y-Yeah, we did." Venam replied, a little nervous about getting spotted so soon into her mission. "I can't believe how stubborn she was to your suggestions."

"That's Katsu for you; a genius in many fields of science and business, but a little lacking in the morals department." Vitus replied.

"Don't worry, I thought you were in the right. I mean you give Maria some breaks and look how well she turned out." Julius gave his two cents.

"Exactly. Kids need to relax at some point; overworking them would cause some damn serious complications." The brown-haired girl added.

"Unfortunately for 'Tasia, that isn't a reality. Poor girl. This won't be forever, though." The blonde man let out a sigh. "Anyway, I have an urgent meeting with Mr. Blakeory down at Blakeory CO."

"In that case, may we offer our assistance to you? Every guy needs a couple of bodyguards to defend you should such a thing be necessary." The young teen offered his services.

"Well…I can't say I'll need bodyguards, but if you wish to tag along then I suppose there's no harm in that." The older man replied, making his way out of the house/lab hybrid as Venam shot a confidant smile at her friend.

"Smooth moves, Jules. That was easier than I thought." She complimented his quick thinking, her mind mulling over the conversation from before. "Vitus seems like a nice guy, but I'm still unsure of what turned him into such an asswipe. By the way Jules, does the name Blakeory CO. sound…familiar to you?"

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that the same company that Saki is set to inherit?" Julius replied, a sudden realization forming in Venam's mind.

"Yeah, that's it! Saki Blakeory is set to inherit the company from her grandfather." She called out dramatically, before shrugging her shoulders. "Eh, that can wait. We've got more important business to deal with."

Quickly walking out of the building, they soon joined up with Vitus and made their way to the Blakeory Corporation building, which stood tall and proud over all the other buildings in the bustling city. Entering the mammoth structure, they were soon greeted by a clerk standing by the entrance, who gestured the trio to follow him to the CEO's office for the urgent meeting. A couple minute later, the group entered a lavishly decorated room, the clerk bowing before an elderly man in a finely crafted suit and proceeded to make his leave, the older man gesturing for his guests to take a seat.

"Welcome, Vitus. I see you have received my letter in the mail, no?" The man greeted his guests.

"Yes, I have Mr. Blakeory. I'm sure you know my decision in this dispute." Vitus replied calmly.

"Indeed I do…it's a most unfortunate position we're both in. I don't plan on changing my decision as well, it's for the benefit of us all." Mr. Blakeory answered.

"Benefit? How does chasing me and my family out of my home benefit us?" The blonde man dryly retorted.

"You built that mansion on property you didn't own. I bought that unclaimed territory ages ago and plan on expanding Kugearen City even further." The elderly man interjected. "You're lucky that I'm acting this calmly towards you."

"Ridiculous! I've lived here far longer than the citizens of Kugearen City. I allowed you to build the city so long as it didn't disrupt my family's personal life. But I guess profits are all that matter to you." Vitus retorted bitterly.

"Allowed me? ALLOWED ME?! What nonsense are you babbling on about now? You have not allowed me to do anything! In fact, you have no grounds to! I bought this land with my hard-earned money, Mr. Theolia. And that includes the land that your mansion is currently standing on!" Mr. Blakeory began ranting, small droplets of spittle falling out his mouth.

"Screw off, mate. Can't you see this guy has a family to care for? Are you really that much of a slimeball that you'll leave them homeless for your own gain?" Venam interjected.

"Of course not, you impudent lass. I don't plan on leaving them homeless. I gave them a deal; Once Kugearen City is expanded, they can own an apartment free of charge." The older man offered.

"I see…allow me to ask you a question. Is it an entire apartment complex, or just a lone apartment?" Julius inquired.

"A lone apartment of course, my generosity has its limits after all." Mr. Blakeory answered the young teens query.

"Just one apartment, for an entire mansion? That's got to be one of the worst deals I've heard of, no way we're accepting that!" Venam called out, slamming her fist on the table to add a little emphasis to her response.

"Precisely. I will not accept such a deal that blatantly benefits you. We're staying where we are, and that's final." Vitus added, the older man before him sighing in frustration.

"You always have to make everything difficult. Fine then, do what you will, but you'll regret it someday." Mr. Blakeory seethed under his breath, ordering his guests to leave his office, an order they were more than happy to act out on.

Upon exiting the building, the trio opted to go their separate ways, with Venam whispering into Julius' ear on a great idea she has to get even with the elderly CEO. Deciding to check up on Melia and Kanon, the young man was making his way to the restaurant when he soon noticed a cop acting suspiciously, looking side-to-side before entering the forest. Confused at what he just saw, Julius had a change of heart and decided to follow this suspicious cop into the woods, making sure that he avoided getting detected. Soon enough, he saw the cop join up with several others in a clearing, with the young teen diving into a nearby bush to eavesdrop on the conversation, only for a figure to teleport into the clearing a few seconds later.

"Ah, you're all here…that's good." Gardevoir called out to the police officers, her hawkish eyes staring at them as they all turned to face her. "I trust that you weren't followed on your way here."

"No ma'am." The officer from before called out, "So what exactly do you want us to do?"

"It's easy, really. I'm sure you're all familiar with the land dispute going on between Mr. Blakeory and Vitus, right? Seems that the latter is refusing to budge from his position, more so when you factor in that he refuses to use his power to stop this nonsense. That blasted Anathea is ruining everything, everything!" Gardevoir explained, her voice perfectly suited to relay the drama of the entire situation.

"Uhh…what does this have to do with us?" A second officer inquired.

"I need you four to arrest Vitus, after all that is your job, right?" The Embrace Pokémon ordered the officers before her.

"Easy peasy, that is our job after all! I'm sure Mr. Blakeory would be pleased to hear this news." The first officer chimed in.

"Ohohohohoho, he is not to hear of this deal. Especially since you'll have you use more…unorthodox tactics for this mission. I need you to destroy his mansion, the one thing that would crush Vitus' spirit." Gardevoir added, confusing a few of the police officers present.

"Destroy his mansion? If you wanted that, then why not hire a demolition crew instead?" A third officer chimed in.

"By having you destroy his mansion, it'll look less suspicious that way. I am looking out for you after all." Gardevoir answered, turning to face the trees behind her. "Plus, you do want that reward, don't you? An infinite supply of gold nuggets, was it? Ah yes, I bet you could buy a multitude of luxuries with that."

The cop's eyes gleamed with greed over the tempting deal, having sold their souls to a devil who would no doubt stab them in the back when the time is right. "As you wish. But when this deal is done, we don't know each other." The first officer agreed, the others nodding in unison.

"Yes, of course. In fact, I don't think you all will ever see me again, or anything for that matter." The Embrace Pokémon replied, muttering the last sentence under her breath as she began chuckling to herself.

"I-Is everything alright?" A fourth police officer asked.

"Yes…I'm fine thank you very much. Now chop-chop! You've got a job to do." She answered, the cops nodding and proceeded to leave the clearing, with Gardevoir watching them go before teleporting out of the area. The entire exchange had left Julius rattled; these corrupt officers were going to destroy the home that Maria and her parents hold so dear to them, and Gardevoir was behind the twisted plan. He was just about to leave when he saw something sparkling in the grass where Gardevior stood during the briefing. Checking to see if the coast was clear, the young man quickly made his way to the spot and crouched down, spotting a small apartment key in the grass and picked it up before pocketing it, the young teen proceeding to make a beeline towards Vitus' mansion to inform him of the secret meeting.

 **0000**

Upon entering the mansion, he saw Venam and Vitus having a little discussion, the former handing the blonde man a toilet roll as he eyed it up curiously. "Look Vitus, I get that you're going through a most stressful time, but I have the perfect solution to all your problems. We're gonna TP Mr. Blakeory's building!" She proclaimed.

"And what would this prove exactly?" Vitus inquired.

"That he's the shit, and we're here to wipe him away!" The brown-haired girl declared boldly.

"Absolutely not. All a stunt like this would do is hinder my chances of keeping my house." The blonde man replied, making his way to the bin near the front entrance before discarding the roll of paper, turning to see the exhausted look on Julius' face. "Is everything ok?"

"Listen, Vitus. I have urgent news to tell you; your Gardevoir is conspiring with the Kugearen police to tear this mansion down. You need to confront her about this immediately!" Julius began, the blonde man looking at him as if he grew a second head before chuckling to himself.

"Gardevoir, conspire to destroy my home? Surely this is but a jest. Still, if this was an attempt to cheer me up, then I appreciate it. Rest assured, Gardevoir would never—" Vitus began, before being cut off by a brisk knocking on his door. "Now who could that be?" He mused, walking out the door with Venam and Julius following right behind him.

Upon stepping outside the mansion, the two teens were swiftly apprehended by the cops, their wrists tied up tightly as a couple others pointed service pistols at their heads. "Woah, woah, woah! What's going on here?!" Venam demanded, maintaining her composure despite the situation, something which Julius found admirable.

"Mr. Blakeory has placed charges against all three of you. He told us of two children who threatened to beat him to death on the orders of Vitus Theolia." An officer informed the duo, his lackeys pressing the guns harder onto the teen's heads.

"Charges my ass, you're all doing this on Gardevoir's behalf, over a reward that she's not going to pay yo—Argh! Julius snapped back, only to cry out in pain as he was pistol whipped on the back of his head.

"Enough lies, criminal scum!" A second officer barked at him, before turning to face Vitus. "Following your apprehension, we will begin demolition of this illegal household as well."

"Y-You can't! this is my home; my wife and child live here! Arrest me and do as you will, but please spare these children and my family, I implore you." Vitus begged desperately, the cops staring coldly at him.

"Unfortunately, orders are orders, and we're being pressed to follow them. Please, do not make this any more difficult than it needs to be, Mr. Theolia." The head officer replied, sending out his Tangrowth as another pair of officers grabbed Vitus and pushed him aside. Slowly but surely, the Tangrowth made its way to the front door and reared its thick viney arm in the air. But just as it began to swung its arm down, the doors opened once more, with Vitus, Venam and Julius watching in horror at the scene that played out in front of them.

"Honey, what's going on out—" Anathea began, only for the attack to strike her head on, sending her flying back alongside the doors as a chuck of the exterior wall crumbled onto the ground. Both Julius and Venam were left speechless, with Vitus covering his mouth as tears began streaming down his face.

"My god…what just happened?" Venam commented weakly, a desperate Vitus pushing the cops inside and made a beeline to his ruined home, hoping desperately that his wife was still alive. "What the hell is wrong with you?! You just hit Anathea!"

"T-That wasn't my intentions. I didn't know that—" The head officer began making excuses.

"Shut your mouth! Vitus said himself that his family were in that mansion, yet you just continued your demolition without a care in the world. Were all those nuggets you were bribed with worth taking away Maria's mother?! Answer me, dammit!" Julius demanded, breaking free from his restraints before untying Venam's restraints as well. "Gardevoir! Come out and face us, coward!"

"Ahahahahahahahaha! What an amazing show; the anguish, the rage. Marvelous, fantastic!" A familiar voice echoed throughout the area, with Gardevoir soon appearing before the group. "I must thank you all for this most entertaining performance, especially you, Tangrowth." She chimed in whimsically, the large Pokémon eyeing her up curiously before stepping aside obediently.

"M-My Tangrowth!" The head officer called out in shock, with Gardevoir chuckling to herself as she approached the corrupt officers.

"That blasted Anathea was nothing but a distraction for Vitus. Now that she's out of the way, he can finally do what he was always destined to do. You even supplied his motivation for me; for that I am eternally grateful!" She clapped her hands in glee.

"So…do we get our nuggets now?" Another officer inquired, with Gardevoir chuckling darkly at them.

"Ohohohohohoho, you will. But first…how about a nice little show as an additional reward?" She smirked darkly at them; the officer's bodies coated in an ethereal light.

"Th-This isn't what we agreed on!" The head officer barked at her, as he and his comrades began thrashing around desperately but to no avail.

"Agreed on? I have no idea what you're talking about…" Gardevoir smirked, the cops screaming in fear as she teleported them and the Tangrowth away from the courtyard as the Embrace Pokémon eyed up the two teens before her. "As for you two. I'd advise you to run away. Far, far away." She suggested, before teleporting away, leaving the two teens horrified at what just happened.

"I guess this is what made Vitus turn into Indriad. Can't believe I'm saying this, but I now feel bad for him, having seen his wife get brutally murdered." Venam said to Julius.

"It's not just him I'm worried about. Poor Maria's going to grow up without a mother now…" Julius sighed sadly, a look of determination in his eyes. "I know you didn't want to involve her, but we need Melia's assistance."

"Y-You're right, we need to tell her about this right now." The brown-haired girl replied, the duo beginning to make their way to Kugearen, before Julius suddenly stopped in his tracks for some reason, as if he had heard someone call out to him.

" _My…daughter…Where is my…daughter."_ The voice called out to him, causing him to eye up the surrounding area in confusion.

"Uh, earth to Julius. We need to go now!" Venam snapped him out of his trance, causing the young man to shake his head as the duo quickly ran back to town. The duo was able to make it back into town quickly, only to hear what sounded like a young girl crying out in fear. Their gut instincts fearing the worst, the duo quickly made their way to the source, only to see that a different police officer was talking to Katsu and Anastasia regarding Maria's sudden disappearance. "W-What's going on, where's Maria?!" The brown-haired girl asked urgently.

"I don't know where she is, that's the problem! I left her to study alongside Anastasia so I could complete my own work. The next thing I heard was screaming and crying; I tried asking Anastasia where Maria was, but she wouldn't tell me." Katsu answered Venam's question quickly, with Julius crouching down to Anastasia's eye-level.

"Hey…don't cry. I'm here to help Maria, do you know where she is?" He inquired calmly, hoping to ease her frantic state of mind.

"M-Maria…was…Maria was taken." The young girl replied quietly.

"Taken? Taken by who?" Venam asked her.

"S-She was taken by a Pokémon…with red hair. She came in and grabbed Maria, before disappearing right after." Anastasia replied timidly.

"Is that so? Then why didn't you tell me this earlier, you useless child?!" Katsu scolded her, only for Julius to frown at her and push her back lightly. "I beg your pardon?!"

"Don't you dare insult your child! She just went through a terrifying experience and doesn't need you to make things any harder than they should be." The young teen snapped at her, before crouching down to Anastasia's eye-level once more. "Don't worry sweetheart, we'll find Maria. I promise you."

"I-I'm sorry…" She weakly replied quickly running away from the area and towards the route to the south.

"And just where do you think you're going?!" Katsu called out briskly following towards her, the officer sighing to himself before following the duo.

"If Maria's been taken by Gardevoir, then we need to act now! Guess we're gonna have to do this without Mel—" Venam began, the duo making their way to the forest, only to see Kanon walking briskly into the forest. "Huh, why is Kanon heading towards the forest…?"

"I don't know, but perhaps we can get some assistance from him." The young man suggested, his ears twitching as if he had heard something but opted to pursue the white-haired youth into the forest. Both he and Venam were hot on his tail, the brown-haired girl raising an eyebrow in surprise as she saw him heading towards the mansion. Realizing that he could be up to something fishy, they hasted up their walking and saw him enter the mansion, the duo quickly following him before they saw the study doors close, with Venam scowling at the sight.

"Dammit, we weren't fast enough!" She commented bitterly under her breath. "Seems like Kanon has business with Vitus, or should I say Indriad. I guess we better find a key if we're going to find out what's behind these doors—"

" _What's happening…to my daughter?"_ The spectral voice from before called out, with Venam's ears pricking up upon hearing it.

"Ok, what was that?" She inquired.

"It's the same voice I heard back there. Y-You don't think…" Julius began, only for the voice to call out once more.

" _Beyond the door…what lies beyond the door…? I must know…"_ It called out, only for a spectral image of Anathea to appear before the duo, catching them off guard.

"A-Anathea…?" Venam asked cautiously, the specter before them giving the duo a sad smile.

" _Yes…it is me. Where am I? What's happening to me…?"_ She asked the duo, an eerie glowing emanating from Julius' bag as he dug through it and took out the Soul Stone, the shiny crystal ball glowing an ethereal glow.

"The Soul Stone. It must've captured her spirit." He deduced, showing it to Venam as she soon realized how the older woman was appearing before them. "Don't worry Anathea, we will do everything in our power to rescue Maria."

" _Please save her…who knows what she could be going through beyond these doors?"_ The older woman requested.

"Do you have any idea on where the key to the study is?" Venam inquired.

" _Forgive me, but I lack the answer to that myself. I…I need to rest for a bit."_ Anathea replied, fading out of sight as the Soul Stone proceeded to stop glowing.

"Drat, I wish we were able to get more out of her." Venam sighed, with Julius putting the Soul Stone back in his bag. "Come on Julius, we need to do this for both Maria and Anathea!"

"Right." Julius agreed, the duo opting to check out the right wing of the mansion as they began running down the vast halls. Soon enough, the duo stumbled into a small room at the end of the wing, that was packed with various bookcases containing a wide variety of books, a lone wooden desk resting at the back of the room. "Well this looks like the study Anathea told us about."

"Well that desk looks like a good place to start. Allow me to open it." Venam chimed in, making her way to the desk and began pulling on the top drawer, yet it wouldn't open. Confused, the brown-haired girl began pulling on it harder and harder, grunting under her breath in exertion, but it still didn't budge an inch. "What the…this drawer won't fucking open for some reason. And it doesn't look like there's a keyhole on the front either; just how are we going to open this?"

"If you'll excuse me…" The young teen began, kindly gesturing at Venam to move out the way as he began knocking against the area surrounding the desk. A few moments later, he slammed his fist onto the top of the desk and shattered the wood, the brown-haired girl jumping back in surprise as Julius sifted through the debris and fished out a small red key before handing it over to her.

"Uh, thanks I guess…" She replied, taking it from his now bloodied hand as the young teen found a towel and wiped his hand with it before discarding it.

"My apologies for startling you, but I'm in no mood to play whatever game is tied behind this damn drawer. Right now, we've got to head into that other study and rescue Maria." Julius justified his actions, the duo quickly leaving the study and made their way back to the main foyer, with Venam walking up to the red doors and inserted the key into the lock. With a quick ' _ker-chunk_ ', the lock opened, enabling them to step inside and check the area, only for them to spot a fight of stairs going down and opted to explore the hidden depths below.

Upon arriving at the bottom, Julius was startled to see that the area before them was almost an exact replica of the hidden chamber within the depths of Mount Carotos. Everything was the same; the walls, the floor, even the distinct crystals that lined the area were the same. Does this mean that Vitus, or Indriad as he is now was a descendant of the Garufa? Or was this all one big coincidence and he was simply over thinking things? Snapping himself back into action, Julius quickly followed Venam to a series of rocks on the eastern half of the room, peering over them to lay witness to the madness before them. In their line of sight was a vast crowd of maids, standing reverently before Gardevoir and Vitus, the latter now wearing a set of black cultist robes, just like back then.

In the center of the elevated floor where the duo was standing was an altar, the deceased body of Anathea lying still on it. To the left of the altar was another elevated platform, a series of totem poles overlooking a lava pit, with the head officer from before tied up to one. Based on the singed ropes surrounding the bases of the other totems it was obvious what had happened to the other police officers. But the most baffling sight was that Kanon was standing in the front row of the crowd, gazing cautiously at Gardevoir for some odd reason. It was then that Vitus took a few steps forwards towards the crowd, standing in front of the altar where his beloved rested peacefully.

"You all may have known me as Vitus Theolia. The man who gave you all a second chance at life. The one who gave you all a true purpose. But I am no longer going by that name; from now on you shall call me by a new name, Indriad." The blonde man proclaimed to the crowd; the pair of teens eyeing him intently.

"And there it is…the beginning of his descent into madness." Venam whispered to her friend, who gave her a quick nod in response.

"A grave sin was committed today in my very home. By the hands of that officer and his lackeys, all sent here by that wretched Thomas Blakeory to have me removed. I took the liberity of "purifying" his sub-ordinates first, wanting to see them burn before he did. After all, he was the one who took the life of the woman I loved." Indriad continued, gesturing over to the head officer, who at this point had yielded to his fate. "Anathea…sweet, dear Anathea. You were so innocent; I tried to protect you from the evil beyond our doors. But I was woefully unprepared for the possibility of evil coming straight to those very same doors."

"Arceus shall take care of her now. She's in good hands. Let the ceremony begin." Gardevoir spoke out to the crowd, the duo making their way to the sides of the altar and began chanting, with Anathea's body slowly floating up into the air. Upon conclusion of their chant, the body slowly disappeared from this world and moved on to the next one. "And it is done, her body and soul have been cleansed."

" _How could he do this to my body? I did not ask for this!"_ An ethereal voice called out, the specter of Anathea re-appearing beside Venam and Julius, the duo caught off-guard by her reappearance.

"Now then, it is time to introduce a new member amongst ourselves; Kanon!" The blonde man called out, the duo watching in curiosity as the white-haired youth made his way to the altar, kneeling in respect before the older man. "You too have seen the evil this world brings forth, haven't you? Is this your reason for joining?"

"It is, sir. I also want to protect someone I love. Someone…close to me." Kanon admitted.

"As do all of us. Is there any harm in a noble act like that?" Indriad asked out loud to the crowd, who all unanimously voiced their support for Kanon.

"I believe it is a noble thing to wish for. Security, friendship…or perhaps love?" Gardevoir began, eyeing up the youth cautiously. "We must entrust you with a very important task. A task that shall act as a bridge; a bridge that shall allow you to cross over to the side of light. The side of true paradise, for you and your "loved one"."

Walking up to Kanon, she presented him with a bright white orb the size of a Pokéball. "Here, take this. It is an orb that contains a very powerful attack. An attack that is capable of bringing down kingdoms. Bring it to Kugearen City and smash it. I shall warp you back here once I sense its destruction." She informed him, a small smirk forming on her face upon saying the last sentence. "Kugearen shall be destroyed and we shall gain vengeance for our fallen Anathea."

"But what about the people living there…?" Kanon inquired, carefully studying the orb in his hands.

"Unfortunately for them, they shall be obliterated. Do not worry though, it will be a quick and painless death. Everything will be over in mere seconds." Gardevoir told him, as horrifying thoughts flooded Julius' mind. This crazy witch before him was planning on blowing up an entire town, killing hundreds of people, including Melia. He was questioning why Kanon would do something like this for her sake, when he heard a low chuckle escape from the white-haired youth's mouth. "Oh, what about this is humorous?"

"I just think it's really funny…how stupid you guys are!" Kanon declared, causing the crowd of maids to gasp in shock and horror as he sent out his Salamence, the large dragon hissing and snarling at the Embrace Pokemon. "It's just like the lady in the mask said; you all were up to no good!"

' _Did he infiltrate this meeting to prevent this explosion from happening? And who exactly is this lady in a mask he mentioned?'_ Julius thought to himself, mentally congratulating the young man for pulling a fast one on Gardevoir…except for the fact that he sent out a Pokémon that she was strong against.

"Lady in a mask, what on earth are you talking about?" Gardevoir inquired, managing to maintain her composure in the face of such a betrayal.

"She appeared before me months ago, telling me that you were the cause of the future destruction of this world! The horrors I and many people had to endure; I'll do anything to wipe ourselves of that burden!" The white-haired youth began, with Gardevoir narrowing her eyes at him in contempt.

"So, you were here to betray us from the very beginning?" She inquired, with Kanon nodding in conformation. "Hmmm…this is unfortunate, very unfortunate indeed. Sorry Kanon, but you're no match for me." The Embrace Pokémon continued, her eyes glowing as she flicked her wrist to the side, causing both the young man and his Pokémon to disappear before they could even react, the white orb lying peacefully on the ground where he once stood.

"Kanon!" Venam called out in fear, covering her mouth to ensure that they didn't get discovered.

"In the future, I suggest you use this moment as a reminder on what happens to those who dare to betray us. Any further double agents will be executed on the spot, no questions asked." Gardevoir informed the crowd, who all nodded at her obediently.

"Correct. These actions are not permitted and shall not be tolerated. That being said, our mission still stands." Indriad added, with Gardevoir picking up the orb as a maid from within the crowd walked up to the Embrace Pokémon and bowed before her.

"I would like to fulfill this task, if you would allow me to." She requested.

"Very well, do everything as I have described to Kanon before his betrayal. Crush the orb, and I shall warp you back to safety." Gardevoir reminded the maid, handing over the orb to her.

"Understood, I shall make my way there now." The maid replied, bowing once more before quietly making her way out of the cavernous room.

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, let us punish the one who took my beloved away from me." Indriad recalled, the crowd turning to face the head officer as he let out a quick sigh of defeat.

"What do we do, save Maria or sav—" Venam began, only to see Julius quietly making his way to the end of the room, where a small opening was present. "I guess I know where his priorities lay."

" _Let us make haste…Maria cannot remain down here any longer."_ Anathea urged the brown-haired girl, the duo quietly following Julius into the small room at the end. Upon stepping inside, they saw the young teen trying desperately in vain to get the young girl to move out of the engraving that rested beneath her feet, but she wouldn't move. Despite looking as full of life as before, she wouldn't move, speak or even blink, almost as if she was petrified by some mysterious power.

"N-No! Th-There has to be something I can do to save her!" Julius cried out desperately, attempting to lift her up off the spot, but she wouldn't even budge an inch. "D-Dammit! What did they do to her?!"

"Ohohohohohoho! I must say your pointless flailing is most entertaining…" A familiar voice called out to them, the trio turning around as they saw Gardevoir walk up to them. "Did you really think I didn't notice you three entering?"

"Y-You! Free her from your spell, this instant!" The young teen demanded, pointing directly at her.

"I don't think you're in any position to be making demands." The Embrace Pokémon coldly answered back, shooting down his demand.

"Wait, did you say 'you three entering' before? Does that mean you can—" Venam began.

"See Anathea? Why of course I can; only those without close connections, or viable senses can't see her." The red-haired Pokémon answered, with Anathea walking closer to the hostile Pokémon.

" _Gardevoir, may I ask a question? How long…how long has Vitus continued to be in this cult?"_ The older woman inquired. _"I thought I ended things when we got married. He promised to stop…"_

"Wait, you knew about all this?" The brown-haired girl turned to face her.

" _He used to do this, even before we were married, but I pleaded with him to stop. He looked me straight in the eye and told me he'd stop, but it looks like he lied to me."_ Anathea informed her of her knowledge surrounding the cult.

"Don't get me wrong, Lady Anathea. Vitus was lost. He did not wish to do what he's doing now, but your death caused him to have second thoughts. With you out of the picture, there isn't anyone to stop what he was destined to do. You were nothing but a hindrance; alive and dead." Gardevoir told her coldly.

"So that's why you hired those police officers to tear down the mansion; to get her killed in the ensuing chaos. And their "punishment" is a convenient way of leaving no loose ends untied." Julius retorted, his hand reaching for a Pokéball. "You will let Maria go this instant, or else you'll have to fight me!"

"Yeah, I'm itching for a good fight as well!" Venam joined in, standing beside her friend, with Gardevoir chuckling coldly at them.

"Bold, but stupid. What makes you two think you can stand up to me? I took care of that traitor, your friend easily enough; allow me to reunite you two with—" The Embrace Pokémon began, only for Anathea's spirit to lunge towards her and entered her body, immobilizing the Pokémon easily enough. "Y-You! Let me go this instant!" She tried to break free from the possession but was unable to do so.

" _It pains me to say this…but we must leave Maria. There's nothing we can do for her."_ Anathea's voice informed the duo, who both had unsure glances on their faces before sucking up and accepting the decision. Julius turned to the petrified Maria and gave her a quick hug, whispering an apology into her ear before quickly running out the room alongside Venam.

 **0000**

"Argh! Damn it!" Julius roared in anger, slamming his fist on the wall as Venam and Anathea's spirit gazed at him quietly, the latter managing to escape unharmed.

"I understand how you feel at this moment; we were so close to saving her, but we failed in the end." The brown-haired girl consoled him, resting her hand on his shoulder.

" _We shall get another chance soon enough. But for now, we must stop that maid from destroying the city."_ Anathea chimed in.

"Right. We may not be able to save Maria, but we can save the city. Still, I don't know if I can explain Kanon's death to Melia; she's going to be crushed big time." Venam agreed, turning back to Julius. "Come on then, we've got a city to save."

"A-Alright then." He replied, calming down from his outburst as Venam made her way out the mansion. But before he left, he heard Anathea call out to him.

" _Julius, it is clear to me that you and Venam are special children. I only ask a single favor from you both; help me save my darling daughter, Maria."_ She requested.

"Do not worry, I will save her, even if it means giving up my life in the process." Julius pledged to his elder.

" _Thank you…I shall accompany you in your journey to help you out."_ She replied, fading away from existence once more and returned to the Soul Stone. With a newfound determination, the young teen quickly ran out the mansion and into the woods, where he saw Venam crouching besides…Kanon?

"What the…Kanon?!" He called out, running over towards Venam to help her get the young man onto his feet. Uttering a low groan, the white-haired youth managed to wake up, eyeing up the duo curiously as he surveyed his surroundings.

"Ugh…what am I doing here?" He inquired.

"I should be asking you the same thing; we saw Gardevoir obliterate you, yet I don't see a single scratch on your body." Venam exclaimed, eyeing him up carefully.

"No…not without a scratch. My Salamence…it's gone; it's really gone…" Kanon sniffled, a few tears streaming down his cheeks as Julius consoled him.

"Don't worry, we're here for you in case you need a shoulder to cry on." He offered, the white-haired youth shooting him a small smile.

"Thanks, Julius…" He replied, wiping the tears away. "Yes, I was obliterated, but the lady in the mask saved me. She said that she could only save me, but not my Salamence. She reached out and I grabbed her hand. Argh, I screwed up again, and it cost me my closest friend!"

"Don't worry Kanon, there's a way you can fix this. Gardevoir sent a maid to blow up the city; if we stop her then Salamence's death wouldn't be in vain." Venam gave him a quick pep-talk, something which seemed to work.

"Y-Yeah…I can fix up my mistake and save Melia. I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're right Venam." Kanon admitted.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to saying it eventually." The brown-haired girl chuckled lightly. "Come on boys, we've got a job to do!"

Nodding in unison, the two boys followed Venam through the woods, quickly making their way back to Kugearen City and arrived at the center of the metropolis to search for her, but to no avail. "Damn, I don't see a sign of her anywhere!" Venam called out loud in frustration.

"This place is so large, I don't even know where to begin searching. Should we split up and look for her?" Julius suggested.

"That won't work; after all, you do know what happens to those who suggest splitting up in the movies?" The brown-haired girl knocked back the suggestion. "I'll need you two to help me decide where to begin searching."

"How about the north?" Kanon suggested.

"Alright then, the north it is!" Venam called out, the trio making their way north and began searching, but to no avail. "No…I don't see her anywhere."

"Maybe we should go so—" Julius began, only for a bright light to envelop the area. Because the trio could so much as react, they were enveloped and vaporized the rapidly growing light, a million thoughts racing through his mind as he soon drifted off into darkness.

 **?**

Death is a funny thing; you spend your life dreading its arrival, only for it to be as peaceful as a deep sleep. The young man found himself in an empty void, wondering where he was and where to go, when he was caught off-guard by the sound of approaching footsteps.

"You don't know…" The voice called out, only for the figure to reveal itself, a figure that Julius could never, ever forget. "You don't know that countless problems you have created for me…"

"Madame X! Are you hear to gloat in my face about how my mother's sacrifice was in vain?! Because if you are, then save it; I already feel bad for failing everyone as it is." He snapped back at her.

"Heh, your anger is entertaining. Despite all that you've done to meddle in my affairs, I find myself saving you each time, because you're important to everything." She replied, causing the young man to step back in shock.

"M-Me, important? Why am I so important all of a sudden?! I've had everyone telling me that I'm so important to all these powerful and omniscient figures, yet I don't see how that could be the case!" Julius exclaimed.

"Even I do not know why you are so important, nor do I know who you are exactly. Why are you interfering? You weren't here the first time around. Who put you here?" Madame X continued with the nonsensical questions, before bringing out her sword. "What are you doing just standing there?! You have work to do!"

"What is even going on here anymore?! I came here to accept my death, not get bombarded with meaningless questions!" The young teen retorted back, the older woman before him letting out a quick sigh.

"The maid's in front of Blakeory CO. so get to it already!" She told him, lunging at him with her sword pointed at him. but before the blade could sink into his flesh, Julius found himself back in Kugearen City, with Venam and Kanon going over where they should search next, the young teen letting out a groan as he clutched his aching head.

"Julius, is everything alright?" Kanon inquired, the young man turning towards the Blakeory Co. building before running of towards it. "H-Hey, get back here!"

"Wait, I think he may be onto something. Indriad hates Blakeory Co. with all his heart, so it seems logical that he'd want it destroyed. Come on, let's follow him!" Venam told the white-haired youth, the duo quickly following behind when they soon saw Melia exit the restaurant.

"Oh, I was just looking for you—" Melia began.

"Not now, Melia. We need to catch up to Julius over at Blakeory CO." Venam replied, the duo continuing to run as Melia shrugged her shoulders before following the duo. Upon arriving there, they saw Julius in a small grappling match against the maid, fighting over the dangerous orb.

"Y-You came! Q-Quickly, get the orb!" He called out to his friends. In an instant, Kanon lunged at the maid, quickly snatching the orb from her hands and retreated back to the safety of his friends.

"That was for my Salamence, lady!" The white-haired man retorted, poking his tongue out at her as the maid growled in anger.

"Preposterous, I saw you die! How can you still be alive?" She hissed at him, with Melia raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Still be alive; what exactly is going on?" She inquired, with Venam leaning over and began whispering into her ear. A few minutes later, she leant back and allowed Melia to digest the story. "I…I see."

"You insolent worms! I shall report this to Lady Gardevoir this instant!" The maid huffed, pushing Julius away from her and began walking away.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Julius called out, attracting the maid's attention. "I wonder how Gardevoir would react to hearing of your failure; I'm sure you did see what happen to those police officers, no? And even if you do succeed, Gardevoir wouldn't warp you back to safety; she'd have let you die."

"W-What…did, did she lie to me?" The maid inquired, the young teen giving her a firm nod before she shrugged her shoulders. "Hello, who are you young kids? Indriad? Gardevoir? I've never heard of them; toodles!" She waved at them, briskly making her way to the route south of the city, the group of four watching her go.

"What that solves that conundrum." Venam replied, turning to face Kanon. "I gotta say, that swipe of yours was awesome!"

"Uh, thanks. Eheheheheh…" He chuckled nervously at the praise, a faint blush forming on his cheeks.

"Well now that we've got that orb back, may I suggest GETTING THAT THING OUT OF THE CITY THIS INSTANT?!" Melia exclaimed urgently, stepping back in fear.

"Two birds with one stone, a most wonderful opportunity. The bird cannot be taken down without the stone. A city in grief and peril, a soul lost to the void. Both can be saved. But both can be lost; to prevent this…" A mysterious voice spoke to the heroes from everywhere, a vivid fog soon came rolling into the area.

"What are you doing, Spacea?" Melia inquired urgently.

"The answer lies deep within the City of West Gearen." Spacea answered, the fog enveloping Kanon before taking him elsewhere, leaving the other three confused.

"Wh-Where'd he go?!" Venam exclaimed.

"Spacea took him, he's no longer here." Melia answered her friend's query. "She said something about West Gearen, so I'm sure that's where he is."

"Why would she take someone from the past, and bring them into the future?" The brown-haired girl inquired. "We had everything under control, and she ruined it!"

"Perhaps he was needed there for some reason. Whatever the case, Kanon has a powerful bomb with him and we need to find him as soon as possible!" Melia replied, turning to face her friends. "You two should make some additional preparations; I'll be in the woods to do a bit of business. There's a short-cut there that would take us directly to Gearen City."

"I don't know about Jules, but I'm already!" Venam stated.

"In that case, I'll meet you two there. I've got…some business to take care of." Julius replied, remembering that apartment key he picked up earlier. Separating from the duo, he began exploring the vast city and soon found a locked apartment to the north of the city, the door locked as tightly as possible. Taking out the key from his pocket, the young teen inserted it into the lock and twisted the key, a _'ker-chunk'_ echoing quietly as the door was soon unlocked.

Opening the door, the young man stepped inside and saw a solitary room before him, a small wooden table resting in the middle with a thick book resting on top of it. Making his way closer to it, he held the book in his hand, taking note of the arcane symbols etched on the front cover before deciding to open it, his eyes calmly gazing at the words before him.

' _Meet Existentialists whom harten. To the person reading this, this book was meant for you. I have studied the heart of humans and Pokémon for a very long time. The heart I refer to is not the physical one, but the spiritual one. You may even refer to it as a soul. You may have come across Pokémon whose hearts are closed; they are called Shadow Pokémon. Shadow Pokémon feel nothing but the desire to hurt and destroy. Truly and utterly soulless beings. These Pokémon are known for attacking Pokémon and humans alike. Fortunately, a process known as purification was created to re-open the hearts of Shadow Pokémon, offering a chance of redemption for Pokémon thought to be too far gone. However, I've come across being far worse than Shadow Pokémon; beings completely devoid of every emotion except hatred. I think I'll call them…Dimensional Rift Pokémon. These beings have had their inner darkness amplified to their maximum potential. This emotion then implodes within the Pokémon, allowing them to gain a circular-orb form. Although this is the first form they take, they cannot do much within this form. But when provoked, they morph into their true body, born from hatred of course. It is very, very difficult to revert them back from this state, but should we? It is when they are at their most vulnerable; their body is the literal manifestation of their heart and soul. It is in this form when they are able to be purified back into their original being. The process isn't that complicated either; you may not understand how to, but someone will.'_ It read.

Julius had hit a goldmine; this book has all the answers needed to end the Dimensional Rift problem once and for all. Taking it off the table, he felt a quick but sudden chill in the air, as if he had done something that had altered time itself. Putting it into his bag, he quickly made his way back to the forest, hoping to tell Melia and Venam about his discovery.

 **Well that went on for a little longer than I expected. Good thing to, since this part of the game was one of my least favorites, especially the part where you were unable to inform Vitus of Gardevoir's plan** **despite overhearing it in the forest. Ah well, the later episodes are much better so I can live with one weak link. As I mentioned in my other fic, I'll be writing a birthday one-shot very soon, so I hope you all enjoy it.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Levi759: I understand your concern, but Maria did say that she would never forget them for all they've done to help her, before promptly warping them back into the sewers. Granted, I could have written that part a little better so that Vitus remembered them as well, but I hoped it answered your question.**

 **Now that the heroes heading back into the current time, they'll take their first steps into West Gearen, to find their wayward friend Kanon.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Having entered the forest to meet up with his friends, Julius spotted the duo inspecting some trees near the mansion, the same one where Gardevoir was no doubt scheming some twisted plan to re-capture him and Venam and do who knows what to them. Making his way up to them, he exchanged a friendly wave to them, with Venam waving back at him.

"Good, you're here. Melia's nearly finished getting everything ready. To tell you the truth, I can't say I'm all that thrilled about returning to West Gearen; haven't been back there since that whole…incident involving Saki and Amber." The brown-haired girl said to him, a hint of unease in her voice. "I thought that Spacea and Tiempa were the good guys, as opposed to a pair of annoying brats."

"Their perception of good and bad are a lot different than ours, what with them being the literal manifestations of space and time. To tell you the truth, this could be some test they gave us to prove our worth." Melia chimed in, clearing some foliage away from the grotto to open up a thin path between the trees.

"A test? I can understand why they would test Venam and I, but don't they already know the extent of your capabilities?" Julius inquired, a look of confusion on his face.

"They probably want to see just how well the three of us can work together." The blonde girl answered, easing the young teen's confusion as her eyes sparkling slightly over spotting a bright green vine hanging off a tree. "Aha, there it is!" She called out, pulling firmly on the vine with the tree shifting slightly to the right, widening the path enough for the trio to be able to walk through.

"I take it there's another one of those crystals in this grotto?" Venam asked.

"Yes, only this one will take us to Gearen City. As for why you haven't found it despite your control over the city? Heh, we managed to hide it in a place nobody would ever find it." Melia replied, stifling a chuckle as she and her friend walked through the trees, with Julius taking one last glance at the mansion.

"Forgive me…Maria." He whispered to nobody, wiping a tear away as he soon walked through the trees as well and spotted the crystal beside a tree trunk. Figuring that his friends have already arrived back, he placed his hands on the crystal as an ethereal glow coated his body before he was soon warped away from the area.

 **0000**

"What the…this is the abandoned sewers." Venam exclaimed, scanning her surroundings as Julius soon joined up with them again. Briefly turning around to see the door he came out of, he noticed a similar looking rune on the wall, much like the one that warped him and Venam to the mansion way back then. Had this been here all along? And if so, were they warped to that place in order to keep the crystal from being discovered? There were so many questions plaguing his mind right now.

"Yeah, it's the sewers alright. I remember Irvin telling me that it's a popular spot to travel back to this time." Melia replied.

"Hold on. The crystals in Kugearen City and Kugearen Woods are close, but Gearen City and Valor Mountain are extremely far apart. By that logic, it'll make more sense if we ended up somewhere close to Valor, like Kakori Village." The brown-haired girl pointed out.

"Perhaps distance doesn't matter when it comes to these crystals. So long as the connection between them is strong enough, then it doesn't matter how far apart the crystals are. If the crystals are linked up to each other, then location isn't a factor in where you end up." The blonde girl deduced. "In other worlds, we can use these crystals to travel places faster. Does that make sense to you two?"

"Y-Yeah…I guess." Julius chimed in, his mind wandering elsewhere with his friends quickly noticing it.

"Jules, I get that you're upset over not being able to rescue Maria. Heck, I think I'm starting to understand the bond shared between you two. But I'm sure that we'll be able to save her soon enough." Venam rested a hand on his shoulder, easing his spirit a bit.

"Thanks, Venam…" He smiled back at her before refocusing on the main objective. "I'm sorry for getting distracted, we've got a pal to find."

"Correct. However, entering West Gearen won't be easy; I've heard of what's going on at the moment with the green fog. Not to mention that I don't want that kind of publicity one would get by entering the city. After all, many people still think that I'm dead and if they found out I was alive, the media would be all over me." Melia began.

"…and if the media broadcasts your location, then Team Xen would no doubt try and catch you again." Julius added, his mind going over possible ideas before one suddenly popped into his mind. "Maybe Karrina could help us? After all, she is a part of Spacea and Tiempa's group."

"Hey yeah, that is a good idea after all. I'm sure that Karrina would be more than willing to help us out, given that the two of you worked together to get out of the Hidden Library." The blonde agreed with the idea.

"If I recall, her base of operations is near the entrance to the abandoned sewers…which is a nice convenience for us." Venam recalled.

"In that case, let's make haste! As you can see, we don't exactly have a generous amount of time on our hands." Melia rallied her friends, the trio making their way through the sewers, a wave of nostalgia flooding Julius' mind as he recalled all the happy memories of Ren and him exploring this place for the first time. His heart ached upon recalling Ren, oh how he wishes that entire fiasco in Goldenleaf never happened so that they their friendship would've been preserved. Soon enough, they stepped outside and saw that it was raining lightly, with Karrina noticing the trio and approached them, a look of bewilderment in her eyes.

"M-Melia, is that you?! My word, it's so good to see you again! And is that Venam and Julius with you? Oh, this is one happy reunion I've been waiting for, for ages!" She called out to them, an ecstatic look on her face.

"Karrina, it's so good to see you again! However, now isn't the time for happy reunions. We've got important business to deal with." Julius greeted back.

"We need to get to West Gearen, pronto." Venam joined in.

"West Gearen? I'm not sure why you would want to go there, Venam." Karrina commented.

"Well to put it simply, we—wait, you recognize me?" The brown-haired girl inquired, with Karrina chuckling lightly.

"I didn't realize it was you at first, but once I got a better look at your face, I was able to piece the puzzle together. Besides, I don't know any other girl who would be so…close to Melia." The orange-haired teen replied lightly.

"Well it's as I say, they do look good together—" The young teen began, only for Melia to nudge him lightly in the stomach.

"H-Hey, let me do the talking next time." She told him off, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "Anyway, as you can see Venam and Julius are now a part of our group. The both of them have helped me out greatly in my time of need, so I'm glad they on our side. And as Venam said, we would appreciate it if you could grant us access to West Gearen."

"I have no problem with it, but your timing couldn't be any worse. I'm sure you're familiar with the green fog, yes?" Karrina inquired, with the blonde girl nodding in confirmation. "I have places cameras all over the city, in both East and West Gearen. Further investigation has enabled me to find something peculiar. But a bit of context wouldn't hurt, right?"

"Melia and Jules may know about this fog, but this is news to me." Venam admitted.

"Alright then, allow me to give you a brief summary. For the past few days or so, West Gearen has been plagued by this noxious green fog, carrying a most foul stench. It's so bad that anyone who smells it gets knocked out, be it people or Pokémon. Initially, I thought it was a sewer problem, so I let the authorities handle it. However, now I realize that it's a lot more serious than I first thought." The orange-haired teen explained to the brown-haired girl.

"Ah, so it's worse than I thought as well. Anyway, we need to get there because our friend Kanon was sent there and we need to find him." Melia explained.

"I expected as much. I saw him on my cameras; like the others he was knocked out instantaneously. The green fog grew too thick after that, so I couldn't see what happened to him." Karrina replied, a puzzled look on her face. "Do you think this is all connected somehow?"

"Well…Spacea sent him back here for some reason. An unnatural green fog appears, and Kanon is brought back here with an explosive…all while Venam asked how we were going to dispose of it" Melia mused to herself, her friends picking up on it.

"Do you think…do you think Spacea is trying to get West Gearen blown up?" Venam inquired, a frown suddenly forming on Karrina's face.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Are you being serious?! I am not ok with anyone blowing up Gearen City, my city! You all must be mad!" She snapped them in anger.

"K-Karrina, neither of us are planning on blowing up West Gearen. You can trust us." Julius tried to defuse the situation, but it didn't work.

"I-I'm sorry but I can't trust any of you right now. If Spacea is planning on blowing up Gearen City, then I can't let any of you three enter West Gearen!" The orange-haired teen stated curtly. "I will take care of this problem myself."

"Please, listen to us Karrina. We're trying to help you save the city, there's no need for this pointless division between us." Melia tried pleading with her comrade.

"Nope, I've made my decision and that's final. You three will NOT enter West Gearen and that's that!" Karrina huffed, making her to her yacht. "Go home you three, leave this to the professionals."

"Venam, Julius. Make sure she doesn't leave…" The blonde replied darkly, walking down the paved road as the two teens looked at each other. Not wanting to anger their friend any further, they opted to follow Karrina to her yacht in a last-ditch attempt to convince her.

"Look Karrina, it was foolish of me to suggest that Spacea wanted to blow up West Gearen. We aren't going to blow it up."

"Damn right you shouldn't have, but you did and that's all I needed to hear!" Karrina shot back at her.

"Now isn't the time to be petty; we're all working to save West Gearen and all this pointless arguing does is waste precious time!" Julius exclaimed, raising his voice slightly.

"I-I'm sorry, but with how precarious the situation is, I just can't risk things getting worse than they already are. I joined this organization to protect Gearen City; I'd go against my own pledge to ensure that my city remains safe. Luckily for me, my yacht has plenty of oxygen tanks and gas masks to protect me from the fog. Don't take this personally, but I'm going al—" She continued, only to get interrupted by what sounded like someone calling out. Within the span of a few seconds, Melia flew towards Karrina on her Togekiss, hopped off and knocked her out with a light knock on the head, the orange-haired teen letting a cry of pain as she soon collapsed to the floor.

"I…I didn't want to do this, but we had no choice." Melia replied, dusting herself off as she hoisted Karrina off the wet ground. "Don't worry, I'll bring her back to her base."

Watching the blonde make the short trip to the house beside the entrance to the abandoned sewers, Julius couldn't help but have a look of awe on his face. "Venam, I think I'm in love…" He spoke lightly to her.

"I told you she was hardcore." Venam replied to him. "Ah, how I wish I was able to film her jumping off of her Togekiss and knocking Karrina out."

"Guess that's why she's the leader of our little group." The young teen stated.

"Yeah, it's pretty scary just how quickly she gets these ideas. It seems like they just come to her; if only I was as resourceful as her, I wouldn't have to rely on others all the time." The brown-haired girl sighed to herself, as Melia walked back out the house, twirling a set of yacht keys in her hand. "So, how is she Mels?"

"She's going to be fine, I made sure I didn't hit her head too hard. I fabricated some cover story about her slipping on the wet floor and knocking herself out, and her crew believed it instantly." The blonde informed her friend. "Of course, we don't have her blessing to enter West Gearen, but we do have her yacht we can use."

"Not to worry my lady, I have some experience driving a yacht. Besides, it has all the necessary supplies for us to explore the city without the fog affecting us." Julius offered, with Melia shooting him a smile before tossing the keys to him.

"Alright then captain, lead the way." She replied, the young teen walking towards the yacht and hopped on, the two girls following him on shortly afterwards. Placing the keys into the ignition, Julius revved the engine and began backing out of the dock slowly, turning around carefully and began making the trip to the West Gearen docks as carefully as possible. During the trip, the trio decided to engage in some small talk to pass the time.

"So uh, on a scale of 1-10, how pissed off will Karrina be with us?" Venam inquired.

"11 for sure. She's not going to appreciate that bruise I gave her." Melia answered, the two girls reclining on the comfy sofa as Julius held a firm grip on the steering wheel.

"It looked super cool to Jules and me, though. I mean from where we were standing." The brown-haired girl admitted.

"I guess it looked pretty cool from where I was as well." The blonde admitted as well, sighing to herself. "There are times where I wish I can just chill out for a few days."

"Yeah, we totally deserve it, especially after that epic win against Team Xen!" Venam cheered.

"It was a Pyrrhic victory truth be told. Yes, we did defeat Zetta and Geara, but the cost was far greater than any of us had hoped." Julius pointed out.

"True…besides, it didn't stop them completely. They'll be back sooner than we think." Melia added.

"I was hoping that the three of us would be able to take a week off, have a little fun on our mini vacation." Venam expressed her desires.

"Ah yes, there are some fun activities we could get up to…" Julius chimed in, a small smirk on his face.

"Hey, keep both hands on the steering wheel, horndog!" The brown-haired girl retorted, with Melia chuckling out loud as the young teen turned around to hide his blushing face from the duo.

"Jokes aside, it seems like the universe is hell bent on making our lives as hard as possible. So long as Team Xen is around, we can forget about being kids and screwing around." The blonde replied.

"Well it seems like screwing around is all a certain somebody has on his mind…" Venam teased, shooting a mischievous look at Julius.

"For someone who hates Saki, you sure like her sense of humor. Are you two long lost sisters, perhaps?" The young teen shot back at her, causing the brown-haired girl to splutter in shock as Melia chuckled loudly once more.

"Hahahaha! He got you back, Venam!" The blonde chimed in, taking in a deep breath to compose herself. "I'm a little worried about Kanon; he means well but sometimes he's too rash for his own good. Not that I can blame him, the poor guy was like a Deerling in headlights the first time he wound up in Amberette Town. Kinda like how I was when I first arrived there."

"So what was going through your head back then?" Venam inquired, calming down from Julius' retort.

"So many things that I wouldn't be able to list them all. I'll just say it was a mixture of 'I'm a time traveler, cool!' and 'Man, all my friends don't even exist yet.' Some days were better than others, but sometimes I really missed you guys."

"I…I really missed you too, Melia. At least you had hope of seeing us again. To everyone else, you were dead. that's all there was to it. Being a Gym Leader was an ordeal after that. I tried to act tough around everyone, but I couldn't help but break down when no one was looking." The brown-haired girl admitted sadly, with Melia bringing her into a hug to console her.

"Venam, I'm really sorry…" She whispered into her friends' ear.

"If anything, I should be the one apologizing. I was a league champion for crying out loud, yet I was as useful as a solar-powered torch." Julius admitted, a sigh escaping from his mouth. "Sometimes I wonder whether I should've been captured back on the S.S Oceana all those weeks ago. Seems like everywhere I go, misfortune happens to cross my path and those who I befriended…"

"There's no need to apologize, Jules. As a matter of fact, things would've ended far worse had you not come along with me to Goldenwood Forest." The blonde brushed his apology aside.

"Hey, that reminds me. Julius, where's Anathea?" Venam inquired.

"Anathea? Well she should be in the Soul Stone at this very moment. W-Wait, does Melia know about this?" The young teen answered

"Yeah, Venam told me all about what happened in that mansion before Kanon was sent to West Gearen. I-I'm not too sure what happens if a soul is brought across time?" Melia inquired.

"I don't know, but I promised her that I'd save Maria. Right now, we've got more pressing matters on our agenda." Julius replied, spotting the West Gearen docks on the horizon.

 **0000**

Grinding to a halt upon arriving at the docks, the trio put on their gas masks and oxygen tanks before stepping out of the boat and onto dry land. The fog was so thick and soupy that they could barely see three feet in front of them, causing them to resort to bringing out their torches and turned them on, scanning the area for an entrance.

"Well here we are, West Gearen." Melia called out, with Venam and Julius wrinkling their noses in disgust. Even with their masks on, they can still smell the horrifying odor plaguing the city; a hellish cocktail of all things rancid coupled with the stench of decay. "Ugh, let's just find Kanon as quickly as possible. I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to."

"H-Hey, I think I found the entrance to the sewers." Julius informed his friends, shining his light towards an open pipe near the docks, a fluorescent green liquid oozing out of the large pipe.

"Well Karrina did guess that it was a sewage problem, so it's a good place to start, though good place and this fog don't mix well together." Venam chimed in. "Finding Kanon should be easier once we get rid of this green fog."

"Let us make haste then." The blonde called out to her friends, the trio stepping into the large pipe and walked slowly through it, so as to not slip on the green liquid oozing by their feet. A couple minutes later, they entered the sewer system and stepped onto the hard floor, the trio noticing that their visibility was surprisingly better than outside the sewers. "As I expected, these sewers are the same as the one in East Gearen. They two of them are most likely connected."

"Connected? Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the sewers in East Gearen abandoned?" The young teen turned to Venam, who gave him a quick nod in response. "In that case, why do they still use these sewers, but you don't use yours?"

"It all goes back to that gang fight I may have mentioned to you long ago. The people of East Gearen blocked off all entrances to West Gearen to prevent them from invading out territory. Of course, that just mean that our sewer system would cease working since they had all the controls in one of their factories. So, the people of East Gearen built another one for use, while the old one became a headquarters of sorts for me and my crew." The brown-haired girl explained to him.

"Perhaps those blockages your crew made affected their system somehow, causing a major blockage and ended up stinking out the place. As for what it could be, well there's always—" Julius began.

"I'm going to end this enthralling conversation here before we start delving into toilet humor. Anyway, we should—" Melia interrupted him, only for a low gurgling to interrupt her back. "…what was that?"

"I-I don't know…perhaps one of us really needs to go do their business." Venam suggested, only for the gurgling sound to approach them, causing the trio to turn to the side as they saw…something approaching them from a different entrance. Standing a few feet away from them, separated by a gushing river of dirty water was the largest pile of sentient refuse they had ever seen, nearly twice the size of a fully grown Aggron. Its crooked, twisted mouth emitted another low gurgle before shuffling slightly closer to them, to get a better look at the humans observing it. "Is that a Pokémon?"

"I've never seen a Pokémon like that before…but for some reason it's giving me a weird vibe, as if I've seen it before." The blonde added, with Julius leaning in closer to get a better look at it.

"Such an eldritch design…could it be a Dimensional—ARGH!" The young teen called out, only for the creature to spew a greenish-purple haze from its mouth, the intoxicating cloud causing him to fall to the ground and began coughing and spluttering in pain.

"Shit, that stench is so overpowering that its coming through our masks!" Venam called out, as she and Melia covered their faces to protect themselves from the noxious gas.

"Hey, what are you three doing here?! A voice called out from the open door near the creature, as a young man roughly the same age as them with a gas mask emerged from it and confronted the trio. He had short blue hair that had a very long ponytail at the back that reached his knees as well as a pair of yellow highlights in his hair that looked like short horns. His outfit consisted of a white jacket, a blue and red checkered shirt and a pair of black jeans similar to the pair Venam was wearing. "This place is off limits until I've contained the danger!"

"W-We're so sorry mister, but our friend has gone missing and we may think he's in these sewers somewhere." Melia apologized to him, the cloud soon disappearing although Julius was still hacking and wheezing on the floor.

"I see, unfortunately I'm—h-hey, don't go down there!" The blue-haired boy called out in frustration as the creature slithered down a tunnel leading to the south. "Great, now I have to spend another hour or so tracking that thing…"

"Again, we're sorry about interrupting your business, but our friend is in trouble and we can't leave him behind. Perhaps we can work together and find Kanon; he has short white hair, wore mage like robes and—" Venam began.

"Kanon? Yes, I remember speaking to someone matching his description. Unfortunately, he's been taken by that…thing. We had it contained, but then it heard you three talking and went in your direction. Which is odd considering that it usually doesn't like noise." He continued, flicking his long ponytail back. "Ah, but I've yet to introduce myself. I'm Erick, Gym Leader of West Gearen City. Well technically my friend Saki's the Gym Leader, but she left on some journey. Then Volta took over for her, but she had to go to Grand Dream City meaning that I'm the leader in her place."

"Heh, it must be a small world if you're friends with Saki." The brown-haired girl mused to herself. "Anyway, since we unintentionally set it free, it would only be fair if we helped you recapture it."

"That'll be appreciated. After all, it'll help you get your friend back from its clutches." Erick called out, looking over the trio as he sent out his Electivire. "However, I'll need one of you three to come over to this side."

"I'll go." Melia offered, with the blue-haired boy nodding in appreciation as the Thunderbolt Pokémon leapt over the water, scooped up Melia in its arms before leaping over the water one more, gently placing Melia back onto the ground. "Uh, thanks for the lift…" She smiled, with Electivire chuckling lightly to itself.

"Well that's the teams sorted out. Come on Jules—" Venam began, only for the young teen to slowly clutching his head, wincing in pain as his head pounded once more, a familiar…feeling coursing through him. "…Jules?"

"Hmmm? Is something the…matter? We do have a Dimensional Rift Pokémon to hunt down." He replied, a cold, calculated smirk on his face.

"A Dimensional Rift Pokémon?" Melia inquired, recalling that it breathed upon the young man's face earlier. "Oh dear, this is not good at all."

"Uhhh…I'm a little lost here, so can you fill me in on the details, whoever you three are?" Erick inquired.

"O-Oh, right. My name's Melia, the other girl is Venam and the guy with the smirk on his face is Julius. As for why he's smirking, well let's just say that Dimensional Rift Pokémon and him don't mix that well, especially after a most…traumatic experience for him." The blonde introduced herself and her friends.

"Lighten up, my lady. I'm nowhere near as…hostile as I was back then. However, the foul odor awakened a part of me that craves the hunt; ohohohohoho, how it's been too long since I've had a good hunt." The young teen chuckled darkly to himself, with the blue-haired boy looking at him oddly before turning to Melia.

"Alright then, I'll need you to go into the room I came out of and monitor its movements through the cameras. As for you two, I need you to meet me in the next room." Erick explained his plan.

"Alright then." Melia replied, shooting a glance towards Venam. "Stay safe Venam; make sure Julius doesn't become too…passionate about his hunt, ok?"

"You got it!" Venam pledged, watching Julius pick up a solid metal pipe and twirl it in his hands, as Erick and his Electivire made their way into the next room. "Oh this is great; I'm trapped down here with another Dimensional Rift Pokémon, and a friend who's gone nuts, again."

"Pretty accurate, but you got one little thing wrong…" The young teen began, leaning closer towards her. "We're not trapped down here with it; IT'S trapped down here with ME!" He continued, chuckling once more and made his way to the next room, the brown-haired girl letting out a weary sigh as she followed him into the next room. Upon entering the room, Venam spotted Erick waving frantically at them in order to catch their attention, however Julius was too busy scanning the area for his "prey".

"Ah yes, you two. I just wanted to let you know that people work here, therefore it would be best if you stayed away from them and deal with the problem as soon as possible. Don't worry, Melia can see us three from the Surveillance Room–" The blue-haired boy began, only for the intercom to crackle to life.

" _I can also hear things as well so no smart ass comments from any of you three."_ Melia spoke through the intercom.

"With my lady watching over me, there's no way this hunt will fail." Julius smirked, shooting a look at Erick. "We may be acquaintances in this mission, but it'll be me who deals the finishing blow. Try and claim the glory for yourself, and it'll end badly for you."

"A-Alright then, mister." Erick replied, shooting Venam a sympathetic glance.

"Don't worry, I got this wannabe Predator under control, trust me." She smiled at him, shooting a wink in his direction.

"Good. I'll need you two to force it down that way, where you will proceed to knock it out." The blue-haired boy brought out a map, showing the duo where exactly to go. "I don't want it destroyed, but if we have no choice than we may have to."

"Got it." The brown-haired girl replied, turning towards her teammate. "Did you hear that? No destroying it."

"Pity…that takes away half the fun from the hunt." Julius sighed, his annoyance as clear as day.

" _Venam, Julius. Be on your guard; it appears as if it's directly on your path."_ Melia warned them, with Venam nodding in confirmation as she dragged her friend down the path, with Erick and Electivire going down their own path. However, a few moments into their walk, Julius broke free from Venam's grasp and bolted down the path, the brown-haired girl calling out to him before groaning under her breath and ran after him. She caught up to him eventually, only for her nose to recoil in horror as the creature was standing before them, gurgling like before.

"How nice of you to make yourself vulnerable. You captured my friend and did who knows what to him; a most unforgivable offense, you beast!" Julius hissed at the creature, attempting to step forward only for Venam to grab his shoulder roughly.

"Don't get too close to that ugly thing." She told him, only for the creature to let out what sounded like a moan of anger. "Aw, what's wrong? You're mad that I called you ugly? Well I'm sorry to say, but that's the truth, hun." She taunted the creature, who gurgled in anger before slithering down the corridor.

"I could've handled it right there and then." The young teen retorted to his friend.

"But that would've jeopardized the plan, and we can't afford to make any mistakes right now!" Venam retorted back, some vigor in her voice before a question popped into her mind. "You said that it was a Dimensional Rift Pokémon, right? In that case, what do you think it is, exactly?"

"Hmmm? Ah yes, my apologies. A hunter needs to know all about the prey their hunting, and from the look of it, the closest thing that the Pokémon before us resembles would be a Garbodor." Julius explained, as Venam began to understand where he was going with his theory. Between the pungent odor, its gaseous attacks and its slimy body, it did share similarities with an everyday Garbodor.

"Well whatever the case, we can't let it—" The brown-haired girl began, only for the young teen to run ahead of her and leap across several small pockets of terrain floating above the dirty water with a stunning amount of grace. Letting out a quick sign, she followed him across the water, taking care not to fall into the water and end up like Ren during that day she recalled with Melia. Despite lagging behind, she soon caught up to Julius, who was carefully observing the crossroads before him. "Hah…hah…there you are."

"A little slow, Venam. Any slower and you would've missed out on the best part; our prey is cornered, and it's up to me to deal with it." The young man smirked at her, pointing towards the Dimensional Rift Garbodor, the hulking beast backed up against a wall with Erick overlooking it. With a stunning jump, Julius hopped down onto the ground and slowly walked up to it, the pipe slipping out of his hands as Venam saw a prime opportunity to cage the beast again, running down the stairs and slowly picked up the pipe. "The jig's up, Garby. Our little game of cat and mouse was fun, but I won. Now return Kanon to me and I'll make your death qui—"

"HIYAH!" Venam yelled at the top of her lungs, swinging the pipe down on the back of Julius' head, the young man crying out in pain as he fell to his knees and clutched his now bleeding head.

"Ack…wh-what just happened? Wh-Who hit me?" He inquired, returning back to normal.

"Sorry Jules, but that Garbodor breathed in your face, awakening that alter-ego in you that turned out into a bloodthirsty monster." The brown-haired girl apologized, dropping the pipe and helped him back onto his feet.

"M-My apologies. I should've been a bit more careful next time; last thing I want is for you and Melia to get hurt in one of those rampages." Julius apologized back, the duo shaking hands and forgave one another.

"Now that you've made up and all that jazz, now's the time to deal with it. For some reason it acts so…docile towards you two. Back then, it took everything to get it to stop attacking people; now with you two and Melia around, it does nothing but stink up the place." Erick explained, a puzzled look hidden under his mask with a gasp escaping from the intercom as Melia had a sudden realization.

" _M-My god…could it be—d-don't worry about me, I was just thinking out loud."_ The blonde replied. " _A-Anyway, we need to knock that thing out. It can't just stay here forever."_

"Alright then…" Julius replied, his mind a little confused as he and Venam reached for their Pokeballs and sent out their Vilucard and Seviper respectively. Why would Melia react that way towards it, unless it was—no, it couldn't be, could it? Was it the same Garbodor that saved her and him back at Goldenwood Forest? His suspicions were confirmed when he saw the familiar purple trash bag that covered its face, hidden amongst all the other refuse. "Vilucard, let's start with a Knock Off!"

Accepting the request, the Villainous Pokémon jumped in the air and used its arm to smack the back of Garbodor's head, causing it to stagger forward as Seviper clamped down on its thick arm with static-coated fangs, shocking the Trash Heap Pokémon and paralyzed it. Shaking the slippery serpent off its arm, it retaliated by emitting a noxious cloud from the open pores on its "hand", causing both Seviper and Vilucard to begin coughing and spluttering and enabled the Garbodor to knock them back with a swing of its arm. Once they had recovered from the attack, the two Pokémon waited for the smog to die down before initiating a counterattack, carefully dodged any incoming balls of sludge from their hulking opponent.

The Garbodor was at a disadvantage when it came to the speed game; not only was its already low speed crippled by paralysis, but its foes were light and nimble, masterfully dodging and weaving beside it and launched a series of small attacks against it, hoping to win via attrition. The Trash Heap Pokémon attempted to emit a second cloud of smog and strike its dazed opponents, a tactic that had been proved useful earlier on in the battle. However, the Seviper noticed this and slashed at its reared arm with its sharp tail, causing the Dimensional Rift Pokémon to gurgle in pain and clutch its wounded arm. The Seviper and Vilucard shot each other a nod of confirmation before lunging at their foe and tackled it, sending it flying into the wall that Erick was overlooking as it slid down to the ground.

"Phew…that should take care of it." Venam sighed in relief, with both Seviper and Vilucard backing away slowly, keeping their eye on their fallen foe as the intercom flared back to life.

" _I—I didn't want to believe it, but after taking a closer look, there's no other option; it's the Garbodor that saved me and Julius back at Goldenwood Forest."_ Melia spoke to her friends.

"W-Wait, what are you talking about?" The brown-haired girl asked out loud.

"Remember that shiny Garbodor me and Ren fought off way back then, during the trip to the abandoned sewers? As it turns out, it followed Melia and I to Goldenwood Forest, and acted as a distraction for Zetta while the two of us escaped back to Gearen City." Julius explained, eyeing it up cautiously. "Zetta must've turned it into a Dimensional Rift Pokémon, but for what purpose? He never thought to use it against us when we were on Terajuma Island; was he saving it for a rainy day?"

"What I want to know is how it managed to stay undetected for so long; that whole incident was ages ago, yet the green fog only popped up a day or two ago." Venam inquired.

" _I'm not sure myself how it managed to stay hidden for so long, but I can't just leave it like this. Garbodor is this way because of me; I want to do everything I can to save it."_ Melia expressed her desires, before noticing that Garbodor was melting into a puddle. _"Wh-What's happening?!"_

"I-I don't know, I've never seen a Dimensional Rift Pokémon act like this before." The young teen exclaimed, the duo watching on as the puddle shrank and shrank…revealing the orb that Kanon had.

"T-That's the orb we're after, why does that thing have it?" The brown-haired girl asked, eyeing it up carefully. "But I don't see Kanon anyway. D-do you think…"

"Unlikely; if it did end him, there would've been some evidence like bones or teeth. It seems that it was only interested in this orb, but for what reason?" Erick called out, eyeing up the orb cautiously. "I've defeated it a few times; every time I done so it would retreat into that orb and reform soon afterwards."

True to his word, a puddle of noxious waste soon oozed out of the orb, the heroes stepping back as the Garbodor was able to reform to the state it was in before the battle. Turing to face the wall, it slowly slithered up the wall, with Erick and his Electivire stepping back as it leapt over the railing and continued down the path, the three trainers watching it retreat as the intercom flared to life once more.

" _According to the cameras, it's heading towards the cave area by the security room. I need you all to hurry back her, pronto!"_ Melia spoke through the intercom, with Julius and Venam recalling their Pokémon as they quickly ran down the path with Erick staying behind to check up on the sewer workers. Making their way back to the front of the security room, the duo sighed in relief when they saw Melia exit the room, safe and sound. The blonde soon gestured her friends to follow her, the trio making their way to a small cavern in the sewers as Julius' eyes widened in surprise.

The distortion that laid before him was eerily similar to the distortion that was running rampart in Mount Carotos back when Aelita and him were searching for the Magma Stone. The cavern walls were all wet and mossy, the grass on the floor came in two variants; short and purple, and a sickly green variant that formed in small clusters. But the most troublesome sight was that lying still on a small rocky ledge was Kanon, his once magnificent robes stained with muck and grime. The trio ran over to him, with Melia lifting his head up as she checked his vitals.

"I-Is he alright?" Venam inquired, with Melia letting out a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, he's breathing. But we'll need to get rid of this lingering fog as soon as possible; lest his condition worsens." She answered, her eyes looking down the path. "Thankfully this appears to be a linear path; we should be able to find Garbodor soon enough."

"So do we take Kanon with us, or do we leave him here to rest?" Julius asked, with Melia lowering Kanon back onto the ground slowly.

"We must leave him here to rest for now; taking him with us could endanger his life. Right now, we need to find Garbodor." Melia stated, the trio walking down the treacherous path once more, avoiding any stray piles of refuse they came across. After a couple minutes, they soon arrived at a dead end and saw the Garbodor, the hulking Pokémon turning around and gazed upon Melia, the blonde stepping slowly towards it.

"It really is you, my friend. I-I never got the chance to thank you for saving Julius and I at Goldenwood Forest. Had it not been for you, we would've been done for; we owe you our lives, you're our hero." She smiled softly at it, the Garbodor letting out what sounded like a gurgle of joy.

"Don't worry, Garbodor. We'll find some way to get you out of this form...somehow." Venam promised.

"That's right! I just…I just wish I knew how…" Melia replied, a hint of sadness in her tone as something flashed in Julius' mind. The book, of course! He was so caught up in other things that he forgot to bring it up to them in the forest.

"My lady! I think I have the solution to our problem." Julius called out, rummaging through his bag and brought out the book he obtained, handing it over to Melia.

"Hmm, what's this?" She inquired, taking it from him and began reading through it carefully, her eyes widening in a mixture of shock and joy as she promptly closed it. "J-Julius, where did you find this book?!"

"I found it in an apartment back in Kugearen City; back before we returned here, I used what little free time I had to investigate the city. I managed to open the apartment using a key that Gardevoir inadvertently dropped during her plotting with the police. She wanted this book hidden for some reason, but I don't know why." He answered.

"What's so special about that book anyway?" Venam asked, taking a closer look at it.

"This book holds the key to saving Dimensional Rift Pokémon; we can save Garbodor!" The blonde replied eagerly.

"Alright, way to go Jules!" The brown-haired girl praised her friend, who sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"N-No need to thank me. I was merely doing what I thought was the right thing. Besides, I owe my thanks to Garbodor as well." He admitted.

"But it's not all smooth sailing; there's some instructions that I don't really understand. Perhaps you may have an idea what they're asking us to do." Melia admitted, handing the book to Venam who flicked through it.

"Well Melia, as much as I would like to say that I know what it's talking about, I can't say that unfortunately. I was never good at this sort of thing back at school…" She replied, promptly closing it back up. "However, I do remember seeing similar concepts before on Saki's diagrams back at Telia Resort. Oh how I wish Saki was here with us."

"So when we reunite with her in Grand Dream City, shall I tell her that you miss her?" Julius teased, with the brown-haired girl knocking him on the head in response. "Ok, maybe now isn't the right time for jokes. But I do have an alternate solution; Erick, Saki's best friend."

"Hmmm…that does make sense when you think about it. From what little I've heard of him, he's quite knowledgeable with engineering and all that." Melia opened up to the idea, the sound of approaching footsteps making their way to them. "And speaking of which…"

"Ah, you three managed to corner it. Good, good." Erick beamed trough his gas mask, with Venam handing him the book. "W-What's this for?"

"We think it houses the solution to saving Garbodor, but we need you to read through it given that some of the instructions are a little too complicated for the three of us." She informed him, the blue-haired boy taking the book and flicking through it. "Well?"

"This is some very, very, very complicated stuff. Not to worry though, I can pull it off but I'll require some help. First things first, Garbodor needs to be subdued; that will deal with the green fog permanently." He explained. "I'd suggest capturing it, but this book states that Dimensional Rift Pokémon cannot be caught with Pokéballs. Therefore, we'll have to reduce it into its smallest form, that clear orb. But it can only regenerate if it's holding onto something, like the aforementioned orb."

"What are you saying?" Melia asked urgently, taking occasionally glances at the Garbodor.

"What I'm suggesting is that Garbodor actually uses different object to drain their power and convert it into health. The first time I defeated it, it was carrying a barrel of oil; once that barrel was empty, it snatched that orb from Kanon. If that's the case, then it knew that the orb was a viable food source; hence, the orb is Garbodor, and Garbodor is the orb." Erick continued.

"So you're saying that if we reduce Garbodor down to that orb, we could contain it?" Venam deduced, with Erick nodding in confirmation. "Then I guess we have no other choice than to knock it out in battle."

"Garbodor, I'm sorry for this, but it's for your own good." Melia apologized, with Venam and Julius stepping up to the plate.

"Don't worry Melia, we'll defeat is as swiftly as possible." The brown-haired girl promised, with Julius nodding in agreement as the two trainers sent out their Gengar and Gararewl, and immediately formulated a plan; Gararewl will act as the defensive tank to distract Garbodor, while Gengar would go on the offensive, dealing a series of swift attacks. Taking the initiative, the Iron Beast Pokémon began flicking its firm but slender whip on the ground, alerting the Trash Heap Pokémon to its presence, before opting to lash at it with its whip. The Garbodor was struck a few times by the appendage before it took a firm hold of it, pulling onto it to send Gararewl falling to the ground. But before it could follow up with another attack, it was struck from behind by a potent bolt of lightning, the Gengar smirking at it before fading back into the shadows.

The Garbodor let out another gurgle of pain as the all-too familiar sensation of paralysis coursed through its body, with Venam uttering a quick 'Yes!' under her breath as it shifted the battle in her favor. Slowly getting back up, the Gararewl extended its whip and ensnared the Trash Heap Pokémon, granting the Gengar a great opportunity to bombard it with a series of quick but powerful Shadow Balls. The Garbodor groaned in pain as its body was assaulted by the series of shadowy blobs, the Dimensional Rift Pokémon retreating into the orb as Erick quickly scooped it up, the two victorious Pokémon giving each other a hi-five as Melia took a closer look at it.

"The orb…its not as crystal clear as it was before." She commented, noticing that the fog was slowly but surely disappearing. Seems that without Garbodor to generate it, the fog would dissipate soon enough.

"Seems pretty drained." Erick said, putting the orb in an airtight steel box as he noticed a small smile form on Melia's face. "I keep this box locked up until we can get this purification thing working; I take it your happy about all this?"

"Now I see what Spacea meant by two birds with one stone; she sent Kanon and this orb here to deal with Garbodor; providing it with an easy food source that drained the orb of its power, all while using Kanon as bait to ensure that we would come and rescue him, solving the green fog crisis in the process." She answered, as it dawned upon Venam and Julius. By a series of favorable coincidences, they had managed to stop not one but two crises.

"Yahoo, we did it!" Venam cheered, as she and Melia gave each other a celebratory hug. "We got Kanon back, got rid of the fog, saved Garbodor and took care of the orb. For once, things actually went our way!"

"Indeed, it is a marvelous sensation to have all the cards land in our favor. That said, it was a team effort and we couldn't have done it without you Erick." Julius added.

"Heh, no need to thank me. I was just doing the right thing." He replied, yanking off his mask and revealed his very youthful face. "At the very least, I'm glad I can take off this stupid mask! Anyway, I'm gonna head back to the Power Plant; if any of you want to challenge me to a Gym Battle, then I'll happily accept your challenge!"

"Oh, I'll be waiting. It's been a while since I've had a good battle, and you've got my mouth watering." Julius replied, with the blue-haired boy letting out a chuckle as he made his way back through the cave. "Anyway, let's check on Kan—"

"Hey, where am I…are you guys down here…" A familiar voice called out, with Kanon slowly making his way through the cave as the trio ran up to him, with Venam and Julius having recalled their Pokémon.

"Kanon, I'm glad you're alright!" Venam sighed in relief.

"V-Venam? And is that Melia, and Julius? Where am I?" The white-haired boy inquired, as the trio before him took off their gas masks.

"Kanon…you're 30 years into the future, where I came from. Spacea sent you here in order to deal with the orb you snatched from the cultist. Do you remember anything?" Melia answered, as Kanon tried mulling over his mind for answers.

"N-No…all I can remember is this green fog. My word, did it reek!" He answered, retching over remembering the foul smell.

"We can explain your reasons for being in here in depth at a later time. Right now, we should kick back and relax; I'm sure Julius would provide us with an entertaining Gym Battle." The brown-haired girl chimed whimsically, causing the young teen to raise an eyebrow.

"Ah, so you're going to watch the battle. Where from?" He inquired.

"From outside the arena; the battle arena has no stands, so the designers installed flat screen televisions in the waiting room. Don't worry Julius, we know that you'll win." Melia shot a smile at him. "Besides, we're going to have Kanon come join us. Spacea wanted him hear for a reason."

"I see." Kanon replied, only for Venam to wrap her arm around his shoulder.

"Don't you worry, I'll make sure to show you all the amazing sights of the future. Prepare to be amazed and awestruck by the Gearen of today!" She called out dramatically, the duo chuckling loudly as they made their way out of the cave. Julius was about to follow them, only for Melia to tap lightly on his shoulder.

"Is everything alri—" He began, only for Melia to bring him into a deep kiss, hugging him firmly as the young teen was taken aback by his lovers' sudden burst of affection, but accepted it.

"I just wanted to thank you for finding that book, Jules." She broke the kiss off a few seconds later, shooting a warm smile at him. "I love you, Julius."

"I love you too, Melia." Julius smiled back at her, the duo nuzzling against each other affectionately. "Anyway, we shouldn't keep our friends waiting."

"Quite right. Besides, you've got a battle to look forward to." Melia giggled lightly, the duo making their way back through the cave. A series of thoughts raced through Julius' mind during the trek; Spacea clearly planned everything to turn out the way they did, as if it were a strategic move in a four-dimensional game of chess. No, not everything; he did feel that strange feeling when he picked up the book. Did she plan on Garbodor meeting a tragic end, only for his curiosity to throw her for a loop? Or maybe…maybe she predicted that he would go investigate that apartment and planned accordingly, using that odd feeling to trick his mind. Whatever the case, it was clear that Spacea and Tiempa were two people who he would have to pay careful attention to, lest he end up becoming a sacrificial pawn in their convoluted game.

 **Another nice chapter for you all to enjoy. I thought about writing the Gym Battle against Erick in this chapter, but I figured it would be a great way to start the next chapter. As for the whole thing with Julius' shift in attitude upon inhaling the Dimensional Rift gas, I figured that write it as a toned down version of his attitude back in Angie's realm, given its decrease in potency. Luckily the little problem seems to be solved...for now. Anyway, thank you all for reading and supporting my story, I'll see you all soon.**


	37. Chapter 37

**Last time, our heroes returned to their time to find their friend Kanon and deal with the green fog that has been plaguing West Gearen. In this chapter, there will be a tasty Gym Battle to enjoy as well as a most peaceful train ride…or so they thought.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

The group of four were talking jovially among each other, with Venam informing Kanon of Melia's exploits during the time he was absent from the group. Not that anyone could blame them for being this happy; they had won a minor victory in the grand scheme of things, but it gave them a major morale boost. For once their plan went off without a hitch or anyone to throw a curveball their way, doubled by the fact that they now have the knowledge to properly deal with whatever Dimensional Rift Pokémon that comes their way. The group soon made their way out of the sewers and took in a deep breath of the clean crisp air, free of the green fog that plagued the city.

"Ahhh…talk about a breath of fresh air." Melia sighed in bliss, relieved that she no longer had to smell the rancid air that permeated in the sewers.

"Another chapter of our bizarre adventure closed. Wonder what the next one has in—" Venam began, only to get interrupted by someone's angry cries at them. Turning to the side, they saw Karrina storming up to them, a mask of pure rage etched on her face.

"H-Hey Karrina—" The blonde girl began.

"Don't you dare go "Hey, Karrina!" on me, you deplorable degenerate!" Karrina snapped back, raising her hand to smack Melia, only for Julius to grab her wrist firmly to block the impending attack.

"Attempt to strike her down, and I will end your life right here." The young teen warned, a dangerous look in his eyes as his free hand reaching for a Pokéball. "I understand your grievances regarding the whole deal about stealing your yacht but understand that the situation was urgent and you were acting irrational."

"B-But I was making sure that my city didn't get blown up. Once you lot put that thought in my mind, I knew I had to do it on my own." The orange-haired teen defended herself, with Julius letting go of her wrist as she retracted her arm, the young teen shooting her a more sympathetic look.

"I sympathize with you and can understand your hastiness back then. But what we encountered in the sewers was a force far greater than anything you may have faced in your career. Furthermore, in the state of panic you were in, you would've been prone to make some mistakes; mistakes that would have deadly consequences. I should know, I was in your position once." Julius stated.

"Yeah, there's no need for anymore pointless fighting. The bomb's been defused, so to speak, and the green fog is gone. Everything is cool now!" Venam added, with Karrina mulling it over in her head.

"Besides, I'm really sorry for kicking you in the head. I didn't want things to go down that way, but we were left with no choice." Melia apologized, bowing her head slightly.

"Well I can't stay mad at you; after all the problem is solved…" Karrina mused to them, looking the group firmly in the eyes. "Very well, I accept your apology. But I want you all to return my stuff back, got it?"

"As you wish, Karrina." Kanon replied, watching his friends' hand over the gas masks and oxygen tanks.

"Now that we've got that business out the way, I have some urgent news to tell you. My scouts have heard reports of people going missing in Grand Dream City. But this is more than just one or two people; I'm talking dozens of people." The orange-haired teen told them, startled expression forming on the group. "But that's not the worst part; when they happen to show up again, they are completely encased in stone."

"S-Stone? Did your scouts manage to locate the culprit behind these disappearances?" Julius inquired.

"That's the thing, whoever this culprit is has not let a single piece of evidence behind. The fact that they've been able to get away with this for so long sends chills down my spine." Karrina answered. "I was going to investigate these disappearances myself, but since you lot are so eager to be the big heroes of the day, I'll let you handle it."

"Well it's not like we had much on our plate at the moment, so I guess you can count on us." Melia pledged, choosing to ignore the orange-haired woman's passive-aggressiveness.

"We'll try our best to solve this predicament!" Kanon voiced his support.

"Yeah, what they said." Venam joined in, with Julius nodding to confirm his loyalty.

"Thanks, I'm glad to here that. There's a train in this city that'll take you there, but it's not set to leave for another hour or so." Karrina told them. "I'll contact Rhodea and tell her that you guys are on your way. Stay safe, you guys." She wished them the best, making her way to her yacht and hopped on it, the group of four watching the yacht kick to life and begin the slow journey back to East Gearen.

"Well that went better than I anticipated; I'm just glad I didn't had to shed any blood today." The young teen chimed in.

"It was nice of you to make sure that Mels didn't get hurt, but I don't think the 'edgy badass' act was really necessary." Venam told her friend.

"I still owe Melia a substantial debt; to watch her get struck and not do anything about it would be an absolute disgrace." Julius pointed out.

"Well whatever this debt is that you supposedly owe me, you can begin paying it back by giving us an entertaining Gym Battle. That should help pass the time." Melia smiled at him, the young teen smiling back as a concerned look soon grew on her face. "I'm more worried about the Grand Dream City situation; people disappearing and then reappearing as petrified statues. Just what is going on there?"

"Do you think Team Xen is behind this?" Venam inquired.

"Someone must be behind this, but I'm not so sure that Team Xen are the culprits. Granted, they do need to gather energy, but they would've been some evidence left behind if it was them." The blonde replied.

"We can talk about it in depth while we're in the train. Right now, I want to see that Gym Battle!" Kanon chimed in.

"Woah, someone's a little enthusiastic." Julius smiled at the white-haired youth.

"Venam told me about how amazing you are at battling, as well as your awesome Pokémon! To get a chance to see you in battle would be a once-in-a-lifetime chance." He replied giddily, amusing Melia and Venam with his enthusiasm.

"Well I don't know if I'm as amazing as you say I am, but I'll make sure to fulfill your expectations." The young teen pledged, his gaze spotting the large factory in the middle of the city that housed the gym. "I'll be in the Pokémon Center for a moment to get some last-minute preparations done; why don't you three get some snacks to share among each other?"

"We can do that." Venam agreed to the idea, the group going off in separate directions to get their preparations ready.

 **0000**

Julius had exited the Pokémon Center, having completed his preparations and made his way to the factory that housed the gym. His chosen team for this battle was based on two factors; the imposing Electivire that was most likely Erick's ace, and the fact that Electric-type Pokémon were infamous for the speed control they maintained, be it from their innate speed or their paralyzing techniques that halted their foes to a crawl. The fact that it was a double battle added to the challenge as it meant that he could use moves that hit everyone on the field, dealing massive damage and powering up his already powerful Pokémon. Upon entering the factory, he saw Melia, Venam and Kanon sitting comfortably on the lobby chairs, a large number of snacks piled up on the small table in front of them as he eyed off the pile.

"Don't look at me, Venam was the one who went crazy with the snacks." Melia defended herself.

"H-Hey, I was going to introduce Kanon to a wide variety of treats. No doubt he would be amazed by the food of the future." The brown-haired girl defended herself, a faint blush soon appearing on her cheeks.

"In any case, we're more than prepared for the upcoming battle. Who knows, you may even get our leftovers." Kanon chimed in.

"We'll see about that." Julius shot an amused smirk at the trio, the young teen making his way to the main arena and walked down a small corridor. Upon entering the arena he saw Erick, standing on his side of the arena as sparks shot out from both sides of the room, creating a dazzling light show consisting of a mixture of yellow, black and teal. "Erick, it's good to see you again. I hope you're prepared for what's about to come."

"Y-Yeah, about that…this is my first Gym Battle, truth be told. Don't get me wrong, I'm so excited that I'm about to break into goosebumps, but I've heard stories about your world-renowned skills on the battlefield." Erick replied, his voice filled with excitement and a small hint of nervousness.

"Well I don't think I'm a world-renowned battler, but I'm doing pretty well in the Aevium League so far. Though if you want me to be gentle on your first time, I'm more than happy to do so. After all, the lights in this room create the perfect…atmosphere so to speak." The young teen offered suggestively.

"K-Keep it in your pants, I've heard all about you and your hormones from Saki!" The blue-haired boy retorted, a vivid blush present on his face. "That aside, I would like it if you didn't hold back, I'm recording this after all." He replied, selecting two Pokéballs on his belt and threw them, sending out a Magnezone and an Alolan Raichu, the latter chirping happily as it hopped onto its tail and floated off the ground.

"Interesting choices…in that case, I'll start off with these two!" Julius declared, throwing a pair of Pokéballs to the ground, sending out his Drilgann and Anderind. Though he did have the type advantage, he expected Erick to have a counter for Ground-type Pokémon.

"As I anticipated, you opted to go for slow but bulky Pokémon." Erick chimed in, analyzing his enemy cautiously. "Allow me to take the first move; Magnezone use Magnet Rise!"

Letting out a low whir of confirmation, the Magnezone spun its magnets rapidly to generate magnetism, levitating it off the ground to protect it from its greatest weakness. Soon afterwards, the Raichu began gathering its mental energy into an orange ball of power and threw it at the opposing sides, the attack just missing its mark though the resulting explosion did push them back a bit. Anderind soon opted to go on the offense and conjured up a series of icicles, flinging them towards the Raichu as it let out a quick cry of pain from the attack. However, the Mouse Pokémon was able to recover from the attack and soon called forth a sizable wave of water, which picked up any static electricity from the surrounding terrain. The electrified water stunned both of Julius' Pokémon momentarily, enabling Magnezone to follow up with a Flash Cannon to send them flying back a few feet, the both of them managing to get back up a couple seconds later.

' _There's got to be something I could do to knock them to the ground…'_ The young teen mused to himself before a wonderful idea formed in his mind. "Drilgann, knock them down with Rock Slide!"

Understanding what its friend was planning, the mole Pokémon began digging through the ground rapidly with its sharp claws and complied the debris into a small pile. Once it was done, it lifted the debris up in the air and hurled it at the enemy Pokémon, showering them with it as they were both knocked down to the ground, though Magnezone's sturdy body protected it from most of the debris. Soon after, Anderind followed up by stomping its feet on the ground, creating a sizable tremor that shook the room, sending both downed Pokémon flying into the back wall as bits and pieces of metal scrap fell off the shelf and onto their bodies. When the dust settled from the attack, Erick was surprised to see that both Magnezone and Raichu were knocked out from the powerful Earthquake.

"Woah, they weren't kidding when they said you were powerful." Erick chimed in, recalling his fainted Pokémon as he quickly selected two more from his belt. "But this is where I'll be making my comeback; Eelektross, Togedemaru, I choose you!"

The blue-haired boy quickly sent out his next Pokémon, the small rodent jumping for joy as the large eel gazed calmly at its foes. Soon enough, the Togedemaru got into a ball and rolled at the Anderind, its body glowing a luscious silver as it struck the bear head on and knocked it to the ground. Eelektross soon followed up by coughing up a glob of acid towards its foes, the cold but viscous liquid coating the Tandor Pokémon as they shivered from the sensation. The Drilgann opted to retaliate by stamping its paws onto the ground, creating a second tremor that knocked the Roly-Poly Pokémon into the wall, but didn't affect the EleFish Pokémon since the latter was levitating off the ground. The Togedemaru was soon able to recover from the powerful attack and got into a ball, before using its static electricity to fly around the room ping a ping-pong ball, knocking both the Drilgann and the Anderind in the face as they staggered backwards from the attack.

The Thrill-Seeking Pokémon soon breath a cool gust of ice onto the ground, getting onto its 'board' and slid on the newly formed ice, picking up incredible speeds as it used its fists to knock both the Eelektross and the Togedemaru back a few feet. The EleFish Pokémon let out a huff of annoyance, before spewing a stream of flames from its open maw that struck the Anderind, causing the bear to cry out in pain as it halted its attack to put out the flames on its body, leaving it open to a counterattack from Togedemaru. The Drilgann, now realizing that the battle was slowly turning against them opted to go for another Earthquake, its large paws slamming onto the ground as yet another tremor rocked the area. Like before, it struck the Togedemaru and sent it flying back into the wall once more, however its attack had also struck its fellow comrade, the bear letting out a cry of surprise as it staggered back towards the opposite wall and crashed into it. The Drill Pokémon was so distracted with horror over injuring its comrade that it was unable to react in time as the Eelektross tackled it with its body, sending the mole flying back into the wall behind Julius as it slid down it and crumpled onto the floor. Once the chaos had died down, it showed that all combatants were knocked out, except for the Eelektross.

"Are you two ok?" Julius called out to his Pokémon, who both nodded weakly back at him. "Phew, that's a relief." He sighed happily, recalling his Pokémon before contemplating his next choices.

"You may have the advantage, Julius. But this is where I'll make my epic comeback; Ampharos, ready yourself for battle!" Erick called out, recalling his Togedamaru and sending out his Ampharos, the bipedal sheep idly calmly on the spot. However, it was what Erick did next that caused the young teen to raise an eyebrow in intrigue; the blue-haired boy bringing out a Mega Ring from his pocket and placed it over his wrist before pressing the keystone. A wonderous ball of multicolor energy surrounded it for a few moment, small wisps of energy breaking off from the sphere and disintegrating within moments. Soon enough, the sphere shattered, revealing Ampharos in its Mega Form, its long flowing hair reaching the base of its neck as it bobbed majestically in the air.

"So now they've upped the challenge by bringing out their Mega Pokémon? In that case, I'll send out my Escartress and Laissure to counter your Mega Pokémon!" Julius declared, sending out his next two Pokémon as the four combatants eyed each other in determination. Within an instant, the Laissure made the first move, using its firm tails to knock the Eelektross to the ground before kicking it back with its hind legs. The Escartress soon followed up be hurling a large ball of compacted mud at the downed EleFish Pokémon, who was temporarily vulnerable to Ground-type attacks due to being knocked down. The ball of mud splattered all over the eels' face, impairing its vision for a few moments as it tried desperately to wipe the mud off its face, only for it to get tackled harshly by Laissure as it crashed into the Ampharos and sent it falling back to the ground. And though the Ampharos was able to get back up easily, the same couldn't be said for the Eelektross as it was knocked out from the series of attacks.

"Yeesh, you aren't holding back at all…" Erick whistled a compliment, recalling his fainted Pokémon.

"Well you wanted me to go all out, so I figured I'd oblige." The young teen answered casually, as the blue-haired boy reached for his last Pokéball.

"In that case, allow me to bring out my best friend. Electivire, avenge your fallen comrades!" He declared, throwing his ball as the bipedal Pokémon emerged from its ball, slamming its fist in its palm to show that it means business. The Thunderbolt Pokémon took the initiative, crossing its forearms together and delivered a swift Cross Chop to the Escartress, the snail crying out in pain as it was flung a few feet back. Recovering from the attack, it shot a glare at its foe and hurled another ball of compacted mud back at it, only for the Ampharos to emit a beam of draconic energy from its mouth to destroy the mud ball, splattering it everywhere. The Ampharos then shot a quick look at Electivire, who gave a nod back in confirmation as the bipedal sheep emitted a weak bolt of lighting from its body that struck the Thunderbolt Pokémon head on. Julius questioned the meaning of the attack, but would soon get his answer as the Electivire let out a holler of joy, the electricity being absorbed by its body and gave it a considerable boost in speed. With a renewed vigor in its step, the Electivire lunged at the Laissure, its fist coated in ice as it punched the rabbits' face head on, causing it to be pushed back a few feet as it shook its head to recover from the attack.

Realizing that the Ampharos could keep on powering up its teammate with its attacks, the Earthshaker Pokémon decided that defeating it would be the best course of action. Slamming its firm tails on the ground repeatedly, it created a powerful tremor that rocked the building, sending bits of debris everywhere as the other three Pokémon began teetering all over the room, trying desperately to maintain their footing. The Escartress was able to regain its footing a bit quicker than the others and shot a chilling beam of energy from its mouth, the attack freezing Ampharos' feet to the spot as the Light Pokémon tried to break free from its icy prison. Seizing this opportunity for a quick victory, the Laissure's horns began glowing and extending a couple feet, before charging at the Ampharos and jabbed it with its horns, the bipedal sheep crying out in pain as it was flung backwards towards the wall and crashed into it, sliding down slowly to the ground. As the large rabbit was reflecting on its victory, it was soon alerted by a familiar cry from behind; the rabbit turning around and saw Electivire assaulting Escartress with a series of rapid punches and kicks before sending it flying back with a souped-up Thunder Punch, which somehow broke through the snail's immunity. The Fortress Pokémon crashed into the wall behind it, sliding down to the ground as it two was knocked out from the barrage.

"Well I guess this is it, the climax of a most exhilarating battle." Julius chimed in, recalling his fainted Pokémon with Erick doing the same.

"Yeah, our friends really gave it their all, didn't they? As strong as your Laissure is, it's no match for my souped-up Electivire!" The blue-haired boy replied boldly, a smirk forming on Julius' face.

"We'll see about that. Laissure, use Subduction!" He called out, the large rabbit rearing is front paws in the air before slamming them down on the ground, sending the Thunderbolt Pokemon flying up into the air before crashing down onto the ground, creating a smaller tremor that disorientated the Earthshaker Pokémon and confused it. Though the attack was powerful, the Electivire got up and saw an opportunity to strike back hard, its fist coated in ice once more as it socked the rabbit in the face with a quick punch, the freezing cold attack snapping it out of confusion as it headbutted the Thunderbolt Pokémon away from it. Shooting a calculated glare at it, the Laissure turned around and began smacking its foe with its tails, the Electivire grunting in pain as it withstood the assault for around ten seconds before managing to grab a hold onto its tails. Letting out a loud battle cry to psyche itself up, it began swinging its foe in the air, spinning around a few times before throwing it into the wall, causing a couple shelves to crumple into pieces and kick up a considerable amount of dust. The Electivire let out a hearty chuckle, pleased with itself for defeating such a mighty foe, only for its eyes to widen in surprise as it saw Laissure emerge from the pile of debris, an infuriated look in its eyes. Letting out a low squeak of fury, it lunged at the Thunderbolt Pokémon, its body coated in a orange aura as it tackled into it multiple times, pushing it back all over the place before headbutting it with all its might, the Electivire letting out a cry of surprise as it crashed into the few remaining shelves that weren't destroyed earlier. Picking itself up off the ground, the Electivire attempted to make a last stand, but was unable to as it crumpled onto the ground and collapsed face first, no longer able to continue battling.

"Electivire!" Erick called out in concern for his friend, checking up on it to see if it was alright. "T-Thank goodness you're alright. You've earned yourself a nice rest." He sighed in relief, recalling his Pokémon.

"I'm just glad that nobody was hurt too seriously, that battle was more intense than I anticipated." Julius chimed in, petting his Laissure affectionately before recalling it was well.

"Truth be told, I'm a little disappointed in myself for losing my first gym battle. But man was it a blast; you've more than earned the Pulse Badge." The blue-haired boy handed his opponent a small metal badge. It was a vivid yellow and consisted of a set of lightning bolts that formed a diamond with an upside-down triangle on top. As Julius attached the badge to his trainer card, he took a closer look at it as a sense of pride overcame him. He was already halfway through the Aevium League, despite one of the badges not being 100% legit. But the Normality Badge held a special place in his heart, and he wouldn't give it up without a fight to the bitter end.

"Thank you very much for the battle. It helped get a few things off my mind." The young teen replied, putting his card away as he surveyed the mess left behind. "Sorry about the mess, did you want me to clean it up for you?"

"Don't worry about it, there's a few cleaning robots that can get the job done quickly." Erick replied, the duo quickly waving farewell to each other before Julius made his way out the room.

 **Meanwhile, inside Angie's Dimension**

Cera began panting to herself, both with exhaustion and with relief. Though the portion of the Magma Stone she had with her was a lot smaller than tone one Julius had, it should be enough to free her master from her icy prison. Making her way to the frozen Angie, she placed the shard up against it and uttered a pray under her breath. At first, it didn't seem it was working, the right-hand maid looking at the shard in distraught and was close to throwing it away. However, the ice soon started to melt and crack, an ecstatic grin appearing on her face.

"At long last, you're free Lady Angie." Cera spoke to herself. "Those wretched children and that man-beast delayed your reawakening. But it is I who stood by you and freed you from your prison."

The icy prison soon shattered into thousands of little pieces, with Angie gasping for air as Cera quickly helped her up onto her feet. "Welcome back, Lady Angie. A lot of time has passed while you were imprisoned." She greeted her master.

"H-Huh?" Angie replied in a dazed state, her manic rage having subsided for now. "How long was I out for exactly?"

"It does not matter in the slightest. What does matter—" Cera began, only for Angie's rage to be reawakened instantaneously, her eyes glowing a crimson red as she glared at the now terrified Cera.

" **Cera, let's make something abundantly clear…when I ask you a question, you give me the answer. Do you understand?"** She coldly replied, her right-hand maid gulping in fear. **"Do I need to remind you what happens to those who disobey?"**

"N-No, my lady." Cera said quickly.

" **Good…now I'll ask you one final time. How long was I out for? A simple question all things considered."** Angie demanded.

"A-A month at the most." Her devout follower answered, not wanting to anger her any further.

" **A month, huh?"** Angie replied, her rage subsiding as her usual cold but calm demeanor returned. "In that case, we have much to do. We're so behind on everything."

"I-I must bring you this most unfortunate news. All the other servants have either fled or have been killed in the process of freeing you." Cera reported. "However, I am still here to do whatever it is you wish. Should we start over with Kristiline?"

"No, this town is a lost cause. Irreversible, if you will. No, I have my sights set high; higher than it's ever been. This town could rot for all I care." Angie answered, a smirk creeping up on her face. "However, we will need to call upon an old friend. My darling pet shall awaken and show the world the Cold Truth of Arceus!" She outstretched her hands, a bone-chilling cry echoing through the area as it began to quake slightly.

 **Back in West Gearen**

Julius had just exited the factory, a little surprised that his friends weren't waiting for him in the lobby. He was just about to go search for them when he heard someone call out to him, the young teen turning around and saw the trio running up to him.

"Hey, Jules! Congrats on winning the gym battle." Melia cheered for him. "We would've waited in the lobby for you, but the staff didn't appreciate us eating inside so they asked us to finish our snacks outside."

"Kanon was a lot hungrier than I expected; guess I can't blame him given what he went through before. Sorry there isn't anything left over for you." Venam informed him, with Julius brushing it off.

"No need to apologize, I wasn't all that hungry anyway." He replied, digging through his bag for his wallet. "How about I shout you three tickets for the train ride?"

"Alright! Thanks for the offer mate, I don't have any money on me." Kanon admitted, the group of four making their way to the station with Julius in front. The young teen made his way to the ticket seller and purchased four tickets, handing one to each of his friends. "So er, what's Grand Dream City like?"

"It's been a long time since I was there, so my memories a bit hazy. However, I can say for sure that it's the crown jewel of Aevium, a lot better than this gloomy city that's for sure." The brown-haired girl answered, turning to face Julius. "Got any spare change for the train food? You know, just in case either of us feels peckish."

"Unfortunately, those tickets weren't cheap. My wallet's nearly empty after paying for them." He apologized to her.

"It's alright. I guess I shouldn't get too—" Venam began, before clamming up on the spot as her eyes locked on to a familiar figure approaching the group.

"I knew you would be here, you little thief!" Amber yelled at her, quickly making her way down the stairs to the train station. "You stole my mother's Charizard, give it back now!"

"U-Uh…what was that? I can't here you right now!" The brown-haired girl pretended to play deaf.

"Don't play dumb with me, I knew you heard me!" The redhead called out. "I'm only going to ask you one more time. Hand over the Charizard!"

"C-Come on guys, w-we wouldn't want to keep the other passengers waiting." Venam blurted uneasily, pushing the other three onto the train as the conductor watched with a confused look in his eyes. Letting out a low growl, Amber ran towards the train in an attempt to hop on, only for it to slowly whir to life as it began to go down the tracks. The redhead stopped at the platform, watching helplessly as the train began to pick up speed and go down the tracks.

"Y-You win this time, Venam." She huffed, turning around and stormed away from the area.

 **0000**

"Yeesh, that was a close one." Venam sighed, entering their cabin and took the seat next to Melia, with Julius and Kanon sitting on the opposite side. The brown-haired girl was unable to hide from three sets of eyes, judging her for her actions as she shifted uncomfortably in her spot. "W-Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"You know why, Venam. You should've given her the Charizard back, especially since it caused quite the scene back in Kugearen when you sicced it against Kanon." Julius answered bluntly, as Melia shook her head in disappointment.

"You stole Tesla's Charizard, after everything she's done for us?" The blonde asked seriously, staring at her as if she wanted an answer now.

"D-Do we have to talk about it now?" The brown-haired girl inquired sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

"Considering that it'll take a day for us to get to Grand Dream City, we've got plenty of time to do so." Melia answered quickly, with Venam sighing to herself.

"I needed a Pokémon that could use Magma Drift so that I could get up Valor Mountain. That's all I needed it for." She tried justifying her actions.

"If that's the case, then why didn't you return it afterwards? It's not like you were short on time to do so." Julius pressed her further.

"I…I forgot to do so…" Venam replied, chuckling hesitantly before regaining her composure. "Whatever, the point is now I have a Charizard with me. It came in handy back in the past, didn't it?"

"Ah yeah, it was so handy that I knocked it out in one hit." Kanon retorted, snickering under his breath in amusement.

"It's not like I'm going to keep it anyways; once I see Tesla next, I'll return it to her, I promise." The brown-haired girl promised.

"I hope you plan on keeping that promise, for me anyway." Melia replied, looking out the window as a small smile appeared on her flawless face. "I remember visiting Grand Dream City when I was seven years old. Jenner had some business to take care of there, so I had to come along with him. I'll never forget that place, it was where I got my Togekiss from; well it was a Togepi egg to be specific, but you know what I mean."

"A trainer can never forget the moment when they get their first Pokémon." Julius chimed in, a smile on his face as well. "Did Jenner give it to you as a gift?"

"No, I found the egg on the beach. I waited for its mother to return, but it never did, so I decided to keep it, and it's been my dearest ally ever since." The blonde answered.

"Which was when your superpower kicked in!" Venam called out, an enthusiastic look on her face.

"Venam, for the last time I have no superpower." She denied it, but her friend wouldn't have it.

"You've got so many shiny Pokémon that it's not funny. How can you still deny it at this point?!" The brown-haired girl exclaimed.

"Venam, didn't you tell me back in the Magnolia Library that someone tried to use Melia for her "ability"? I'm sure that's why she's trying to ensure it stays a secret." Julius reminded his friend.

"Ah, my bad. Sorry about that Mels." Venam apologized.

"It's no problem." The blonde replied, readjusting herself on the seat. "Now if you three would excuse me, I would like some private time on my own. I'll make sure to send you a message in case I feel like talking to you."

"As you wish, Melia." Kanon agreed, hopping off his seat with Venam and Julius bowing in respect before following the white-haired youth out the cabin, leaving Melia to her own thoughts.

Having stepped out of the cabin, the young teen was able to fully take in the splendor of the Grand Dream Express; its interior walls decorated in the most lavish paintjob money could buy. The carpet on the floor was a rich crimson and would no doubt feel heavenly to those who walked around the train barefoot. Julius had just finished doing business with a nearby ATM when he saw Venam make her way towards the café. Figuring that she was hoping for an additional snack, he followed her in and took a seat beside her, the brown-haired girl eyeing up the menu.

"Ah hey, Jules. Feeling like something to eat?" Venam inquired.

"Depends on what's on the menu." He replied casually, taking the occasional glance at all the diners chatting amongst each other. "This is an excellent ride, all things considered.

"Yeah, the train's cool and all. But the café's the best part. Just look at how much food they're offering!" She exclaimed in a mixture of shock and glee, showing her friend the menu as he eyed it up. True to her word, they served everything; ranging from simple breakfast meals to 5* gourmet dishes. However, as he anticipated the food was a little on the pricy side; but he wasn't all that bothered by it at all. "Do you have any idea what we're going to find in Grand Dream City?"

"I-I'm not so sure myself. Karrina did say that these people were being abducted and petrified left and right, yet not a single piece of evidence has been found. This leaves us with two options; the culprit is some sort of psychopathic mastermind, or there's corruption afoot in the city." Julius gave his two cents.

"To tell you the truth, the thought of being turned into stone is chilling. What's the purpose behind it anyway? Because if this psycho is doing it for fun, then I'm going to have a field day kicking the shit out of them!" Venam chimed in, attracting the attention of an older woman. She had dark brown skin, shiny brown eyes and long, luscious black hair that reached her waist. Her outfit consisted of a dark purple jacket, a white undershirt and a pair of dark purple pants.

"Sounds interesting, I might want to join in on the fun." She chuckled in an amused manner before eyeing up the duo oddly. "Strange…I could've sworn that I've met you before."

"Hmmm? I'm sorry to say that I don't recognize you." The brown-haired girl apologized, as the stranger shook her head in response.

"No, I'm not talking to you. I'm talking to your friend, Julius, I believe it was?" She replied, before remembering a little more about the meeting. "That's right, I remember you helping me with a predicament involving a Solrock and a Lunatone!"

"I'm sorry to say that I don't remember something like that happening or meeting you. But you are right about my name however." Julius stated calmly, as a confused look appeared on the woman's face.

"But I could've sworn that you were there with me…ah forget it, it's not that important right now. Call me Krystal, ok?" The stranger greeted herself.

"Nice to meet you Krystal, I'm Venam." She introduced herself. "How'd you get your name anyway?"

"It's uh…a bit complicated. Let's just say that I have to keep myself incognito and I'll leave it at that." Krystal answered quickly, as Julius gazed calmly at her. Was she a secret agent of something, on the tail of Team Xen or perhaps even Larkspur? The young teen knew that his friend Cameron back in Tandor has been keeping an eye out on the mad scientist ever since he fled from Silverport Town that day, but hasn't been able to track him down yet. As a matter of fact, he hasn't heard from Team Xen at all recently; perhaps they're concocting some sort of devastating scheme as payback for the humiliation at Valor Mountain. "So why are you two going to Grand Dream City? A new life? Challenging the leaders? Or perhaps even a romantic date between you two?" She snapped the young man out of his train of thought.

"D-Date?! N-No way!" They both stammered, a fierce blush on their faces as Krystal chuckled in amusement. "W-We're going to investigate the disappearances and whatnot." Venam was able to answer quickly.

"I see; I take it that the blonde girl and the white-haired kid are part of your group?" Krystal pressed further, no doubt referring to Melia and Kanon.

"Yeah, they're our friends." Julius replied. "Allow me to bounce the question back at you; why are you going to Grand Dream City."

"No particular reason, I just have to keep moving at all times. Well I say that but I did spend a significant amount of time investigating Amethyst Cave looking for assistance with something. Thankfully Julius, or someone that looked like Julius came to my assistance and helped me out of that—" The black-haired girl continued, before a sudden news broadcast interrupted her.

" _Breaking news! Another victim to this stone-cold phenomenon has just been discovered, this time the Flying-type Gym Leader Talon! They were found in the middle of Amber Park completely lifeless, but no further information has been disclosed. We will update you all when more information is given; thank you all for watching!"_ The reporter stated, before shutting off as the show that was on before resumed from the momentary hiatus. The trio were left speechless at what they just heard; not only was another person a victim of this strange phenomenon, but it was a Gym Leader.

"A Gym Leader this time…just how powerful is this madman that they're able to take on an Aevium Gym Leader as if they were nothing?" Krystal muttered to herself.

"I just don't understand; who the hell would turn people into stone?!" Venam exclaimed out loud in shock and anger.

"There are some cruel people in this world, Venam. People whose death would only benefit society they're that depraved." Julius answered. "What I want to know is why very little is being done to deal with this psycho."

"As much as I would like the Champion to help us, I don't know where they are at the moment. Heck, I don't even know WHO they are." The black-haired woman stated, an alarm bell blaring in the young teen's mind. In every region, be it Kanto, Kalos or even Tandor, the Champion's identity is public knowledge. Yet he has not heard a single world about this figure from anyone, be it the Gym Leaders like Crawli or Valarie, or even the Elite 8 like Tesla. Is this some unique gimmick that Aevium has over the other regions in the world, a mystery Champion?

"Well whoever they are, they're not pulling their weight. Me and my friends have seen a metric-truckload of shit happen in this region, yet the Champion has done nothing to help the innocent people affected by this. Team Xen is running rampant, some crazy lady froze over Kristilline Town, and now there's news about people being turned to stone!" Venam vented to the newcomer, as a thought popped into her mind.

"Maybe the Champion can't do anything about it." Krystal proposed, only for Julius to knock back that suggestion almost instantaneously.

"Highly unlikely. I'm a two-region Champion, yet I'm going above and beyond to save this region from those who want to see it burn. If the Champion of this region is doing nothing but twiddling their thumbs, then the odds are that they're in on all this madness." He stated bluntly. "If a Champion does nothing to aide their people during a crisis, then they don't deserve the title."

"Such passion, you do have a point I suppose. Though I doubt they're the mastermind behind the disappearances. Still, they should be doing at least SOMETHING to help everyone out; an issue like this would be child's play for them." Krystal began, before taking a glance at her watch. "Oh my, I've rambled on for quite some time now. I better head back to my room, nice meeting you two!"

"Yeah, nice meeting you as well." Venam replied, the duo watching her leave the café. "She seemed nice, but I could swear there was something about her that I recognized. The eyes, perhaps?"

"You're not alone in that regard. Anyway, should we check up on the other two? I don't recall seeing Kanon come join us." Julius suggested, the brown-haired girl agreeing to the idea as they left the café and made their way to the cabin they were renting and saw Kanon exit the small room.

"Ah, Venam. Just the person I needed to see, Melia want to talk to you on your own." The white-haired youth explained. "As for me, I'm making my way to the small library. Melia reassured me that everything was going to be alright, as well as telling me some of the places she visited during her childhood."

"Alright then, I'll do as she wishes." Venam complied, entering the small cabin as Kanon made his way to the library at the back of the train. Julius opted to keep his distance from the cabin however, not wanting to eavesdrop on a private conversation and opted to take a nap on one of the vacant seats in the carriage, unaware that he would soon drift off to sleep.

 **0000**

"Is everything alright Melia?" The brown-haired girl inquired, noticing her friend was looking outside the window in the room. She was about to ask what was going on, before the room became a vivid deep blue all of a sudden as the train went underwater. "Wh-What's going on?!"

"Don't worry Venam, we're just going through the Marine Tube. Aevium paid a lot of money to Unova for the construction." Melia reassured her friend, gently patting the seat next to her as Venam opted to sit down. "It's a most beautiful sight, isn't it?"

"Yeah, it's amazing…" Venam cooed in awe, watching dozens of various species of marine Pokémon swimming idly, as the train sped through the underwater tunnel. "I-I'm glad I'm able to see this with you, Melia."

"As am I, Venam." The blonde replied, the duo soon wrapping their arms around each other's shoulders. "Once this is all done, I wish the three of us could spend the rest of our lives together."

"Three of us? I assume that I'm one of those people, but who's the other one?" The brown-haired girl inquired, her friend letting out a light giggle.

"Julius of course. I may not have known him as long as you, Kanon or Ren, but he's more than proved himself to be a fantastic friend and trustworthy ally." Melia answered, a small smile on her face.

"Julius? I mean he's awesome and all, but I don't think I can imagine myself living with him." Venam admitted.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll warm up to the idea. After all, I'm sure he'll be more than happy to share his knowledge on foreign Pokémon; he could even give you recommendations on what ones to catch for your team." The blonde added, before letting out a sigh of content. "And let's not forget how handsome and kind he is; it's easy to see why that Scarlett lass from Ayrith fell for him back then. B-But keep that last part to yourself, ok?"

"O-Ok…" The brown-haired girl trailed off, her mind racing with several thoughts. From the way Melia talked about Julius, it sounded as though she had a crush on him. The trouble was, she loved Melia with all her heart but wasn't ready to tell her yet out of sheer nervousness. And while she knew that the bond between them was very special indeed, she didn't know if Melia had feelings for her as well, or if it was just platonic. However, the fact that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with her gave her a considerable amount of hope. Besides, she also found Julius to be kind of cute, but it's not like she had romantic feelings towards him, or did she? Her train of thought was soon cut off by a beeping sound coming from Melia's watch.

"S-Sorry about that. I set an alarm earlier today to let me know when I should go to sleep. We need to be fully alert when we get to Grand Dream City after all." Melia apologized for startling her friend. "You can sleep on the couch opposite of me since there's only room for one person to lie down on."

"I can work with that." Venam agreed, the duo making their way to the small cupboard in the room and got a blanket each. But before they went to bed, they gave each other a warm, goodnight hug that lasted for around ten or so seconds.

"Goodnight Venam, sweet dreams." The blonde cooed to her.

"Goodnight as well, Melia. I hope you have sweet dreams as well." The brown-haired girl replied affectionately, making her way to the couch and lied down on it, putting the blanket over her. As much as she wanted to continue pondering the relationship between her, Melia and Julius, it would be best for her to put those aside for later and catch some much-needed sleep. After all, if the situation in Grand Dream City is as bad as the stories say they are, then she would need to be at her 100%.

 **Another chapter wrapped up** **nice and neatly; can't wait for Episode 13 to be released since I know it would be amazing. I will warn you that the next chapter may be a bit on the short side, but that's because the chapter after that would mark the beginning of Episode 10's most intense and exciting moment. Catch you all later!**


	38. Chapter 38

**As I said in the previous chapter, this'll be a bit of a short chapter, so I do apologize in advance. In the meantime, I hope this'll provide you with a little tease on one of my absolute favorite moments in the game, due to its intensity and the fact that it marks the debut of one of my favorite characters in the game.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 _Julius' dream_

 _The young teenn soon found himself inside a vivid purple void, just like in his nightmares. However, this time there was an air of tranquility around him, his mind telling him that he'd be in for a safe ride, or so it assumed. Julius was alone in this empty void, save for the occasional sound of someone walking around behind him, his instincts kicking into overdrive._

" _Wh-Who's there?!" he called out, frantically looking around the area._

" _Relax, sweetheart. It's just me." A familiar voice echoed out, the young man turning to his side and saw Scarlett approaching him as the two embraced each other in a quick hug. "It's so good to see you again, even if it's just in your dreams."_

" _It is so good to see you again, my love." Julius smiled back, wiping a small tear away as they soon broke off the hug._

" _Seems like you've been up to quite a bit since I last saw you. Saving Kristilline Town from some crazy lady, exploring the ancient ruins within a large mountain, and even travelling back through time. We may have gotten caught up in some messed-up business back in Ayrith, but this has to take the cake." Scarlett chuckled lightly, her voice quieting down a bit. "Of course, you also found a new girlfriend."_

" _M-My apologies, Scarlett. I had no intention of making you upset." The young teen apologized, bowing his head in shame as the magenta-haired girl giggled to herself before resting her hand on his shoulder._

" _Hey, there's no need to apologize. I've got no issue with you dating someone else; it wouldn't sit right with me if you ended up dying alone." She replied, looking him in the eye as if the next thing she was about to say was deathly serious. "Just, don't lose yourself like you did in that weird dimension. Seeing you act like that was scary."_

" _The Dimensional Rift? I'll try my hardest but knowing my adversary, it's unlikely they'll stop using them, even with the loss of the agent who could create them." Julius pledged, opting to change the topic. "But enough about me, how have things been going on the other side?"_

" _Ahahahahaha, the same old stuff. Connor and Hardy keep battling each other to see who's the best, while Ava keeps shutting down any boastful comment they throw at her. It's almost as if it's another normal day in our lives. Of course, things would be better if you were around, but I don't want you to die anytime soon; you've still got a full life ahead of you." Scarlett informed him._

" _Don't worry, I'll make sure not to throw my life away, unless absolutely necessary—" The young teen began, before suddenly clutching his head as a mild stinging pain pulsated in his head. "Ack…what's with this headache?"_

" _That must be that other gentleman who wanted to talk to you. I better get going now, so as to not test his patience." The magenta-haired girl answered, slowly fading away from the void. "Goodbye Julius, I hope to see you again in the near future…"_

" _W-Wait, what gentleman? Scarlett!" Julius called out, but to no avail as his former lover faded away. The young teen was confused on who exactly she was talking about, pondering on it for a few moments before a hole soon formed where his feet stood, the young man letting out a cry of surprise as he fell down the hole for around ten seconds before landing in what looked like a darkened room, the only source of light coming from the hole he fell out of. "W-Where am I?"_

" _Finally, you've arrived…" The voice of an older gentleman called out to him, the young teen getting up on his feet and saw…himself; or at least an older version of himself. The man appeared to be in his late 60s, with short white hair and a long white beard that reached his fairly thin torso. The only thing he wore was a light blue bathrobe that had a small coffee stain over where his left breast was, and a pair of worn out sandals. "It is good to see you, Julius."_

" _Ar-Are you me as an old man?" Julius inquired, the man nodding slowly in response. "W-What is it that you want?"_

" _I've come to offer you a most dire warning; stay away from those "friends" of yours!" Older Julius replied in a low growl, showing his dirty teeth to the young teen._

" _What, why would I do something like that?!" The young teen demanded, the older man gesturing him to look to the side as another light shone down on the ground. There, it showed a pair of figures who looked like Julius trying their hardest to keep the cage from breaking. Inside said cage was a half-human, half-beast Julius, growling and swiping at the other men to knock them away. Naturally, the sight before him shook Julius to the very core. "What the hell is going on here?!"_

" _That is one of the reasons why I'm telling you to stay away. The embodiment of your self-control and your inner peace are in a losing battle to keep your inner demon caged. Your trips into the Dimensional Rift has empowered it greatly, especially when confronting that Angie woman. I fear that unless treated, it'll break out and take control of you, causing an untold amount of damage." The old man informed him._

" _But what does that have to do with Melia? She's the one that helped me—" Julius began._

" _She's the one that's empowering it even further!" Older Julius snapped back, causing the younger one to gulp in fear. "You make think that she's your ally, your lover…but that is all part of her master plan. Once she's done with you, she'll betray you, cast you aside and watch you break down as she mocks you alongside her cronies."_

" _Bullshit! I bet you're a figment of my imagination that Crescent planted into my mind to further her agenda. She pulled that whole "they'll toss you aside once they're done with you" spiel, but guess what, they're still standing by my side!" The young teen retorted, causing the older gentleman to huff in annoyance._

" _You remember back in Gearen City when Melia, Venam and Ren talked about that gym-leader audition tape they made to get Melia the job? Not long after I had saved the world, I stumbled upon it while searching Melia's room. I watched it an lo and behold, the three of them were having so much fun that it was as if they didn't care about me at all! As if I had meant nothing to them despite all that I did to help them save the world from Team Xen!" The old man growled lowly, his anger rising up to the surface._

" _What are you getting angry at, they made the tape before I got back to Aevium to try out the league. Of course, they'd be having fun without me! What, are you expecting them to act all miserable unless you're around, in which case they lavish you with praise and attention? Sure, at times I did feel like an uninvited guest, but that was in the past. Now I've accepted the fact that they're more than happy to have me around." Julius argued, his older self chuckling lowly in contempt._

" _How cute…you think they care for you. Well listen closely, I came from an alternate dimension to yours, where these exact events played out with a few key differences." Older Julius replied, surprising his younger self._

" _A-An alternate dimension me? H-How is that possible?! How are you here in my conscious if we're technically different people?!" The young teen demanded._

" _True, in most cases such a thing isn't possible. But for you, dear Interceptor, you are a special case indeed…" The old man replied, with Julius' eyebrow raising in intrigue. What exactly is he talking about? What is an Interceptor and why is he getting called one? "I see that you're curious about my choice of words, no? Well I can't tell you all the details just yet, for I didn't know about them at this point in time."_

" _Alright then, tell me this? What differences were there in your dimension from mine." Julius inquired._

" _Where do I begin? Ah, how about that business in Chrysalis Manor with Maria? Personally, I chose not to humor the brat's delusions, so I distanced myself from her. Kept a lot of emotional baggage off my chest, so it was worth it." Older Julius casually retorted, causing his younger self to shoot him a vicious glare. "Then there was that nasty business in Goldenleaf Town; rather than try and give that weasel Ren the recognition he craved, I took the glory from him, permanently severing whatever friendship we may have had. Ugh, was he desperate to hook up with Melia; well not under my watch!"_

" _Gee, you sound like a piece of work…" The young teen commented snidely._

" _Didn't your mother teach you any manners?" The old man retorted, catching Julius off-guard as a look of anger and pain welled up on his face, causing the bestial Julius to let out another loud growl, with the other two Julius' stunning it with a cattle prod. "That's better; now where was I? Ah yes, I confessed to Melia right after the battle with Amber, rather than her confess to me. Things were going all nice and dandy, until the part where she confessed to Venam at the end of our journey. Of course, this had happened after Venam had passed on her confession via someone else due to…circumstances I shouldn't be telling you. It was a sappy moment where the two hugged and kissed each other. Of course, Venam asked about me given that she somehow knew of our relationship, only for Melia to brush it off as if our love meant nothing at all to her! What followed was a series of events where she got all the credit for saving the day alongside her friends, while everyone forgot about me. My hopes, my dreams, blown away in the wind as if they were nothing. I was forced to settle in a lone wood cabin outside of Goldenleaf Town since they exiled me for attacking Ren in a fit of fury. It was there where I spent the majority of my lonely life, not a single "friend" came to visit me. They abandoned me; I hate them with all my heart!"_

" _Heheheheheh…I see how it is. I can't believe it took me this long to realize this myself." Julius smirked to himself, the old man glaring at him in fury._

" _You think this is a joke, you fucking brat?!" Older Julius roared in anger._

" _I do, and it's a pretty bad one. You say that those three figures beside me are different aspects of my personality? From what you told me, it's evident that you're meant to represent whatever bitter entitlement I may have within me. I should thank you; you've given me another toxic emotion to purge from my heart." The young teen answered._

" _B-But I came to warn you about Melia's fickle nature. She will dump you once she and Venam confess to each other!" The old man insisted._

" _Maybe she will favor her feelings for Venam over her feelings for me, I can't say for sure. At the very least, I know that she'll do it in a more respectful manner than whatever you told me. And if that were the case…I'd be fine with it. Sure, my heart would ache over a feeling that wouldn't get reciprocated, but I'd allow her to have her happiness since prioritizing her feelings over mine is a true indication that I care for her." Julius retorted, the older man stepping back in surprise. "Or maybe…there's a chance that all three of us get to life a happy life together; ever thought about that?"_

" _Wh-What?!" Older Julius exclaimed in shock, the young teen's smirk growing upon seeing his foes flustered state._

" _My point exactly; the Melia in your world could tell that you only cared about your needs, your feelings, hence why she broke off the relationship as soon as possible. Furthermore, your negative attitude leads me to believe that you weren't the nicest to your friends, hence why they cut off all ties with you. Hell, I doubt that you're even from another dimension; instead you concocted some nonsensical story to ensure that I break up with her over your petty jealously. The point is that I will not heed your words; I'll stand by my friends and the ones I love until the bitter end!" The young teen declared, with his self-control and inner peace gaining the upper edge and managed to immobilize the caged beast, knocking it out for the time as the old man glared back at him._

" _Fine, keep clinging on to your delusions, Interceptor!" He huffed, storming off into the darkness and uttering one last line before disappearing. "Just don't come crawling to me when you find her blade in your back…"_

" _I'd never come crawling to you—" Julius began, the room lighting up dramatically and blinded him, as he heard his name getting called out multiple times. "W-What the…"_

 **The next morning**

"Julius? Julius, wake up!" A voice called out to him, the young teen waking up abruptly and fell off his chair, only to see Kanon standing before him. "Hey man, you alright?" He inquired, outstretching his arm to help his fallen mate up.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for the wake-up call." Julius replied, accepting Kanon's offer as the white-haired youth helped him off the ground. "I take it Melia and Venam are still sleeping?"

"Nah, they both made their way to the café for breakfast. Why don't you join us, we left a spare seat for you." Kanon offered, gesturing towards the carriage with the café in it.

"I'd like that, thank you very much. Anything to get my mind off of…whatever it was I encountered last night." The young teen accepted, muttering the last line to himself and made his way to the café, with Kanon looking at him oddly before opting to follow him. It didn't take long for the duo to find their friends, with Melia waving at them to come join her and Venam which they did. As the two boys sat down, the first thing Julius noticed was that Krystal was sitting on the table behind him all on her own, but he opted to redirect his focus to the menu that lay before him, picking it up and gave it a quick read.

"Good morning Julius, I take it you slept well last night?" Melia greeted him.

"Well I got some sleep alright; kinda surprising considering where I slept. I've never been one to sleep in a chair, let alone inside a train." He replied, averting his gaze from the menu momentarily. "I take it you and Venam slept well, no doubt after some quite time with each other?"

"Yeah, it was a blast to watch the train going through the Marine Tube alongside Mels. The amount of Pokémon we saw swimming around was amazing!" Venam gushed with excitement, eyeing up Kanon quickly. "I take it you slept in the library?"

"I kinda got invested in a book detailing the last thirty years of Aevium. I hope you can understand why I was so invested in that book, ehehehehehehe…" The white-haired youth chuckled lightly.

"I don't blame you; why if I were sent thirty years into the future, I would want to know what happened in the era that I missed out on." Melia replied casually, putting her menu down. "I think I'll settle for the chocolate chip pancakes."

"Funny you say that, I was actually considering the custard filled doughnut." Kanon chimed in.

"Why settle for simple deserts when you can go all out? I call dibs on the bacon and eggs on toast!" Venam called out eagerly, firmly pressing her menu on the table.

"Decisions, decisions…guess I'll go for the eggs Benedict." Julius made up his mind, a thought crossing his mind. "Only trouble is, how will we pay for this?"

"Luckily for you, my troubled friend; I have the solution right here!" The brown-haired girl called out, rummaging through her bag and brought out a set of four straws. "Whoever gets the short straw pays for breakfast. And since Jules suggested it first, he gets first pick."

"Alright then, I can work with that—oh..." He replied, immediately proceeding to select a straw, only to realize that by some stroke of luck, he drew the short straw. "Good thing I did my business with the ATM yesterday."

"I can't say I feel right about this. You already bought tickets for us, so it wouldn't be fair for you to pay for breakfast as well." Melia chimed in, only for Julius to raise his hand in disagreement.

"I appreciate your concern, but I drew the short straw and to weasel my way out of it would be a betrayal of your trust. Besides, it's not as expensive as the tickets so I should be fine." The young teen replied, jotting down his friend's orders and made his way to the front counter as Kanon watched him go.

"You know…he may not be as amazing as you, Melia. But he's a pretty cool guy." He admitted.

"He's done so much for us in the short time, I don't know how I could ever start thanking him for his loyalty. The blonde replied.

"I mean he fed me a couple berries when we first met, so he automatically gets a tick in my book." Venam added, glancing briefly at her friend as he finalized the orders for the group. "However, he seems a bit off today. As if his mind's pre-occupied with something else."

"Perhaps we should ask him when he comes back." Melia proposed, her friends agreeing to the idea as they watched Julius take his seat beside Kanon. "Is everything alright? You seem a bit…distant today."

"Hmmm? My apologies, I was just thinking over that dream I had last night?" Julius answered.

"You had a nightmare again? I thought Melia helped fix that issue back in Telia Resort." Venam pressed further.

"It wasn't a nightmare, far from it. However, it was one of the weirdest things I had ever experienced." He replied, taking in a deep breath. "Have you ever been visited by an older version of you who hailed from another dimension?"

His three friends grew deathly quiet, neither of them able to understand what exactly he was talking about. "Come again?" Kanon asked.

"Guess I should've been a bit more elaborate about it. Essentially, I was visited by an old man who claims that he's the Julius from another dimension. He was warning me about how I should stay away from you, lest I get betrayed and end up dying alone. That and he kept rambling about how you keep on using me for your own benefit, as if I was your toy or something." Julius explained, the trio before him taken aback by what he had just told them.

"Julius, that old man was lying to you. Of course, we'd never turn our backs on you, you're our friend." Melia replied, the blonde realizing that there was something else to this dream but figured it'll be best to talk about it in private at a later time.

"Yeah, we'll stick by your side just as you stick by our sides!" Venam chimed in.

"Besides, the last thing I want to do is fight against—" Kanon added, before being interrupted by Krystal letting out a cry of pain as she clutched her head. "I-Is everything ok, miss?" He inquired, the group of getting off their chairs to check on her.

"I—I'm having another vision…" She replied, her eyes glowing a purplish-white momentarily as a look of shock was plastered on her face. "We have to stop this train now, or else we'll all die!"

The older woman leaped off her seat and ran towards the conductor's cabin, the group of four watching her go before opting to follow her in hot pursuit. Soon enough, the found Krystal slamming her fist on the door to the cabin, crying out about damaged tracks and imminent death for all the trains passengers. "Open up, you need to stop this train right now!"

Silence. It seems that the conductor was either unable to stop, or unwilling to stop, as if her prophecy was nothing but a made-up story. Sighing to herself, Krystal closed her eyes and began channeling her inner power, a golden aura coating her body as the train began quivering and shaking, the group of four letting out cries of surprise as they all tumbled onto the ground. A few intense seconds later, the shaking stopped, with Krystal sighing in relief as she wiped the sweat off her head.

"Oh man…is everyone alright?" Melia asked, wearily getting herself up off the ground.

"I-I'm fine Mels, and I'm sure Kanon is as well." Venam replied, the blonde helping her friend up off the ground.

"I don't think we can say the same about Julius though, we did land on him after all…" Kanon chimed in, picking himself up as Julius managed to get up off the floor, albeit it a bit slower than the others.

"Ugh…I don't think I'm all that suited to being everyone's cushion." He replied, rubbing his bruised arm. "At the very least, I can say that being pinned to the ground by Melia is…exhilarating."

"Keep it in your pants, Jules." The brown-haired girl chuckled, lightly punching him on his bruised arm as a surprised yelp escaped his mouth.

"I'm sorry for any injuries you may have sustained, but it's important that I stopped the train. Here, I'll show you why." Krystal apologized to the group, making her way to the exit as the four opted to follow her outside the train. Upon stepping out into the lush open forest, Julius was amazed by the vivid sight that was before him; the trees were vibrant and full of life, the grass was tall and lush, courtesy of the sizable rivers flowing on the route, and the variety of wildlife was astonishingly large. Were there a perfect place to start raising Pokémon native to Tandor, this was that place. However, the natural eye-candy would have to wait, as he had to see what Krystal was talking about before. Making his way to the tracks before the train, he saw that several of the wooden plans in between the steel tracks were snapped in half, pointing upwards diagonally.

"This is what I saw…the train took a turn, passed over these broken tracks, crashed into the nearby woods and caused an unimaginable inferno. There were…no survivors of the wreck." The older woman said quietly, relieved that such a tragedy was averted.

"So how long will it take for the tracks to get repaired?" Melia inquired.

"Around a day, at the minimum. Luckily, we're not all that far from Grand Dream City. It should take an hour or two to get there by foot." Krystal answered.

"Well in that case, let's get movin' folks!" Venam replied, the group about to make their way up north when the older woman halted them.

"My apologies, but I need Kanon to stay here with me. I have some important stuff to tell him and it will take quite a while just to go over it." She informed them, the white-haired youth eyeing her up cautiously.

"W-Why me?" He inquired.

"I cannot state my reasons why when there's other people around. Don't worry, I am not your enemy." Krystal reassured him.

"Besides, we would never leave you behind." Melia added, giving his hand a gently squeeze as the young man made up his mind.

"Very well, I'll listen to what you say." Kanon conceded, the older woman shooting him a smile.

"Thank you very much; the two of us will stay here while you three make it to Grand Dream City and inform someone about this." Krystal replied, with Melia, Venam and Julius nodding in confirmation before making their way up north. As they were making the trip to Grand Dream City, they began chatting amongst each other to lighten up the mood.

"So why do you think she wanted to talk to Kanon? Her request came right out of the blue." Venam chimed in.

"Perhaps she was the reason Kanon was sent to the future in the first place…however I can't say I recognize her to be honest. Maybe she's one of Spacea and Tiempa's elite agents that they keep quite about to prevent her role from being jeopardized?" Melia proposed.

"Maybe. But what I do know about her is that she claims to have met me before, yet I don't recall ever meeting her. I'll admit that her master over those powers of her remind me of Nim…but she's not around anymore." Julius chimed in, sighing sadly to himself as he remembered his dear friend Nim, how she didn't deserve the horrible fate that happened to her.

"Yeah that was one thing I don't under—" Venam began, before a sudden idea formed in her mind. "Julius, you said that you dreamt about an older version of you, but from another dimension, right?"

"I-I did, but where are you going with this?" The young teen replied.

"Maybe, just maybe, she recognized you because she had help from the other Julius back then. Of course, that would require her to have dimension hopping powers, but given that she could easily stop a speeding train, she could have other powers under her belt." The brown-haired girl stated her beliefs based on the evidence provided to her so far.

"Hey, I think I see where you're coming from. Perhaps she saw Kanon suffer a grisly fate in that dimension, hence why she wanted him to stay behind, so as to inform him of a way to change his fate." The young teen added.

"Well this is nice and all, but the argument's based off of conjecture at the moment. For now we'll need to—woah!" Melia began, letting out a cry of surprise as she narrowly avoided walking off the broken bridge that lead to Grand Dream City. "Phew, talk about a close one."

"Aw come on, you can't be serious!" Venam cried out in frustration, as Julius surveyed the gap. With a bit of a running start, he could make it over the gap, however there was the chance that he'd get impaled on one of the broken planks of wood, which would not be a pleasant experience at all.

"First the tracks, and now the bridge. Something fishy is going on here…" He mused to himself. "Seems like someone really doesn't want anyone to get in, or out of Grand Dream City."

"I guess the only thing we can do is wait until the tracks get fixed." Melia began, before her CyberNav began ringing. Taking it out of her pocket, she saw that it was Kanon calling her and took the call. "Hey Kanon, how's things going on your end?"

" _Not good I'm afraid. The conductor has inspected the damage and said that it's too severe for him to fix, meaning that we'd have to wait for help from Grand Dream City."_ He informed her over the phone. _"How are things on your end?"_

"Not good as well, the bridge to Grand Dream City is broken, meaning that we can't cross it anytime soon." The blonde replied, as concerned muttering could be heard from Kanon's end with Krystal joining in on the call.

" _That's not good at all; the conductor was hoping for help to come that way. With the bridge out, that means repairs would take a lot longer than we hoped for. if anything, this just proves my theory that somebody really wanted to keep people out of Grand Dream City."_ The older woman stated.

"But who would want to keep people out of the city? Team Xen?" Melia suggested.

" _I have no idea who would do something like this. May I suggest checking out Oblitus Town to the south? I know a man living there by the name of Kelvin; perhaps he can help us out with our problem. I'm still not done with Kanon yet, so it'll have to be you three to the rescue."_ Krystal requested, concluding the call as Melia gazed at her two companions.

"Well you heard the lady, let's get a move on to Oblitus Town." The blonde called out, making her way to the south as Venam and Julius glanced at each other before opting to follow her.

 **Oblitus Town**

The trio soon arrived at their destination; courtesy of the signs posted alongside the path…only to be taken aback by what was before them. The town was barely standing; with only six or so buildings that haven't been demolished or rendered inhospitable due to age. The local population couldn't have exceeded two dozen and there was a general air of misery and crushed dreams in the air. Julius shivered at the sight; this place looked worse than Goldenleaf at its darkest moment in time, which was really saying something.

"So, this is Oblitus Town? Doesn't look like one to me…" Melia commented sadly. "This place must've seen better days, but what could've caused it to become so, so…"

"So garbage?" Venam inquired, her blunt tone catching her friends off-guard. "I don't know myself, but this isn't the sort of place I want to stick around in for too long."

"In that case, let's find Kelvin as quickly as possible. Perhaps we'd have luck asking one of the locals." Julius suggested, with the trio making their way around town in their search for the man. Given the state that the town was in, they didn't have to search for all that long, or ask many people. However, despite how easy it should've been, neither of them was able to find him, with Melia suggesting that they ask the old lady on the hill, tending to a flower bed that rested beside the house on the small hill to the right. Making their way towards her, they waited until she was done with the flowers, a process that took a couple minutes.

"Oh, we don't get visitors in this town very often. What brings you here?" The old woman inquired, getting off her knees and stood up to gaze at the young trainers.

"Pardon me, ma'am, but we're looking for Kelvin; we need his help to fix some broken train-tracks leading to Grand Dream City." Melia requested, as a slightly dark look overcame the old lady's face.

"Ah, more tourists for Grand Dream City I see. I never liked that place; it was thanks to that hoity-toity place that Oblitus is in the state it's in. heck, Oblitus wasn't even this place's original name, but everyone forgot it so we merely adopted it." She replied, her bitterness for the city brimming in her tone. "But forgive me, I have no personal grudge against you. As for where Kelvin is, he told me that he was going to Route 7 for the night. He loves to camp in the outdoors you see, it's a more comfortable experience than living inside this place."

"I see. Any places in Route 7 he likes in particular?" Julius pressed further.

"Well he does go to Darchlight Woods every now and then; he loves to pick the mushrooms and berries there for his evening supper." She added.

"Thank you very much miss!" Melia smiled at her, the trio bowing respectfully as they made their way out of town and back into the wilderness.

"Well that wasn't so hard—" Venam began, before her stomach began growling with hunger. "Damn it! I knew we forgot something; our breakfast is still in the damn train!" She complained, clutching her torso with her hands.

"Given how abruptly the train stopped, I'm sure it's all over the floor now. Just another stroke of bad luck in my life…" The young teen sighed to himself, as an idea soon formed in his mind. "What if we scrounge around for some food? The old lady said that Darchlight Woods had a surplus of edible mushrooms and berries. Perhaps I can gather some while you two can go fishing in one of the rivers."

"Hey, that's a great idea! There's just one, tiny problem…" The blonde began, a slight look of concern on her flawless face. "I'm terrible at fishing! Jenner tried teaching me at a young age, but I could never get the finer intricacies of it."

"Fear not, Mels. Allow me to be your tutor; I'm pretty good at fishing if I say so myself." Venam chimed in, wrapping her arm around her friend.

"Hmmm? Forgive me for my rudeness, but your boisterous attitude doesn't seem like something I'd associate with someone skilled at fishing." Julius commented, with the brown-haired girl letting out a light chuckle.

"No offense taken. I can understand your weariness given that you're used to me bumming berries off of you, but I spent my time with the fishing rod whenever my mother and I had an argument and she kicked me out of the house." She admitted, agreeing to his idea. "Then it's settled; you gather berries and stuff in Darchlight Woods, while Melia and I go fishing."

"Sounds like a plan. However, I was hoping if either of you have a guide on the native flora there; last thing I want it to forage something poisonous and get the three of us terribly ill." The young teen requested, with Melia quickly going through her bag before taking out a small pamphlet she had tucked away.

"Here you go. I was planning on taking a stroll there once we get settled in Grand Dream City, so I figured I'd get a guide while we were on the train." She handed the pamphlet to him, with Julius giving her a nod of gratitude as they went their separate ways. As the pamphlet had stated, the woods were in the western half of Route 7 so that was where he would begin his search. Thankfully, he wouldn't have to search for long as he was taken aback by the greenish-black trees that were huddled close together to form a forest of sorts, their appearance sending a shiver down Julius' back. These trees were nothing like the others that populated the route, almost as if something had ripped this forest from another place in the world and slapped them here for no reason whatsoever.

However, he wasn't the only who was near this forest; there were a couple of young adults by the entrance, one male and one female. The female had green-shoulder length hair and matching green eyes, a bright red bow in the shape of a poppy in her hair and some reading glasses over her lovely face. Her outfit consisted of a green long-sleeve, button-up dress that reached her thighs with a belt around it. She also wore a pair of black stockings and a pair of short green boots. The male also had short green hair and matching green eyes, but his outfit was a little more casual. It consisted of a mint-colored t-shirt with a black jacket over it, a matching pair of black trousers and mint loafers. From the way they looked and were talking to each other, Julius assumed they were siblings.

"…and you're sure you got notice of the corruption spreading to this area?" The brother asked.

"Yes, I'm certain. You think I would just lie to you? You're my brother for crying out loud!" The woman huffed, annoyed that her sibling didn't trust her intel off the bat.

"Alright, if you say so. I trust you." The man replied, a smile forming on his face. "If you want, we can stick together."

"I appreciate your concern, but I can handle myself perfectly." She replied, the two siblings making their way into the woods as Julius opted to enter the woods as well. The inside of the woods was no better than the outside at all, with pitch-black grass underneath his feet and a wide variety of plants that looked as though they were incredibly poisonous. With the guide at hand, Julius spent the next hour or so foraging the nearby vicinity for edible food; be it a couple of berries here or a mushroom over there. The young teen let out a couple light gasps of exhaustion; foraging was no easy task, but he rationalized it as being too accustomed to get readily prepared food for him on a basis, survival skills like these would pay off in the future. After determining that he had enough supplies for him and his friends, he put the food nice and safely in his bag before continuing to explore the woods, both in search for Kelvin and in intrigue over that odd pair he saw earlier.

A few questions raced through his mind as he wandered the treacherous woods; who were they exactly? What corruption were they searching for? Could they have anything to do with the damaged tracks and bridge? He couldn't get an answer based on the small amount of information he had, so the best course of action was to eavesdrop on them whenever he could. As luck would have it, he found the female musing to herself in a small clearing. Hiding behind a decent sized boulder, the young teen began eavesdropping on the stranger, who briefly looked to her sides for a moment.

"Finally got rid of that annoying brother of mine. God, I don't need him hovering over my shoulder all the time, I know my way around this place. Hmmm…the coast seems clear, so let's get this over with." She replied, quickly doing a twirl and changed into a black five-piece suit with a pair of tinted glasses over her face, her hair decoration now a four-pointed star with very sharp edges. "Bladestar Admin online. Planting probe #D07. Activating probe…now."

The mysterious woman placed a small, metal disk on the ground and flicked a few switches on it, with Julius' eyes widening in shock as the probe grew until it was a cylinder that was twice as tall as the woman. "Probe is activated. Progressing with the procedure." She continued, the ground quivering and quaking as the nearby grass, trees and water were…getting sucked up by the device? The young teen hoped and prayed that he was a safe distance away from the device, as who knows what grisly death awaited him should that thing suck him up. But just as it seemed the absorption would consume him and the boulder, it stopped, perhaps the device had reached its capacity just then.

Satisfied with the results, the mysterious woman gave the device a quick analysis, its structure full of the plant life it had absorbed. "It's a shame that it had to come to this, but I'll restore this place once I'm done with my mission."

"Flora, where are you?" The man's voice called out from afar, catching the woman off-guard as she quickly changed back to her regular outfit and deactivated the probe before hiding it in her bag.

"I'm over here." She called out, with Julius watching the man make his way to the clearing, a look of surprise etched on his face.

"W-What in the world happened here?!" He asked urgently, taken aback by the lifeless patch of dirt that stood underneath his feet.

"As I told you, Florin, the corruption is spreading in these woods. We're going to have to report this to Cassandra immediately, isn't that right?" Flora asked him, doing her absolute best to mask her more calculated nature underneath a façade.

"…I may be a high-ranking government official, but not even I can talk to Cassandra that fast. We must be sure that this is caused by corruption and not some…weird disaster or anything." The now named Florin stated, with Flora letting out another annoyed huff.

"Well what else could've caused this, a Pokemon?!" She retorted.

"I'm wondering if this is the work of Bladestar. They have been causing trouble around these parts for quite some time now." The man mused to himself.

"Ugh, would you just stop being a scaredy cat and report this already? What the hell is your deal?!" Flora snapped at him; her patience having run out already.

"All right, all right. I'll report this as soon as possible, Flora. No need to yell." Florin yielded, not wanting to further agitate his sister. "I still want to have a little look around, though."

"Fine, let's get a move on then." She replied, the duo making their way north as Julius emerged from behind a rock to take in what he just saw. This Flora woman was clearly up to no good and was obviously a high-ranking member of Bladestar. But who were Bladestar exactly? Florin said that they were up to no good, but what did he mean exactly? Were they the ones behind the broken bridge and traps? Are they an organization similar to Team Xen? Were they enemies or allies? He had to get to the bottom of this, and those two were the key to his questions. But he couldn't just walk up to them and ask questions, lest he get attacked by them. On their own, he could probably handle them, but together was another matter altogether. There was one thing to do; play the role of the lost traveler and "accidentally" stumble upon them.

Making his way up north to follow them, he soon found them casually surveying the trees in a second clearing, the young man making his way to them as he accidentally trod on a fallen twig, snapping it and alerted the duo of his presence. "Huh? Where'd you come from?" Flora asked him suspiciously, eyeing him up carefully.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to disturb you. I was just searching for an acquaintance of mine and was hoping he'd come by this way." Julius explained, making his way closer to the pair.

"Well I hate to disappoint you, but we haven't seen anyone else around this part of the woods." Florin stated, having just realized something. "Ah, but where are my manners? I'm Florin, part of the head council of Grand Dream City. I aspire to become the mayor of that great city."

"And I'm the Grass type Gym Leader, Flora." She replied a little cautiously, hoping that the young teen before her doesn't know about her secret.

"A pleasure to meet you two, I'm Julius. I'm sure you've heard about me, what with being a Gym Leader and all that." He introduced himself, the pair before him raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Julius? I could've sworn Florin and I already met you in Grand Dream City?" Flora replied, as Julius was troubled by what she just said. He knew that he had never set foot in Grand Dream City, so how did they know him? Granted, he did remember how Jenner informed all the gym leaders about the Tandor Champion coming around to take on the league, but they talk as if they had meet him in person. Was there a doppelganger running around that looked like him, or was this another instance of the duo retaining memories of that other Julius helping them?

"Y-You must be mistaken; this is the first time I met you two." The young teen stated. "Anyway, I better—" He began, before the ground began quivering under his feet, the trio looking down and saw that the ground they were stepping on was a pitfall, and the cover had just broken. The trio barely had any time to reacted before they fell down the hole, crying out in a mixture of surprise and fear as they fell down the hole into the dark depths below.

 **And that about wraps this chapter up, I do apologize if it was shorter than usual, but I wanted to start next chapter off with a bang.** **The dream sequence may be a bit out there, but I wanted to do a little more with Crescent's warning about staying away from Melia and the rest, so what better way to do so than have a Julius from an alternate dimension warn him? I'll catch you all in the next chapter, which'll be a blast to write.**


	39. Chapter 39

**Welcome back everyone, I have the next chapter ready for you. I hope you have as much fun reading it, as I had writing it.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **?**

"Ugghhh…" Julius groaned, rubbing his aching head as he got up off the sandy ground and surveyed his immediate surroundings…only to find a barred door trapping him inside this small alcove alongside the two siblings. The last thing he remembered was that he was having a brief conversation with the duo when the ground broke underneath them, revealing an open hole that dropped them into this makeshift prison. A brief thought popped into his mind; was this trap Bladestar's doing? If so, then he's in luck as Flora was in cahoots with them and must have something that can bust this cell door down. The young teen turned to look at her, but the annoyed expression on her face washed away all hope of escaping this cell.

"Great, this is just perfect!" Flora commented bitterly to herself, shooting a glare at her brother, Florin. "If you had just listened to me in the first place when I suggested we leave, then neither of us would be in this situation!"

"How was I supposed to know this was going to happen?! It's not like I have future sight or something." Florin replied as nicely as he could, though it was obvious that he was annoyed at the whole situation as well.

"You never listen to me! Things would be better if you listened to me this ONE time!" She continued to press the issue.

"All right, all right! I admit I was wrong; I only wanted to see if the corruption spread any further. I'm sorry." The green-haired man apologized. "I just felt that the citizens of Grand Dream City have a right to know what's happening outside the city."

"Look, we can save the apologies for another time. Right now, we need to find a way out of this cell." Julius broke up the argument, even though it was dying down.

"Agreed, we can get a lot more done if we're working together. Only problem is, where do we even start?" Flora asked the other two.

"Well you can start by keeping quiet, I'm trying to take a nap." A voice called out from the left, most likely in another cell like theirs. However, they couldn't see who was talking as a large rock was separating the trio from the fourth person. "Whoever it was that were bickering before need to keep it down, I only wanted to take a nap but you lot ruined it for me."

"Sorry about that—wait, we're not alone down here?" Julius apologized, surprised that someone else had fallen for this trap.

"Seems to be the case." They replied, with the young teen determining this fourth person to be female based on her tone of voice.

"Excuse me, but do you have any idea where we are? We're kinda in a predicament over here." Florin asked.

"I dunno." The mysterious person replied.

"W-Well in that case how did you get down here?" He asked a different question, hoping to get something out of this girl.

"I fell." She answered quickly.

"How long have you been here?" The green-haired man continued to press, with Flora shooting a frown at him over wasting valuable time.

"Couple of hours, maybe days." The girl replied, as Julius began snickering to himself over how 'to the point' she was with these meaningless questions.

"That's a huge estimation gap you stated—" Flora began.

"I don't know how long I've been down here, okay?!" The voice snapped back at her briefly, before resuming her calm and collected tone. "Look, I fell down here and thought that the sand was soft, so I lied down and took a nap. What I didn't expect was a pair of siblings to fall down and start arguing, and I don't even know who the other guy is supposed to be."

"The sand…" Julius mused to himself, a brilliant idea forming in his mind. "That's it! I can just dig our way out of this cell. You're a genius, young lady!" He complimented her, the young teen getting on his knees and began the arduous process of digging an escape tunnel out of this place. Both Flora and Florin watched him go, impressed at his digging speeds as they contemplated helping him out.

"So you wanna help him dig through all this sand?" Flora inquired.

"Well I would, but who knows how long it'll take." Florin replied, as the girl in the adjacent cell chuckled to herself.

"I'll let you three dig through the sand, I've already got my way out." She chimed in.

"Very funny, Miss Napsalot. If you could get out any time you want, you would've ditched this place instead of sleeping your time away." The green-haired girl retorted. Taking this as a challenge, the mysterious girl climbed up a series of boxes in her cell and leaped over the barred door, making her way to the cell and stared the trio down.

"Personally, I think it'll be best if you shut your mouth, it'll before the benefit of your cellmates. The name's Erin; I was never trapped, nor will I ever be. Now do you want me to get you out of here, or are you too invested in your friend's plan to get out of here. Guess we'll see just how strong your pride really is." The girl introduced herself, a smug confidence in her voice as Flora clenched her fists tightly in anger.

"Well I wouldn't say not to a way ou—" Julius began, poking his head out the hole he managed to dig, only to get taken aback by the teenage girl before him. To put it lightly, Erin was one of the most beautiful women he had ever seen in his life, only being beaten out by Melia. She had short white hair that had a large black ribbon tied at the back and sparkling blue eyes that captivated the young teen. Her outfit was fairly simple, consisting of a white sleeveless shirt, a short black skirt that showed off her lovely legs and a pair of black loafers. "…M-My apologies, but I would like to get out of this cell please."

Shooting a small smile at him, Erin brought out a small lock-picking kit and fidgeted with the lock for a few moments, managing to unlock it and slid the door to the right with the three trainers exiting the cell. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it? Anyway, this is where we part ways." She replied, beginning her trek through the cavernous tunnel as Julius got a better look at his surroundings. The place was filled with dozens upon dozens of boxes stacked on top of each other, filled to the brim with who knows what. If this was a secret base, then this must be where the occupants kept their spare stuff and prisoners.

"W-Wait!" Florin called out, with Erin turning to face the man. "T-That's it?"

"Yep, that's it." She replied. "What, were you expecting me to tell you some long story on how I got here? Where I was born? Sexual preference? Date of birth? Place of birth? Would you like my ID number was well? How about my bank card info? I fell down here because I was looking for my friend, Aelita." She recalled, her questions brimming with an assertive passive-aggressiveness. However, Julius was taken aback by her last statement.

"Aelita?! Y-You know her?" The young teen exclaimed in a mixture of shock and relief. After all if Erin was looking for her, then that must mean that she's been cured.

"Yeah, we got separated, I fell down here and took a nap. That's all there is to my story." Erin replied.

"L-Let me come with you! Aelita's my friend as well, and I want to see if she's alright." Julius pleaded, the white-haired girl quietly gazing at him before shrugging her shoulders.

"Sure, just don't dawdle." She accepted his request, the young teen thanking her profusely before she continued down the dark hall, with Julius following suit as the two siblings watched them go.

"Well Flora, looks like you're not the rudest person I've met." Florin chimed in.

"Forget about her, let's just get out of here already." Flora retorted, the duo making their way through the sandy corridors, past a few sizable boulders and small ledges before meeting up with the other two a few minutes later, the both of them at a three-way crossroad.

"Well it looks like there are a could ways we can do this…" Erin began, her gaze fixated on a small opening a couple meters off the ground, near a ladder leading down deeper into the secret base. "How much do you want to bet that the inaccessible entrance up there is the way out?"

"I'll bet half the money in my wallet. Keep in mind, it's likely to grow as we fight off the occupants of this base, so the payout's going to be impressive." Julius chimed in, the duo shaking hands on the bet as they saw the siblings walk up to them.

"Well you two took your time. I think it will be beneficial for us all if we split up and each take a path." The white-haired girl proposed to them.

"And just who made you in charge?" Flora retorted, resting her hands on her hips.

"I did. Remember what I said before about shutting your mouth? Yeah, I didn't say you can open it." Erin retorted back, with Julius trying his hardest not to break out in laughter. "Anyway, since there's four of us, someone has to pair up with someone. I think I'll let Julius chooses who he pairs up with."

"Thank you, Erin. As for who I'll pair up with, I think I'll pair up with…you, Erin." Julius made his choice. It was pretty easy to be honest; he couldn't trust Flora one bit as he believed that she knew about him eavesdropping on her. She could theoretically bump him off while he was distracted and hide his body to ensure that he would never be found. And while he didn't have any reason to suspect Florin, there was something about him that didn't sit right with him. Which made Erin the best person to partner up with; not only was he dazzled by her wit, but she was a friend of Aelita and could bring him to her.

"Fine by me, but I'm choosing what paths we go down. I call the middle path, my brother can take the left path, and you two can take the right." Flora blurted, with everyone else raising an eyebrow at her.

"Didn't I tell you—" The white-haired girl began.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But I don't think it's fair that he gets to be the only one to make a choice; hence why I chose what paths we're going down, okay?" The green-haired girl replied.

"Surely it doesn't matter what path we go down." Florin protested.

"I-It does, alright?!" She snapped at him, catching him off-guard as Erin sighed in annoyance.

"Fine, if it shuts you up, you can take the middle path." She yielded, with Flora smirking to herself in victory.

"By the way, I'm Florin; my sister over there is Flora and the other guy is Julius. That way, we don't have to guess who exactly you're talking to." The green-haired man introduced the trio to Erin.

"Alright, I'll try to remember that but only one of you is worth remembering." Erin stated, shooting a quick look at Julius. "Well let's not stick around here, let's get moving."

"As you wish." He replied, the group of four heading off into separate directions as a troubling thought plagued his mind. Why was Flora so insistent on taking the middle path? Based on what he knew about her, it seemed like that path lead to an area of the base that she didn't want anyone else to see. Perhaps a cache of sensitive information that gave her allegiance to Bladestar away? Either way, he had a task at hand and would not let minor distractions bother him.

 **0000**

Julius and Erin were making their way through the dark tunnels of the underground base, taking care to not trip over small rocks and other bits of debris in the way. While walking through the tunnels, they opted to break the ice so as to keep themselves from getting bored out of their minds.

"Hey, Erin…thanks for letting me tag along with you." Julius thanked her, causing her to raise an eyebrow at his statement.

"It's alright, I suppose. I don't mind your company truth be told." She replied. "May I ask why you opted to partner up with me?"

"Well, me and Florin really didn't click all that well together, especially when he mistook me for someone who called him a loser. And Flora…well you saw what her attitude's like firsthand." He answered, opting to keep Flora's secret to himself, at least when he figured it was safe to reveal it. It's not that he didn't trust Erin, far from it. The fact is, he was in what could be Flora's secret base; leaking this secret to her could put the both of them in jeopardy. "Besides, of the three, I find you to be the cutest of the bunch…"

"T-Thanks…" Erin tried to brush his compliment off, though the young man could detect the faintest of blushes on her soft cheeks. "A-Anyway, you said you are friends with Aelita. How long do you two go back?"

"Ah, I met her at the beginning of my Aevium League journey, back in Sheridan Village. we had a blast together, be it exploring Carotos Mountain to find her father, Keta, fighting side-by-side in a gym battle against Crawli, and even teaching that pompous asshole Texen a lesson." Julius recalled the happy memories, before remembering the tragic fate that befell her during their second trip to Carotos Mountain. "Is she ok, Erin?"

"Aelita? Yeah, she's fine. But right now we've got more pressing matters at hand." The white-haired girl replied, stopping momentarily as she saw an opening at the end of the tunnel, a white tiled floor by the entrance. "Look's like we're onto something, let's check it out."

"Good idea, it could be the way out, or at least have a clue to help us escape this place." The young teen agreed, the duo making their way beyond the opening and into the next room. Upon stepping into the small room, Julius was taken aback by how hi-tech it was compared to the caves he had traversed through earlier. There were several bookcases lined up against the walls, packed to the brim with dozens of highly-detailed books, ranging from books about plant life, books about successful rebellions throughout history and many more. It was a shame that he couldn't dawdle here, otherwise he would've taken a seat and get lost in the first book he'd pick up.

"Julius, come take a look at this." Erin called out to him, the young teen making his way to her position and saw what she was talking about. There was an absolutely massive computer monitor at the back of the room, twice the size of the TV in Amber's room. It was attached to a keyboard that appeared to have over two hundred keys on it, each one connected to a different function. "Unfortunately, there's no other entrance out of this room; just this computer, a whole lot of unopened boxes, and boring but obligatory plants. Overall, there's nothing of worth in this room, save for the computer of course."

"I wouldn't count the boxes out yet, they could be storing something we could use." Julius chimed in, with the white-haired girl raising her hand to her chin.

"Eh, you got a point. Might as well check those before fiddling with that computer." She replied, quickly making her way to the first box she could find and tore it open at surprising speeds. "Huh? Weirded out because I opened up this box?"

"Y-Yeah; throughout my time infiltrating secret bases, I never thought to open one of those boxes…" He sheepishly admitted, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Makes your earlier suggestion a little ironic, doesn't it?" Erin quipped back. "In the future, I suggest you put a bit more effort into opening them. I know I do because I let my curiosity take over; curiosity may have killed the Meowth, but satisfaction brought it back."

"Good point, I'll get to it ma'am." Julius replied quickly, taking a second box for himself and began rummaging through it as Erin watched him with the faintest hint of amusement. So far his company has proven to be more…enjoyable than she first expected; it could be because he was willing to take orders from her, or the fact that he was a genuinely nice guy. But she had more pressing matters on hand and resumed her rummaging; hoping to find something good, or at the very least useful. What started out as a quick chore ended up taking over half an hour, the once clean floor now covered with dozens upon dozens of books, tossed aside as the boxes yielded no results whatsoever.

"No luck on my end…have you found anything, Julius?" The white-haired girl inquired, digging through her fortieth box.

"Not yet; thirty-five boxes and they've all yielded squat." He answered.

"Guess this was all for—" Erin began, pausing upon seeing a hastily written note in one of the books. "Hold on…right here it says 'Password: Alpha'. Perhaps it's for that computer back there?"

"Only one way to find out." Julius chimed in, the white-haired girl making her way to the large computer and turned it on, the young teen making his way to join her as she sat down on the cushioned seat before it. With a quick flick of her fingers, Erin began clicking away on the keyboard at an astonishing pace, mesmerizing her ally with her skill and finesse. "Wow…you're amazing at this."

"Appreciated, but I don't need you to lick my boots all the time." She replied, managing to access the computer's database very quickly. "While I'm searching through the database, I'd like to ask you a question. Just how close are you to Aelita?"

"Well we're not lovers so to speak, but we're close friends. As I mentioned earlier, we've been through and experienced a lot on our journey." The young teen answered honestly. "Now let me flip the question back at how; how close are you to Aelita?"

"Not as close as you and here, but we're friends, nonetheless. I found her and this old woman next to some wreck on Route 7, so I brought them to my grandpa and he took care of them. Once she had recovered, Aelita wanted to go back to the wreck for some reason, but we got separated. Next thing I know, I fell down here, partnered up with you and now here we are." Erin recalled her tale to Julius.

"I thank you and your grandfather dearly for saving my friend's life." He thanked her, bowing in gratitude. "One more thing, was there anyone else you found at the wreck?"

"Well now that you think about it—" The white-haired girl began, a sudden pop-up on the screen interrupting her. "Oh hey, take a look at this."

"What is it?" Julius called out, moving close to the screen and saw what she was talking about. "So, this base belongs to Bladestar? How unexpected."

"I take it that you don't know who they are?" Erin inquired, the young teen nodding his head in response. "Seeing as you're new around these parts, I'll fill you in on the details. Supposedly, they're a group of terrorists that want to destroy Grand Dream City. I say supposedly, because that's how the media portrays them. My advice? Don't trust everything the media tells you; the people behind them are cheaters who intentionally hide things for the sake of higher ratings and mass indoctrination. Do your own research and formulate your own opinion."

"I'll keep that in mind." He smiled at her, knowing that her advice was pretty useful. However, there were times when the media were spot on, like when they labeled Professor Larkspur a madman; no amount of convincing could make him think otherwise.

"God, there's so much information here regarding the names of those loyal to Bladestar. And not just their names, but their personal details, mission and—" The white-haired girl continued, only for the monitor to blare bright read as a large pop-up read _'Warning: sudden deletion of data occurring.'_ "W-What? Deleting?! But I didn't put in a command that would order a purge of all available data!" She exclaimed in surprise.

' _Flora must've figured out we were snooping and put a stop to it. That middle path must've housed the master computer.'_ Julius thought to himself, watching Erin try desperately to stop the progress and salvage whatever data she could.

"This can't be a coincidence; someone knows we're here and their covering up their tracks. Which could mean a few things; one, we're going to be targeted by Bladestar for the rest of our pitiful lives. Two, they'll—" She began.

"Halt!" A harsh voice called out, the duo turning around and saw a pair of Bladestar grunts marching up towards them. "You two are under arrest; you know too much and pose a risk to our plans."

"Hey look, they sent one grunt for each thing I listed. Guess we've got no choice but to battle them." Erin called out, selecting a Pokéball and sent out an Absol.

"Don't worry, I won't let you down!" Julius promised, taking a Pokéball and sent out his Syrentide, the graceful Pokémon flicking her hair back and stared down the grunts, who sent out a Primeape and Swellow respectively. Almost immediately, the Swellow flapped its wings and swooped down towards the Absol, the Disaster Pokémon dodging the attack and slashed at it with its horn and sent the bird flying into a couple empty boxes. Enraged, the Primeape began hoisting up whatever debris it could and fling it at the quadrupedal Pokémon, only for Syrentide to knock the incoming debris away with a series of quick blasts of water. Once she had successfully intercepted the attack, Syrentide gathered up lunar energy within the trident on her head and shot a vivid pink ball of energy at the Pig Monkey, sending it flying back into one of the bookshelves and toppled it over, sending books flying everywhere. The Swellow had just recovered from the initial assault, only for the Absol to lunge at it and tackle it harshly, as if it were playing roughly. The bird cried out in pain as it was sent flying back into the large computer, causing the monitor to crack as it slid and fell to the ground, with both grunts horrified over how quickly their Pokémon were knocked out.

"D-Damn it! They're too strong for us!" The first grunt called out, the pair recalling their Pokémon.

"Let's go get back-up, pronto!" The second grunt replied, the pair flinging fistfuls of cash to distract the duo as they retreated from the small room.

"Too easy!" Julius huffed proudly, his Syrentide puffing her chest out proudly. "That's a well-trained Absol you've got there, Erin."

"Thank you." Erin replied, the duo opting to pick up the scattered cash for themselves. "I take it you're the Tandor Champion I've heard about?"

"You've heard about me?" The young man inquired.

"Yeah, Grand Dream City is hoping to prepare a special event for your arrival. Turns out they're the ones who were the most excited about you taking on the Aevium League. I gotta say, I see why you're the champion with skills like that." She explained, the duo having picked up all the stray cash in the room. "Still, those grunts did prove one thing; this place is most definitely a Bladestar base. While I don't see any cameras around, we can't rule out the possibility of someone watching us."

"True; a hi-tech base like this is bound to have a hidden camera somewhere…" Julius chimed in, as Erin stared him dead in the eye.

"Tell me…did you see anything suspicious while you were walking through Darchlight Woods?" She asked in a serious tone of voice, causing the young teen to pause in his tracks. He could tell her all about Flora's allegiance to Bladestar right now and hopefully, lock her up and interrogate her about her plans. But then he remembered what Erin said earlier 'do your own research and formulate your own opinion'; he didn't know all that much about Bladestar or Grand Dream City to be honest, meaning that he would have to do some more digging before he could come to the best conclusion possible. Besides, if he did rat her out and she found out about it, it would paint a massive target on the backs of him and his friends.

"M-My apologies, but I didn't see anything suspicious during my walk…" He lied, mentally cursing himself for lying to his newest friend. Erin looked at him for a moment before seemingly accepting the answer.

"I expected as much. In any case, we're done with this room so let's regroup at the crossroads." She replied, the duo walking out of the room with their Pokémon in tow. Soon enough, they made their way back at the crossroad where they saw Flora and Florin talking to each other, a small wooden bridge connecting the ledge to the previously inaccessible exit. "Looks like we can check the exit out now; I hope you aren't planning on chickening out of our bet."

"Not at all, Erin." Julius stated, the white-haired girl approaching the two siblings.

"Hey, Florin and Flora, right? Did you two find anything?" She inquired.

"Not at all. Flora was telling me that her path was a dead end; just like mine. I told her that just as I was about to access this large computer, it started deleting it's entire archives. I couldn't do anything to save the data." Florin reported.

"I too, experienced a sudden deletion. Try as I may, I couldn't save the data I discovered." Flora bluffed to the white-haired girl, hoping she would buy it.

"Well that makes three of us, since Julius and I stumbled upon this large computer as well. Suddenly some Bladestar grunts tried to apprehend us, but we easily chased them away." Erin informed the duo.

"Same here, seems like we stumbled upon their base of operations. This is not good at all." The green-haired man began panicking, fearing the worst possible outcome, not that anyone could blame him. most people would be sweating up a storm upon stumbling into a secret base being used by less than savory people.

"I…I can't believe there would be a Bladestar base here, in a place so far away from the nearest city." The green-haired girl chimed in.

"Well it makes sense when you think about it; I doubt any secret organization would want their headquarters to be close to a massive city, especially the one they wish to see destroyed." Julius pointed out, causing Flora to shoot him an odd look.

"Whatever the case, we best make a report to Cassandra as soon as possible. However, since the base is on full alert, it'll be best if we go in pairs. Flora and I will team up, while you two stick together like before." Florin proposed.

"Yes, I can work with that. I kinda like my partner, all things considered." Erin agreed to the idea, the duo watching Flora and Florin make their way across the wooden bridge and beyond the opening. "Hey, Julius. Was it just me, or was Flora acting…odd?"

"Hmmm?" He perked his ears at her question.

"When she talked about how the computer she was using had its data wiped, I sensed a hint of…hesitance, shall we say. Almost as if she isn't telling the entire truth. Not to mention that look she gave you when you explained why it made sense for this base to be in such a remote area." She explained to her companion.

"Now that you think about it, I did pick up on her hesitance…" Julius replied, the young man already knowing the truth about her. "We can figure it out later. Come on, let's get out of this place together, friend." He smiled at her.

"Friend?" Erin inquired, the young teen nodding his head at her. A small smile forming on her face, the white-haired girl walked across the bridge and beyond the entrance with Julius following close behind her. Stepping into another hi-tech room like the one they visited before, the two trainers did a quick search of this room for any useful supplies for their escape, but unfortunately came up empty.

"Aw, come on. You'd think they'll throw a bone at us in the event we break out of their jail cells." The young teen complained, kicking the table leg in annoyance.

"Wouldn't that be convenient; our captors leaving us the necessary tools required to escape their secret hideout. Unfortunately, this isn't a game so conveniences like that rarely happen at all." She replied back. "That said, the two of us have the highest chance of getting out of here in one piece. Together, this place shouldn't be too much trouble."

"I agree; our Pokémon seem to like each other." Julius agreed, shooting a small glance at Absol and Syrentide, who were busy chirping and chattering to each other. "On the topic of battling, did you and Aelita battle each other?"

"Once, and I was able to win easily. Don't get me wrong, she's pretty strong but still has that air of inexperience around her. Perhaps when you see her next, you can give her a little practice battle to train her." Erin suggested.

"Sounds like a plan, now should we get—" The young teen began, only for a stern voice to call out to him.

"You brats better turn around, before I hit you with my lawn mower…or something." A female Bladestar grunt called out to them, her comrade shooting a glance at the duo.

"What are you two, a painting?" He inquired, the room becoming deathly silent as everyone turned to face the confused grunt. "What?"

"A painting? Is that really the best you've got?" The female grunt asked incredulously.

"At least I didn't threaten to use my lawn mower to beat them up!" He retorted, the grunts breaking down into an argument as the duo stared at them in complete confusion.

"Clearly, you're the best that Bladestar has to offer." Erin snarked at them, the grunts breaking up their fight and turned to glare at her with hate in their eyes.

"Ok then, Little Miss Perfect, you want to play that game? Then I'll just crush you in a Pokémon battle. Venusaur, punish these intruders!" The female grunt called out, her partner sending out a Claydol as the pair of bulky Pokémon started down the trainers, their Pokémon stepping up to the plate to defend them.

Realizing that she couldn't do much against the Venusaur, Syrentide opted to incapacitate it with a hypnotic melody, the large dinosaur's eyelids growing heavy as it soon drifted off to sleep, though for how long wasn't known. Seizing the opportunity to secure a decisive advantage, the Absol's scythe-like horn began glowing a vivid black as it lunged at the ancient Pokémon to knock it down, only for it to conjure up a wonderous wall of blue light that decreased the damage taken considerably. Huffing lightly to itself, the Disaster Pokémon noticed that the Venusaur was just about to wake up and began charging psychic energy into its horn. Now glowing a vivid pink, the Absol slashed the air and sent a blade of psychic energy towards the dinosaur, striking it as it roared in pain and was sent flying back. The Claydol was so surprised over the powerful attack that it gave Syrentide an opportunity to strike back with a potent blast of water, her foe groaning in pain as it was sent flying and crashed into its teammate.

"Wh-What was that?!" The male grunt exclaimed in shock and fear over the flawless victory, the duo recalling their fainted Pokémon. "W-Where's your lawn mower? We can still teach these punks a lesson."

"I left it back home…" The female grunt chuckled sheepishly. "Let's just make a break for it, ok?!"

The two grunts soon made a break for it, flinging more cash to distract the duo as they ran through the dark tunnels the came from. "Well if all the grunts are this easy, then breaking out of here shouldn't be too much hassle." Erin chimed in, splitting up the cash with her teammate.

"Say what you will about them, but at least Team Xen were able to offer up a challenge." Julius added, turning to face his partner. "You have heard of them, right?"

"Team Xen? Yeah, I know about them. However, I've never seen them around Grand Dream City; probably to avoid a skirmish with Bladestar." The white-haired girl answered calmly, noticing a ladder leading down beside a large boulder. "Seems like that's where we're meant to go next."

"Looks like it. I'll let you go down first, for obvious reasons." He offered, with Erin quickly understanding what he meant as she quickly climbed down the ladder with Julius following suit.

 **0000**

The next few moments walking together have gone exactly as they had expected; pair upon pair of Bladestar grunts would challenge the duo to a battle, only to get swept easily. The only saving grace was that the grunts payed out generously, enabling both trainers to earn themselves a considerable nest egg. Still, the grunt's relative weakness set Julius on edge; surely the entire organization couldn't be a complete joke, otherwise how would they have been labelled a menace?

"Erin, may I ask you a question?" He requested.

"Sure, as long as it's quick." Erin agreed, running a hand through her silky, luscious hair.

"These grunts we've been fighting so far were a cakewalk. If we were that much of a danger to them, then why not send out their strongest agents to deal with us?" Julius inquired, the white-haired girl taking a minute or so to mull over the question.

"I have a couple theories. One is that this isn't a high priority base, meaning they can get away with not deploying their elite agents. This makes sense when you realize this place isn't all that hi-tech, save for the odd room here and there. Another theory is that they want to appear weak and inefficient before us, causing us to lower our guard and enable them to deal the fatal blow when we least expect it." She gave her reasons, the young man mulling over the second one in particular.

"Weak and inefficient…" He mumbled, recalling what Auntie Tesla had told him right after she rescued him. before the S.S Oceana hijacking, Team Xen were said to be weak and incompetent, hence why the Aevium League paid little to no attention to them. Were Bladestar attempting a similar ruse to catch Grand Dream City off-guard? Come to think of it, what were their goals exactly? Erin mentioned how they wanted to destroy Grand Dream City, but for what purpose?

"Is everything alright?" Erin inquired, snapping the young man out of his train of thought.

"Y-Yeah, I was just thinking about something, nothing important though." Julius answered quickly, giving her a reassuring smile as the duo continued their trek through the tunnels. Thankfully, they didn't encounter any more Bladestar grunts but they did see Flora and Florin waiting by another entrance.

"Ah, there you are. You two took your time." Flora called out to them.

"We were caught up by several Bladestar grunts; nothing we couldn't handle though." The white-haired girl replied.

"I see…" Was all the former said, with Julius noticing the subtle twitch of displeasure on her face.

"That's excellent news! This means that they're not as big of a threat as we thought. Let's get out of here; I'd like to report this to Cassandra as soon as possible." Florin chimed in, making his way through the entrance with Flora letting out a huff before following her brother.

"Man, she did not seem that pleased to see us." Julius commented. "You think she's still upset over your earlier comments?"

"Could be. Or she could be hiding something from us—" Erin began, before getting cut off by the ground quaking beneath the duo. "Great, what now?"

"Insolent intruders! Time for you to bear witness to a true Bladestar prodigy!" A voice called out from nowhere, the duo stepping back and saw a large Mecha-Dugtrio emerged from the ground where they once stood. "Behold, the Spelunker grunt!" It called out, the metal door on the front opening and revealed a Bladestar member donning a much fancier suit than the other ones they saw.

"I would take you seriously, but that machine just looks stupid I'm fighting back the urge to laugh. Of course, seeing some dweeb sitting where its mouth should be only makes the thing look more like a joke." Erin retorted, stifling a giggle as Julius stared at the man incredulously.

"H-How dare you mock my prized machine." The Spelunker grunt snapped back in annoyance. "I will teach you to show me and my machine some respect!"

"Respect? I assume you're the class clown of Bladestar?" Julius commented, the grunt gritting his teeth in frustration.

"That's it! I will crush you two in a Pokémon battle. Dugtrio, Stunfisk; let's bury them alive!" The Spelunker grunt called out, the other two mouths of the Dugtrio mech popping out a Pokéball each as his two Pokémon stared down the troublesome duo.

"If that's how you want to play, then we'll be happy to indulge you. Ready, you two?" The white-haired girl called out to Absol and Syrentide, who chirped in confirmation and stared down the opposing Pokémon. Realizing that the Stunfisk was a major threat to her partner, the Absol opted to deal with it first, lunging at it and sent the flatfish flying back a few feet. Annoyed at getting struck by its foe, the Stunfisk hurled a glob of mud from its mouth at the opposing Pokémon in an attempt to damage it. Though the attack missed its mark, it did create a large puddle of mud on the floor, giving the Dugtrio an opportunity to call forth a wicked earthquake. The flatfish knew what its partner was doing and got on top of a rock to protect it from the tremor, though Absol and Syrentide weren't so lucky. The duo tried to reach high ground but the tremors sent them falling into the mud, a few stalactites falling from the ceiling and struck the vulnerable Pokémon. Managing to get back up following the tremor subsiding, the Syrentide called forth a large wave of water using her power, the Absol backing off to avoid getting hit as the monster wave came charging towards the enemy Pokémon. The Stunfisk tried desperately to electrocute the incoming water to knock out Syrentide, but the mud and dirt the wave picked up nullified the electric attack and crashed into the two Pokémon, sending them back towards the machine as the Spelunker grunt cried out in surprise. He uncovered his eyes only to see the situation before him; not only was his two Pokémon knocked out by the attack, but the water damaged his prized machine.

"M-My machine!" He cried out, quickly recalling his two Pokémon.

"Should've thought about making it waterproof before challenging us." Erin quipped, with Julius snickering in response.

"You think this is funny?! Well allow me to have the last laugh!" The Spelunker grunt retorted, sending out a Steelix and a Hippowdon, the latter emitting a powerful sandstorm from the pores on its back. The young teen knew that both Pokémon were very slow, but had impressive strength and endurance to compensate so caution would be advised. Still, he was confident that he and Erin can defeat this chump.

"Syrendtide, get rid of this troublesome sandstorm." Julius requested, the siren Pokémon nodding in agreement as she used her power to create a vivid blue ball of water and flung it in the air; the ball exploding and created a rainstorm that choked out the sandstorm, with both Ground type Pokémon wincing uncomfortably. Erin was most pleased with this situation; not only did it take away their crucial advantage, but it also further damaged that stupid Dugtrio mech before her.

"Go for Superpower, Absol!" Erin called out, the Disaster Pokémon giving her a quick nod and gathered its energy for a moment before tacking the Steelix at great speeds, the iron serpent letting out a cry of surprise as it crashed into the cavern wall behind it, causing a couple more stalactites to fall down to the ground. With the Absol temporarily incapacitated to catch its breath, the Syrentide opted to pick up the slack, charging up lunar energy in its trident and shot a vivid pink ball of energy at the Hippowdon, the attack striking it head on as the hippo let out a low groan. Frowning at the opposing Pokémon, it gave Steelix a quick look as if ready to initiate some sort of secret strategy with it. Giving a quick nod back, the iron serpent began slamming its hard tail against the ground, with Hippowdon slamming its thick foot on the ground as well as a whole load of stalactites began falling down from the ceiling, pelting their foes as they quickly sought shelter in a small alcove to protect themselves from the powerful Rock Slide.

Once the coast was clear, the Absol and Syrentide emerged from the alcove to confront their foes, cuts and scrapes on their bodies as they began to pant lightly. They both realized that they had to end this battle now, or else they would lose and opted not to hold back anymore. Syrentide opted to deal with the Steelix, the large Pokémon attempting to smack it down with its large tail as the siren dodged the incoming strikes. She opened her mouth and spewed a stream of boiling hot water at it, the Steelix thrashing in pain as the attack struck it directly. While this was happening, the Absol was bobbing and weaving near the Hippowdon, dodging any incoming bites from the hippos' massive jaws. Soon enough, its horn began glowing black and slashed at the hippos' underside, causing it to groan in surprise as it was sent flying into the Steelix, the duo crashing into the nearby wall as small rocks pelted their bodies. The Spelunker grunt stared in horror, having laid witness to his best Pokémon getting knocked out rather easily.

"T-This can't be…" He called out, recalling his Pokémon and attempted to escape in his machine. However, the water damage it sustained short-circuited it, rendering it absolutely useless as the Spelunker grunt hopped out of it and ran away, vowing to get revenge on the meddlesome duo.

"That was an amazing effort, you two." Julius and Erin complimented their respective Pokémon, petting them affectionately before recalling them.

"Let's get out of here already; last thing I want is that chump coming back with reinforcements." The white-haired girl suggested, quickly exiting the base with Julius following suit. When the young teen got out, he was surprised to see himself in a lush green forest brimming with wildlife, absolutely nothing like Darchlight Woods.

"Oh man…it feels so good to be back outside after all that ti—" Julius began, only to see an open hand towards him, the young teen turning to the side and saw Erin with a victorious smirk on her flawless face. "Oh yeah…" He recalled, quickly opening his wallet and paid out the agreed-upon bet.

"My word, it seems that we've ended up in Nectar Woods." Florin chimed in, surveying the immediate surroundings. "How this base remained hidden for this long defies logic."

"To my knowledge, this part of the woods was blocked off with a small fence, with a sign saying that this was a Combee reserve. Perhaps people chose not to investigate, out of respect for the natural denizens of the forest." Flora proposed. "This is the Nectar Woods after all, so you're bound to see Combee in a place like this."

"In any case, we're all safe and sound so that's all that matters." The young teen chimed in.

"Indeed, I'm done here." Erin began, making her way out of the woods.

"W-Wait, Erin! Don't you want me to introduce you to my friends? I'm sure they can help yo—us find Aelita." Julius offered, only for the white-haired girl to turn his offer down.

"I appreciate your kindness, but I'm capable of finding her on my own. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed our time together, but it's best if you find your friends. I'm sure they're worried sick about you." She replied, continuing to walk through the forest as the trio watched her go.

"I don't think I'll ever understand that girl…" Flora muttered under her breath.

"I'm sure she's alright when you get to know her. Right now, we better make our way back to Grand Dream City." Florin chimed in.

"Good thing you mentioned that; I was on the train to Grand Dream City when it had to stop suddenly. If you want, I can take you there so you can catch a ride." The young teen offered.

"That'll be appreciated, young man." The green-haired man accepted the offer, with Flora opting to remain quiet as Julius escorted the duo back to where the train was parked.

 **0000**

Around fifteen minutes later, the trio arrived at the train where Julius spotted an elderly man inspecting the broken tracks alongside Krystal and the conductor. He was about to inquire about how things were going, when he was suddenly hugged from behind, the young teen turning around and saw that the culprit was Melia.

"Oh Julius, we were worried sick about you." Melia smiled at him, with Venam standing beside her as the blonde broke off the hug. "You were gone for so long that I feared you were lost. Where were you exactly?"

"My sincerest apologies, but I got lost in Darclight Woods alongside these two, Flora and Florin." Julius explained, introducing the siblings to his friends. "We spent quite a bit of time escaping those dark tunnels alongside Erin, a very nice young lady. However, Erin had her own business to attend to and so we went our separate ways."

"At the very least, you're safe and sound, so that's good to see." Venam chimed in, holding a sizable bag in her right hand. "As you can see, Mels and I were an unstoppable fishing team. Now we won't have to worry about food for the night; good thing to since Kelvin said that the repairs won't be dine until tomorrow morning."

"I see—wait, where's Kanon?" The young teen inquired.

"My apologies, but I sent him to do a quick errand. He should be back soon." Krystal answered, turning around briefly before resuming her work on the tracks.

*sigh* "…and I was hoping to get back to my gym by tonight." Flora sighed in annoyance to herself.

"Speaking of gym battle, why don't you challenge Julius to a battle? It'll help pass the time for us all." Florin suggested, his sister mulling overt the idea before accepting it.

"Sure, it wouldn't hurt to battle him. Besides, I can get a chance to see what makes everyone go crazy about him." She replied, shooting a glance to the west where Darchlight Woods were. "There's a clearing in the center that should suffice as an arena; meet me there for your battle."

"Alright! Venam and I will be there to watch from the sidelines, cheering you on and whatnot." Melia joined in.

"And then the four of us can spend the night camping near the woods; me, Melia you and Kanon. It'll be an amazing time, cooking out hard-earned food and telling cheesy horror stories!" Venam added, excitement in her voice.

"As much as I would like to join you, I'll stick by the train and help the passengers in anyway the can." Florin chimed in, the other four making the trek to Darchlight Woods as he took a moment to catch a breath from all that he's been through today.

 **A nice place to end the chapter, as it enables the next chapter to start off with an exciting Gym Battle. And yeah, Erin is my third favorite character in Rejuvenation, behind Melia and Venam off course. Speaking of Erin, am I the only one who thinks she's based off of Phi from Zero Escape: Virtues Last Reward? Anyway, thank you all for reading this chapter, I'll see you in the next one.**


	40. Chapter 40

**A bit of a short intro but this chapter's going to be exciting. Not only will it have a Gym Battle, but it'll show our heroes taking their first steps into the paradise that is Grand Dream City…or so it's said to be.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Darchlight Woods:**

Having arrived at the clearing Flora mentioned earlier, the first thing Julius noticed was that the condensation from the tall trees was falling down to the ground, creating a miniature rainstorm of sorts that'll no doubt hamper the potency of his Pokemon's Fire type attacks. He had to give it to the green-haired girl; she sure knew how to pick her locations for a gym battle. Thankfully, Melia and Venam were safe from the rain, sitting together underneath one of the larger trees in the area, where they had a clear view of the area before them.

"Good luck out there Julius! Remember, just because Grass types have several weaknesses, that doesn't mean you should underestimate them." Melia voiced her support for her friend.

"Y-Yeah, good luck out there." Venam joined in, the young teen detecting a slight nervousness in her tone, as if something was bothering her. He figured he'd ask her about it later and opted to make his way towards Flora, who turned to face him.

"Good, you arrived. Before we begin, I want to apologize for my attitude earlier; as you know it was a stressful situation for us all back in that Bladestar base." She apologized, the duo making their way to their respective sides of the arena.

"Eh, no need to apologize. Besides, I'm sure a good battle would ease our nerves." Julius replied, deciding on what Pokémon to start off with.

"Yes…you raise a point there. You may have had an easy ride getting this far in the Aevium League, but allow me to send you back to Tandor, free of charge." Flora smirked confidently, picking her first Pokéball and threw it, sending out her Tsareena, the regal Pokémon flicking her leafy hair back. In retaliation, Julius sent out his Chimaconda, the fiery chimera letting out a low growl as it shook the falling rain out of its fur coat.

Opting to test his theory, the young teen ordered his friend to use Flamethrower, the Chimera Pokémon opening it's maw and spewed a stream of intense fire from its mouth, the falling rain causing it to shrink until it was half its usual size as it struck the Fruit Pokémon head on, the Tsareena stepping back a couple feet and huffed in annoyance as she took the attack fairly well. At the very least, he knew that Fire attacks would be weakened by the falling rain unless he did something about it; however, his momentary ponder gave Tsareena an ample opportunity to lunge at the Chimaconda, her head glowing a vivid bluish-pink as she headbutted the chimera, causing it to roar in pain as it was pushed back a few feet before glaring back at her. Taking aim at her, the serpent-headed tail opened its jaws and spewed a stream of noxious sludge at the Fruit Pokémon, the viscous fluid coating her body as she shuddered in shock over getting poisoned. With a slight frown on her face, Flora ordered Tsareena to attack the Chimaconda, the regal Pokémon leaping into the air and kicked its flank before fleeing back into its Pokéball as Flora quickly selected her second Pokémon.

"She must've had it use U-Turn to sub it out for something that can handle Poison types more efficiently. A clever move on her behalf…" Melia mused to herself, the green-haired girl picking up on her comment.

"Very good; no wonder you were chosen for the role of Normal type Leader." She commented offhandedly, with the blonde raising an eyebrow over how she could've uncovered that piece of information. With a quick flick of her wrist the Grass type Leader sent out her Ferrothorn, the thorny Pokémon planting its arms into the ground to absorb much needed nutrients. Julius knew that the longer it stayed out, the slower but stronger it got; hence why he needed to take it out quickly. But with the rain pouring down, it essentially offered the Ferrothorn a solid shield for its one weakness, unless…

"Chimaconda, use Sunny Day!" He requested, his opponent eyeing it up carefully as the chimera channeled a blazing red ball of energy, the ball rising up into the air before exploding into a makeshift sun, drying up all the condensation as the Ferrothorn's eyes widened in shock and fear. Knowing what its foe plans to do, the Thorn Pod Pokémon dug its arms deep into the lush soil and attempted to ensnare its foe within its grasp, with Chimaconda managing to dodge the incoming attacks before spewing a stream of fire towards the bulky Pokémon, who let out a low hiss of pain as it was enveloped by the flames and sent flying into a nearby pond, crashing into it and kicked up a sizable splash. When it floated back up to the surface, Flora knew that it was in no condition to continue fighting.

"So that's how you want to play?" She inquired, recalling her Pokémon before quickly making her selection. "Then allow me to bring back an old foe of yours!"

Julius had a hunch on who she was talking about, which was quickly confirmed by the return of her Tsareena, who looked a little better from getting pelted by that Sludge Bomb but was still on a toxic timer. The Fruit Pokémon knew that she was on a time limit as well and opted to hasten her assault, the bright sun giving her a second wind of energy as she lunged at her foe and delivered a series of swift kicks, causing the chimera to stagger backwards before getting pushed back by another kick from Tsareena. Narrowing its eyes at its foe, the Chimaconda let out a loud roar before charging at it, its sharp teeth glowing a burning red as the Tsareena's head began bluish-pink again as she barreled towards her opponent, the two combatants crashing into each other, kicking up a large blanket of smoke that caused the four trainers present to cover their faces. Once the smoke died down, it showed that both Chimaconda and Tsareena were knocked out from the resulting explosion.

"Well done Chimaconda, you did a great job out there." Julius complimented his friend, recalling it as Flora consoled her Pokémon as well before recalling it back to her ball. Almost instantaneously, the young teen selected his next ball and threw it, sending out his Krilvolver as the shrimp danced happily inside the small pond. Flora was about to choose her third Pokémon when she paused for a moment, thought about the makeshift sun in the sky before quickly selecting a different ball. Throwing it to the ground, she called forth her Vileplume, the sentient flower chiming happily as it absorbed all the sun rays it could to give it an edge in vitality. With a sudden quick burst of speed, it lowered its head and shot a barrage of razor-sharp leaves at the shrimp, who was struck a few times before diving underwater to avoid the rest of the attack. Once the coast was clear, it rose up from the deep and fired a stream of flames from its pistol claw, catching the Vileplume off-guard as it staggered backwards in pain and fell on its behind. However, it wasn't out for the count yet and quickly got back up, it's flower absorbing light quickly as it prepared to use Solar Beam, the suns harsh rays charging up its attack quickly. In a flash, it lowered its head towards the water and fired the beam towards the Krilvolver, who leaped up from the water to dodge and retaliated with a quick salvo of fireballs, a few of them landing their mark as the Vileplume was flung backwards and crashed into a nearby tree, knocked out from the powerful barrage.

"Alright, he's halfway there!" Venam called out, watching Flora recall her Vileplume.

"If I can't use your sun against you, then I'll just have to take it away. Ludicolo, use Rain Dance!" She called out, sending out her next Pokémon as the kappa emerged from its ball and began dancing, the scorching sun fading from the sky want was replaced with a thick blanket of clouds with rain pouring out them profusely. Both Melia and Venam shuffled back a bit to avoid getting soaked, as Julius observed his opponent carefully; the rain making its movements a lot more frantic and upbeat. Almost immediately, the Ludicolo emitted a chilling beam of energy from its mouth, freezing the pond water as the Krilvolver began shivering from the icy prison around it. Moving its pistol claw close to the ice around it, it began melting it in an attempt to free itself from its predicament, the rain weakening its fire which caused the ice to melt slower than usual. Seeing what its foe planned on doing, the Carefree Pokémon quickly ran towards it, skating on the ice as if it were a professional and yanked the shrimp out the water and into the air, before leaping up and firing a souped-up Hydro Pump at it, the relentless blast of water pushing it towards the frozen pond as the Krilvolver crashed into it. Julius dove into the rain, braving the cold conditions and scooped up his fainted Pokémon before the ice could crack and send them falling into the freezing cold water.

"There, there…it'll be alright." He consoled his injured friend before recalling it, watching the Ludicolo perform a victory jig. With a rain storm this powerful, sending out another Fire Pokemon would be a foolish decision; luckily for him, he had a few Pokémon that could easily take care of his opponent. "Alright Haagross, let's teach them a lesson!" The young teen declared, sending out his next Pokémon as the slimy eel eyed up his foe before letting out a low gurgle and slid into the icy cold water. Flora raised an eyebrow over why it would do such a thing, only for her to get her answer soon enough as it rose above the surface and called forth a wave of contaminated water, the Ludicolo crying out in surprise as it was swept up by the toxic wave, its fizzy body covered in sludge as it quickly shook it off. Shooting a glare at the Haagross, the kappa charged up another beam of chilling energy and fired it at the lake to ensnare its foe, only for the Haagross to slither out of it in time and retaliate with a wicked bolt of lightning, the stormy conditions powering it up considerable as it struck the Ludicolo. The Carefree Pokémon cried out in shock and pain as the electricity coursed through its body before it teetered side-to-side, falling onto its back and let out a weak gasp, too exhausted to carry on fighting.

"To find a way to take advantage of a dismal situation…how intriguing." Flora muttered to herself, recalling her Pokémon before selecting her fifth combatant. "But my Rotom shall put a stop to your schemes!"

The Plasma Pokémon let out a happy chirp, taking on its Mow-Form as it sped around in circles on the now damp floor. It soon ground to a halt and sent forth a few ghostly balls of flames towards Haagross, the eerie fire striking the eel head on and left a few small but serious burns, though the rain provided a small amount of relief. But the Rotom wasn't done yet, as it emitted a ghostly fog from its mouth towards the eel, the cloud stimulating its burns to intensify the pain as the Haagross thrashed and flailed on the spot. It soon escaped from the cloud and called forth another wave of toxic water, the attack crashing onto the Plasma Pokémon as it shuddered over the chilling sensation of the once frozen water dripping down its body. Rearing up its head, the Haagross emitted a horrible aura from its body, the attack striking Rotom and caused it to flinch in shock, giving the eel the chance to follow it up with a barrage of noxious sludge, the attack causing the Plasma Pokémon to fly backwards into a second tree and crash into it. It slid down to the ground, attempting to get back up and finish its foe only for it to collapse into a pile, unable to continue fighting.

"I'll admit, you've certainly earned your reputation. However, here is where I show you just what Aevium Gym Leaders are made of. Venusaur, time to Mega-Evolve!" The green-haired girl recalled her Rotom, sending out her final Pokémon and pressed the keystone on her Mega Ring. A wondrous orb of rainbow-colored energy surrounded the grassy dinosaur, shattering soon afterwards as the Mega-Venusaur let out an almighty roar. Raising its forelegs in the air, it slammed them into the ground, creating a potent tremor that caused the Haagross to stagger on its feet and fall down, enabling the Seed Pokémon to use its thick vines to ensnare the eel and raise it in the air, slamming it into the ground as a thick blanket of dust covered the area. Once the dust died down, it showed that the Haagross was knocked out from the combo attack.

"Don't worry, I'll have you patched up as soon as possible…" Julius reassured his weakened friend, recalling it to its ball before making a careful decision. The rain ensured that Fire type attacks would do very little, alongside Mega-Venusaur's thick body, which also protected it from Ice type attacks. Furthermore, it's Poison-typing ensured protection from Poison type moves, and he suspected that it had a move to counter Psychic type Pokémon, leaving him with very few options left. "Harptera, time to finish this!" He called out, throwing his ball as the nimble dragonfly flapping its wings rapidly in the air.

With a quick burst of speed, it flew up into the air and flapped its wings quickly, sending blades of air rushing through the sky that struck the Venusaur head on, the large dinosaur staggering back a foot or two, but took the attack pretty well. A low growl escaping its maw, the Seed Pokémon aimed its massive flower at the Harptera and began firing singular balls of sludge at it in a rapid pace, the dragonfly dodging the sludge with ease. However, the Venusaur anticipated this and called forth its thick vines to ensnare the Harptera and slam it into the ground, kicking up another blanket of dust. This time, the Harptera wasn't out for the count and got back into the air and flew towards the Seed Pokémon at incredible speeds, striking it repeatedly with its sharp tail. The Venusaur moaned in pain, its body assaulted by the series of attacks as it attempted to slam its foe into the ground with its vines, only for the dragonfly to dodge them all as it flew up higher into the air. Its body began glowing a harsh red, opting to unleash a powerful Sky Attack as it dove straight towards the large dinosaur, who opted to fire a series of Sludge Bombs to knock it off course. However, the Harptera persevered, withstanding the barrage and crashed into its foe, creating a massive explosion that sent the Venusaur flying back into the tree that Rotom crashed in. The Seed Pokémon attempt to get back up to finish the fight, but was too exhausted to continue and slumped down, with Flora's eyes slightly widened in surprise.

"All right! Another Gym Battle in the bag!" Julius cheered, his Harptera buzzing happily as Flora recalled her Pokémon.

"Despite losing, I'd say this battle was a victory for me; I managed to gather sufficient data on you to determine that you're a trainer of exceptional quality." The green-haired girl commented, handing the young teen a metal badge that consisted of a bright red rose and four green leaves. "Here, the Rose Badge now belongs to you."

"Amazing performance back there, Julius." Melia congratulated her friend, with Venam joining in as the young teen recalled his Pokémon.

"Now that the battle's over, can I show you all something? Perhaps one of you may know something about it." The brown-haired girl inquired, getting up off the ground. "It's in front of Nectar Woods. Come, I'll take you there."

"Sure, after all it's not like we're short on time here." Flora commented with a hint of sass, a little curious about it herself as Venam led the other three out of the woods to show them what she was talking about.

 **0000**

Having taken the path that Venam went down, the group stopped before a sizable crater in the ground, the brown-haired girl gesturing her friends to look in it. Upon taking a closer inspection, they were caught off-guard by what they saw; the wreck of the machine Saki had built for the rescue mission back at Valor Mountain. The fact that there weren't any pools of blood gave them a sense of relief that their friends had at least managed to survive the crash.

"Ah, so that's what you wanted us to see? Truth be told, I walked past it before, but ignored it since it had nothing to do with my assignment." Flora commented, showing little to no interest at the topic at hand.

"I remember Saki telling me that this was her pride and joy back then…what on earth could've been strong enough to tear that machine into pieces?" Julius mused to himself.

"Isn't it obvious? Crescent must've been pissed off at Saki for saving that Xen grunt back then; she must've wrecked the machine in an act of petty revenge." Venam answered, attracting the green-haired girl's attention.

"Saki? You mean the Steel type Gym Leader?" She inquired, with the brown-haired girl giving her a nod of confirmation.

"Yeah, she was riding this thing alongside Valarie, Adam and Braixen when she was on Valor Mountain. Of course, that was the last time we saw any of them…" Venam explained.

"Wait a minute, if this wreck is here, then that must mean they're nearby. After all, Crescent said that they were bringing Aelita to a healer." Melia continued, a sudden realization forming in the young teen's mind.

"Of course, why didn't I connect the pieces sooner?" He exclaimed in dismay over his slow realization, attracting his friend's attention. "Erin must be the healer Crescent mentioned earlier; that explains why she knew about her. Perhaps she may know the location of the others."

"Sounds pretty plausible to me, where did you say she was going again?" The blonde inquired.

"She said she had some business to attend to, probably still looking for Aelita—" Julius began.

"Aelita's all better now?!" Venam raised her voice in shock, the young teen stepping back in surprise.

"M-My apologies, I should've mentioned that before the battle. But yeah, Erin told me that Aelita's all better now, but the two got separated during a trek through Darchlight Woods." He continued.

"In that case, we'll help you find her. Once we've done that, then we can begin setting up camp for the night." Melia offered to help, with Venam offering as well as Flora simply shrugged her shoulders at the sight.

"You three can go do that, I'm going back to the train." The green-haired girl informed them, slowly making her way back as the trio looked at her oddly.

"Am I the only one who finds her attitude unbearable?" The brown-haired girl asked her friends.

"Nah, Erin was quick to snark back at Flora's attitude. Speaking of which, let's not keep her waiting." Julius suggested, the trio heading off in the opposite direction towards Darchlight Woods. A few minutes later, they arrived at the entrance to the woods, stepping into the darkness and saw Erin wandering nearby the entrance, an annoyed expression on her face.

*sigh* "…she's not showing up anywhere." Erin exclaimed in exasperation. "I wish she wasn't so annoying and kept still for a few goddamn seconds!"

"Hey, Erin. Having no luck, I see?" Julius greeted her, the white-haired maiden turning to face the trio.

"Ah, we meet again. As you can see, I'm still single. She's nowhere to be found in these woods and I spent the last hour or so searching every nook and cranny." She informed him, raising an eyebrow at the two friends accompanying him. "And who are you two, exactly?"

"I'm Melia, and this is Venam. Like Julius, we're close friends of Aelita." The blonde greeted herself and her friend, with Erin taking a closer look at Melia before stepping back in surprise, her face growing paler by the minute. "I-Is everything alright? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"N-No…what kind of sick game is this?!" She cried out in shock and fear, pointing directly at Melia. "W-Why the hell do you look like—?!"

"H-Hey, calm down. There's no need to be yelling at anyone, especially Melia." Venam attempted to settle things down, and it seemed to work somewhat.

"M-My apologies…but you—never mind, it's not important at the moment." Erin replied, with Julius taking a closer look at both her and Melia, before coming to a surprising realization; they're faces look incredibly similar to one another. Perhaps it was just an incredible stroke of luck, perhaps Erin was a similar case to Zetta from Team Xen, or perhaps they could even be—

"Let's just forget that happened and start over, alright?" Melia broke the ice, putting a halt to the young teen's train of thought. "As I said, I'm Melia and this is Venam. We know a bit about you from what Julius told us."

"The name's Erin, but as you said, you were already informed about me. I can assume you want to know about Aelita?" The white-haired girl replied, calming down from her previous meltdown.

"Yes, we were told that our group took her to you, where you healed her, and kept an eye out for her. On behalf of all of us, I thank you very much." Venam expressed her gratitude.

"Don't mention it. However, it was my grandpa that healed her, not me. Though I don't know what you mean by group; the only people we met was Aelita and what I assumed was her grandmother, lying beside that wreckage near Nectar Woods." Erin corrected them, raising uneasy feelings amongst the trio.

"J-Just the two of them…? Are you sure you didn't see anybody else?" Julius pressed further.

"That's what I said; just the two of them out there. Aelita and I actually come out here to search that wreckage ourselves. Somehow, we got separated, I fell down that hole, met you and here we are now." She repeated herself, the unease growing into concern as the trio had no idea on what had happened to the others.

"If it was just those two you saw…then what happened to the rest? S-Surely, they couldn't be…" Melia began.

"Dead? There were no traces of blood nearby, so perhaps they wandered off somewhere, maybe to Grand Dream City before the bridge got smashed up." Venam offered a possible answer.

"Unlikely; they wouldn't just leave Aelita and the Eldest to fend for themselves. Perhaps Crescent took them elsewhere, but for what purpose I'm not sure." The young teen countered, his answer raising a few more questions. "But even then, why would she do something like this? It's clear that she has an endgame in mind, but what it is exactly I have no clue."

"I wouldn't worry about it; they'll turn up eventually." Erin chimed in, brushing a fallen leaf off her shirt. "On another note, I'm done here. Aelita must've returned home so that's where I'm heading next. It was nice meeting you, but I—"

"W-Wait a moment! The bridge to Grand Dream City is out; effectively leaving you stranded for the moment. If you're up to it, you can come with us; we're planning on camping for the night and we'd love for you to join us. In the morning, the tracks should be fixed so we can all hop on the train to Grand Dream City; I'm sure one of us can shout you a ticket." Melia proposed, with Erin mulling it over before coming to a conclusion.

"Sure, why not? It beats sleeping out in the cold forest at night. However, I've got one more place to check before I meet you with you." She accepted, turning around and making her way…deeper into the forest? Hasn't she already searched this forest up and down for Aelita?

"Well it looks like the five of us are going to have a great time—" Venam began, only for Melia to pick up her CyberNav and read the message plastered on the screen.

"Four; Kanon just told me that Krystal needs his help for the night. She must be another member of the Stormchasers and is relaying secret orders to him on behalf of Spacea and Tiempa; that's the only reason I can think of that she would need so much time with him." The blonde informed her friends, as another thought popped into her mind. "Still, I can't get over Erin's look of fear upon seeing me. What was all that about?"

"I'm not too sure, but I doubt she'd be willing to tell you or me." The brown-haired girl replied, turning to face Julius. "Jules, mind if you check on her for us? We'll get the camp ready while you're out here."

"No problem. I doubt I'll get much of an answer, but I'll see what I can do." He replied, the trio going their separate ways as the young teen went deeper and deeper into the woods. Eventually, after fifteen minutes or so of walking, the young man spotted the white-haired girl calmly investigating the dilapidated ruins of what appeared to be a luxurious mansion. It easily towered over her, with all its windows cracked or shattered, the paint slowly peeling off as the elements began to claim their latest prize. Julius was about to approach her, when the sound of rustling leaves alerted Erin, who turned around and spotted him instantly.

"Let me guess, they were worried about me, so they sent you to check up on me?" She guessed, hitting the nail right on the head. "Good thing you came, otherwise I would've gotten lost out here and died of starvation. The Murkrow should have a fine feast of my starved corpse, as my last thoughts would be a reflection on what my existence did to those around me."

"Good to see that your sarcasm is in full strength, even after getting spooked like that." Julius chuckled lightly, approaching her until they were a few feet away from each other. "Is everything alright? You almost had a heart attack when you first laid eyes on Melia."

"I…I rather not delve deeper into that, truth be told. Let's just say I thought I saw a ghost and let's leave it at that." Erin brushed his question off. Julius was sure that she was hiding something but figured that she wouldn't tell him even if her life depended on it so he opted to talk about something else.

"I take it you were searching this mansion for Aelita?" He asked.

"Yes and no. I remember the two of us hearing an old wife's tale about an abandoned mansion full of rare treasure dating back to before the catastrophe that split Aevium into three islands. Following our investigation of the wreckage, we opted to try and find this mansion so we can bring something back home to show my grandpa, which was when we got separated as I assume you know." She explained, shooting a glance at the mansion. "I wasn't able to find her here, nor was I able to find any good treasure. Looters must've combed this place with a fine toothpick before I got here."

"That's a shame…" The young teen commented, stretching his arms momentarily. "So, you ready to come back with me?"

"Well there's nothing left in these woods for me, so I may as well follow you out." Erin replied, the duo beginning the slow trek out of the treacherous Darchlight Woods.

 **0000**

By the time they arrived at the camping spot, it was already pretty dark outside. The stars were twinkling in the cloudless night and the moon was shining brightly for all to see. Both Melia and Venam had done a great job setting everything up, the fire was burning brightly while both tents were standing firmly in their places. Upon noticing the duo making their way to camp, the blonde quickly fished something out her pocket and handed it to Erin, the white-haired girl inspecting it and saw that it was a train ticket.

"T-Thanks Melia, I'll make sure to pay you—" Erin began, only for Melia to raise her in response, as if she wasn't all that fussed about repayment.

"No need to worry, it isn't even my ticket. Krystal gave it to me earlier." She replied.

"Huh? Why would she do something like that?" Julius inquired.

"Venam and I were talking to her about how she could convince the conductor to let Erin ride the train, when we suddenly heard this strange cry as the shadow of a Pokémon flew above us. Krystal seemed to know what was going on since she handed me her ticket and told me to hand it over to Erin, before quickly running off in pursuit of the mysterious Pokémon. She also told us that Kanon would be back with us by the morning, so that's a relief; still didn't tell us what she wanted with him though." Melia explained the situation, gesturing the duo to sit down by the fire. As they made their way to the fire, where Venam was cooking up the fish she and Melia caught earlier, Julius remembered the berries and stuff he had foraged and opened up his bag, taking out the container and pamphlet before presenting them to the duo.

"Ah, good. You didn't shirk your duty after all." The brown-haired girl chimed in, using the pamphlet to inspect the berries to see if they were safe to consume.

"Truth be told, I'm not all that hungry at the moment. You three can have your fill, I need some time to…reflect on things." The young teen informed them, getting up and making his way to the nearby creek to sit on a fallen log and quietly gaze at the stars. As he heard the three girls chatting and laughing among themselves, his mind drifted off to that weird dream he had last night; why, of all things was he visited by an alternate version of himself?

His older self warned about his friends betraying him, leaving him to die as they took all the fame and glory for themselves, but he immediately brushed that off as more of Crescent's meddling. However, the thing that got him was something else he said; how Melia would cast him aside once she and Venam confess to each other. While he didn't doubt that her feelings for her were stronger than her feelings for him, he doubted that she'd just toss him aside. At the very least, she'd do it gently, should she wish to end things with him. Come to think of it, what were the circumstances that finally got them to confess anyway? He doubted that his alternate self would be of any help since his scenario could be far different from his, so that was a total mystery to him. Hell, this whole alternate Julius was an enigma in himself; did these differing events also happen in Tandor and Aevium? Does that mean that somehow, his friends survived that fateful night? Of course, given how reprehensible he was, he doubted any of them survived. But if he was as nasty as he acted in that dream, then how did the Melia of his world even fall for him in the first place? For a while, it seemed like he was in an endless loop of questions and answers until he heard a bush rustling behind him, the young teen turning around and saw Melia approaching him, taking a seat beside him.

"Julius, are you alright? It's been over half an hour and the other two have gone to bed." She inquired.

"Y-Yeah, I was just reflecting on a couple things, that's all." He answered.

"Could it be that dream you told us about this morning?" Melia guessed, a small smile forming on her face as Julius' flustered expression indicated that she was correct. "Figured as much; there's something else to it, isn't there?"

"S-Something else?" The young man said quietly.

"When you told us all about it, I could tell that there was something else you were hiding. I figured that it was the sort of thing that you wanted to talk to me about it in private." The blonde explained, with Julius letting out a quick sigh as he realized that the jig was up.

"Guess there's no hiding things from you then. Very well, I'll tell you about it…" Julius began, taking in a deep breath to settle his nerves. "That alternate Julius, he told me that he was dating you in his world, or at least that world's version of you. He said that the moment you and Venam confessed to each other, you tossed him aside as if he was nothing, leaving him a bitter, hateful man. Of course, I believe that he's making himself out to be the victim—" He continued, only to be taken by surprise as Melia embraced the young teen.

"I get it, you're worried about being left behind once I confess to Venam. Don't worry honey, I'll make sure that all three of us get to live a happy life together, no matter what gets thrown our way." The blonde cooed in his ear, with Julius hugging her back as the duo kissed each other passionately. They soon broke off the kiss to stare at the starry night, recalling that fateful moment when they first confessed to each other, unaware that a third figure was watching them from a distance; a nervous sensation filling her stomach as she quickly turned around to head back to camp.

 **The next morning**

The sun shone brightly in the morning sky, blanketed by a few white clouds as a cool breeze blew through the area. The group of four had just finished packing up their camping equipment and boarded the train, with Erin showing the conductor the ticket that she was given so that there weren't any misunderstandings later down the line. Opting to sit back and relax after what he had been through the previous day, Julius made his way back to the cabin where he and his friends were, only to see Melia calmly gazing out the window to catch a final glimpse of the forest beside the tracks.

"A-Ah, sorry about barging in like that." The young teen apologized, catching the blonde's attention as she gestured for him to sit down beside her. "I was wondering if you knew where Kanon was, since I couldn't find him in the library."

"No need to apologize, you didn't do anything wrong." She smiled back at him, before a thoughtful look appeared on her flawless face. "As for Kanon, I'm not too sure myself. Krystal told me that she sent him somewhere to do a couple things for her, and that was that. I get that it's meant to be a secret and all that, but I wish he would've told me about this earlier—" She continued, only for the cabin door to open as a familiar face greeted the duo.

"Oh, excuse me. I thought this cabin was empty." Erin chimed in, taking a quick look at her ticket as Melia gestured for her to take a seat on the opposite couch. "I guess Lady Luck's finally giving me a break after all these years."

"By your logic, I should be getting a mysterious package from her out of the blue, considering all the short straws I got dealt while I was here." Julius chimed in, with Melia managing to stifle a giggle as Erin took a quick glance outside.

"I can't believe I'm in this situation…having to jump through so many hoops just to find Aelita." She muttered to herself, redirecting her gaze to Melia. "You and that Venam girl said that you were friends with Aelita as well; were you two as close to her as Julius was?"

"Truth be told, no, we weren't as close to her as you'd think. In fact, there was even a time where I did some reprehensible things in order to save her and the others; not one of my proudest moments, but I had no choice back then." The blonde answered.

"I see…tell me then, was she always this reckless and stupid?" The white-haired girl pressed further, her choice of words catching the duo off-guard.

"Oh no, no, no. I wouldn't call her stupid, far from it. But reckless? Eh, she has her moments…" Melia admitted.

"Say no more, I have a clear picture now. From my experiences, she can be quite the—" Erin began, only for the cabin door to burst open as another familiar face entered the room.

"Kanon! It's a relief to see that you're alright!" Julius exclaimed in relief, the two boys giving each other a firm handshake with each other.

"Same here. I'm sorry about being absent the other day, but I was—" Kanon began, before glancing at Erin and took a step back in shock. "Uh…nice hair." He replied quietly, wondering if he had inadvertently stumbled upon his daughter from the future.

"Thanks. I'm glad we have similar taste in hair." Erin offered a small smile back at him, gesturing Kanon to take a seat beside her.

"So where were you Kanon? You missed out on quite the battle the other day; in fact, it netted Julius his tenth badge!" Melia inquired, the young teen flashing him his trainer card with the newly acquired Rose Badge pinned to it.

"Really? Aw man, can't believe I missed out on that!" The white-haired boy exclaimed, straightening up his outfit rather quickly. "As for where I was, well I'm sorry to say but I can't tell you that. Krystal wanted me to do something and insisted that I kept quiet about it. Well, I can tell you one tiny thing about it; she said I had what she called 'The Dragon's Potential'."

"The Dragon's Potential? This ought to be good…" Erin snarked to herself, an amused smile on her face.

"I may not know what it is exactly, but I'm not surprised that you would have such a thing within you, given that your first Pokémon was a—O-Oh, my apologies; I nearly forgot about that…" Julius stopped himself, not wanting to bring back painful memories for the young man.

"No need to apologize; as far as I can tell, it's a sign that my pal would always be there for me, even from beyond the grave." Kanon smiled to himself, a surprised cry escaping from his lips as he fell backwards onto the couch. "Woah, the train must be ready to leave."

"We're so close to Grand Dream City. Sit tight, and we'll be there before you know it." Erin chimed in, the group of four getting comfortable in their seats as the train made the final leg towards the fabled City of Dreams.

 **?**

Madame X was pacing up and down the office room in a furious manner; with word of the Valor Disaster having reached her ears. She wanted an explanation from Madelis about this incident and she wanted it now, or else the dark red carpet would get stained a different shade of red. The door to the office creaked slowly, the nervous form of Madelis glancing left and right before entering the room, closing the door behind her as she approached her irate leader.

"Y-You called me?" The redhead inquired nervously, the Xen Dictator halting her pacing.

"…Do you know how much time you've costed me?" Madame X replied calmly, hiding her burning anger as she turned around and glared at her sub-ordinate from behind her mask. "Do you know all the trouble you've caused this organization? Do you?!"

"I-I know that I haven't exactly been the top-notch Admin that I am lately, but—" Madelis tried defending herself.

"SILENCE!" The masked woman ordered, the redhead woman gulping in fear and chose not to continue her defense. "Due to your actions, our Shadow Pokémon experiment is in complete shambles. Because of your selfish actions, our operation in Valor Mountain ended with complete and utter failure. We lost three of our trusted admins that very day; one of which was our main source of Dimensional Rifts, while Professor Larkspur was forced into hiding and disappeared from my radar. Your arrogance had split the team apart; alone we are nothing, but together we are an unstoppable force to be feared. The fact that you are oblivious to this crucial and obvious fact disgusts me to my core. Had you simply shut up and followed Geara's procedure, Melia would be in our hands and that pest Julius would've reunited with his "mother" in the afterlife!" She ranted, her cruel words paralyzing Madelis with fear as she struggled to stand up before her master.

"B-But I overheard that Geara was being tended to by Nastasia; s-surely he's alri—" The redhead tried chiming in

"Geara cannot function as a member of Team Xen due to your foolish, if not treasonous actions." Madame X replied, catching her off-guard.

"Wait, what? What do you mean by that?" Madelis inquired.

"I don't think that information is for you to know—" The masked woman began.

"But it's in my best interest to know what happened to—" The redhead interrupted her, only to gasp in pain as Madame X slashed her flank with her sword, with Madelis clutching the wound as blood dribbled down onto the carpet.

"Don't you dare, interrupt me again! This meeting was to discuss your incompetence, not to ask questions about Geara. Know your place, worm!" Madame X hissed from behind her mask, the redhead trying to fully grasp the situation before her.

"Y-You slashed me…" She called out weakly, wincing in pain.

"Know that it's your fault that your blood spills to the floor. Every waking second of your existence continues to infuriate me; know that you are nothing to me and are as disposable as a blood-soaked napkin. Madelis, you have lost your position as an Admin of Team Xen." The Xen Dictator replied coldly, shocking the redhead to her very core.

"Y-You're firing me?" Madelis inquired, a low chuckle escaping from her leader's mouth.

"Fire you? No, I won't let you off that easily. I have a better idea in mind for you, but you better listen carefully, for this is your FINAL chance. Fail this, and I'm sure even you know what'll happen to you…" Madame X warned her, with Madelis realizing her fate quickly as she was relayed her secret orders.

 **0000**

At last, the Grand Dream Express had arrived at Grand Dream Station, the last obstacle between Julius and the utopia that was Grand Dream City. Having finished his business with the ATM and the Pokémon Heal Station, the young teen hopped off the train and joined up with his friends outside, who were all chatting eagerly with one another over what exciting possibilities lay inside the luxurious city.

"Phew, we've finally made it. That trip felt like an eternity, especially with the sudden delay, but once we finished with our mission, then we can kick back and relax!" Melia called out to the group.

"Y-Yeah, sounds like fun…" Venam replied a little hesitantly, the young teen detecting that she wasn't in the best of spirits. Perhaps she had a poor night's sleep and she was a little tired; a solid explanation for her usual lack of cheeriness.

"Unfortunately, I won't be able to join you; I have to take the train back home to Route 9, maybe Aelita made it back herself." Erin informed the group.

"Either way, it was nice meeting you Erin. Catch you later!" Julius said his goodbyes, waving at her as she gave him a small smile before making her way to a different train to board.

"Well she left as quickly as she came…" Kanon quipped to the group. "Ah well, I'm sure we'll see her again in the near future."

"Finally, I'd never think we'd get back here." A voice called out from the train, with Flora and Florin stepping out as the former sighed in relief. "Thank goodness we're out of that tepid woods."

"Well you know what they say, patience is a virtue." Florin chimed in.

"Yeah, yeah, virtues and all that jazz, I'm just glad we're back home safe and sound." The green-haired woman retorted.

"I'd suggest you save that sass for when we confront Cassandra about what we found in Darchlight Woods." Her brother replied calmly.

"Ohohohohoho, I'll be looking forward to giving her a well-deserved earful." Flora smirked to herself, taking a quick glance at Julius. "That reminds me, you and Erin were with us when we escaped that base back then. Perhaps it'll be best for you to join us in this meeting."

"I've got no problems with it myself, but Erin's already boarded the train to Route 9, so I guess you'll have to do with just me." Julius informed her, wo simply shrugged her shoulders in acceptance.

"Thank you very much, young man. We'll let you know via CyberNav when the meeting would be held; should be pretty soon so don't get too caught up in any business you may partake in." Florin expressed his gratitude, the two siblings making their way past the gate with the receptionist letting them through.

"Well let's not stand around here waiting, lets make our way as well!" Melia chimed in, the group of four making their way to the front desk, only for the receptionist from before the block the way. "Is there a problem, miss?"

"You four are tourists, right? In that case, we're going to give you a vaccine first. As you can tell, Grand Dream City lies beneath a giant dome; this vaccine is to prevent a disease from spreading and infecting everyone inside. Each of you would receive a special vaccine based on the information you wrote down on your ticket." She informed the group, a puzzled look forming on Melia's face.

"Vaccine…I don't recall this procedure when I was younger." The blonde replied.

"Ah, you must've visited this city before Cassandra was elected mayor. One of her winning policies was to offer vaccines to all incoming tourists, so as to prevent an outbreak in our great city." The receptionist continued, with Venam paling upon realization that it was compulsory. The poor girl must be uncomfortable around needles. "Now, which of you will be going first?"

"I-I'll do it." Venam replied, wanting to put on a brave face for Melia as the receptionist gestured for her to join her. "T-The name's Venam, if that's what you needed."

"Alright then, let's see…aha! I found you Venam, or should I say Veronica." The receptionist chimed in, the brown-haired girl shooting her a small glare as the older woman took out a needle with a purple fluid in it. "The purple vaccine for you; how fitting considering your skill with Poison type Pokémon."

The receptionist pressed the needle into Venam's skin, injecting the fluid into her as the younger girl winced slightly from the pain, sighing in relief as the process was completed a few seconds later. "S-See, I told you I can take it." She replied, making her way to the other side and waited for her friends.

"May I go next?" Kanon requested, the receptionist nodding as he made his way to the immunization bay. "The name's Kanon, miss."

"Alright then, let me see here…hmm, doesn't seem like there's a lot of information about you. I take it this is your first destination in the Aevium region?" She inquired, the white-haired youth nodding back in response. "In that case, I'll give you the standard purple vaccination like Venam."

Like before, she pressed the needle up against Kanon's skin and injected him with the purple fluid, the process only taking a few seconds as she ushered Kanon to wait alongside his friend. "Next!" She called out, with Julius making his way to her.

"Greetings miss, I am—" The young teen began.

"Oh, I know who you are, you're Julius! I already gave you a vaccination earlier, hence why you don't need another one." She exclaimed, staring in awe at the young champion as he stepped back in surprise.

"T-That can't be right, this is my first time here! At the very least, I certainly don't recall getting a vaccination recently." He replied, the older woman staring at him oddly.

"I see…in that case it'll be best for you to get another one just in case. Let's see here, you had the red one last time so that's the one I'll give you." The receptionist replied, taking out a needle filled with red fluid and injected him with the stuff, before ushering him to join his friends once she was finished with him.

"That just leaves me then, I'm Melia. I visited Grand Dream City before as I mentioned—" The blonde introduced herself.

"Melia?! Th-This can't be. You're listed for the golden vaccination; in fact, I think you're the first person to ever get listed for it!" The receptionist cut her off, a surprised look on her face as she brought out a needle full of golden fluid." F-Forgive me for my outburst, but this is a momentous occasion in my career."

"No need to apologize." Melia replied, the older woman injecting her with the needle as the fluid entered her bloodstream.

"There we go, you're all done! May the four of you enjoy your time in Grand Dream City!" She waved her goodbyes, the group of four waving back at her as they all exited the station and took their first steps into what would be one of the most intense sagas of their short lives.

 **And that about wraps it up for today, and oh boy am I looking forward to this next chapter. I will apologize in advance if the next chapter seems a little haphazard, but that's how things will go down for the next chapter or two. And since Chapter 40 marks a special landmark for this fic, I'll answer several theoretical questions the readers might have.**

 **Question: How did you first learn of Pokémon Rejuvenation?**

 **Answer: Believe it or not, the first fangame I played was Pokémon Insurgence. I enjoyed the game greatly, especially with the Delta Pokémon it utilized from the Pokémon TCG, but I found it a bit easy at times. So I asked around if there were any games like it, but harder and was introduced to the Pokémon Reborn forums, where I found Pokémon Reborn, and subsequently Pokémon Rejuvenation.**

 **Question: What would you say is your favorite/least favorite fangame?**

 **Answer: For my favorite fangame, most definitely Rejuvenation with Insurgence coming in at a close second. I feel that Rejuvenation takes what was great about Reborn and polishes it to make an unforgettable experience. As for least favorite game, it's a tie between Pokémon Sweet 2th and Light Platinum. The former had way too many glitches to be enjoyable, and I found Light Platinum to be quite boring and even a little overrated. Granted, they were made ages before Rejuvenation so I can't be too hard on them.**

 **Question: Who is your favorite fangame character?**

 **Answer: Melia, obviously. Despite the earlier versions making her out to be this nigh-infallible character, I feel that the writers have done a phenomenal job with improving her character and making you feel for her. A shame that there are those who continue to hate her for petty reasons, but that's their problem.**

 **Question: How did you and The Godfeather first meet?**

 **Answer: Well we didn't meet in person, rather we met online. I recognized his moniker and asked how things were going with his stories. He told me that due to his collage obligations, he was forced to put his stories on permanent hiatus, before inquired if I was interested in adopting one for myself. I settled for his Rejuvenation fic and after expressing his terms and conditions, I accepted the conditions and began a re-write of his story.**

 **Question: So, what are these conditions that you mentioned?**

 **Answer:**

 **The main character must use Pokémon from the Tandor region. (Pokémon Uranium)**

 **The main character must be paired up with Melia.**

 **The main character must have a dark backstory that haunts him as he goes on his journey.**

 **The first condition was fairly easy, after all I can just do a bit of research on the Uranium wikia in case I'm unsure on what their strengths and weaknesses are. However, I was a little confused on the second condition and explained to him that as of Version 10: Remember, I Love You, it was clear that Melia and Venam were a canon couple. This naturally confused him as he hadn't played the game for a long time but was accepting of it and altered his second condition. (The main character would be in a consensual love-triangle with Melia and Venam) The third condition was arguably the trickiest to pull off, so I tried incorporating bits of Pokémon Desolation into it to make it more appealing to him. I personally found it a bit too edgy, but he loved it so I opted to keep it for his sake.**

 **Question: Be honest with us; do you have any special feelings for Melia and Venam?**

 **Answer: As uncomfortable as this question makes me, I'm going to suck it up and answer with a firm yes.**

 **Question: Once you're done with your Rejuvenation fic, will you be writing stories about other Pokémon fangames?**

 **Answer: As a matter of fact, yes and no. Ultimately, it depends on the game; hence while I'll list them off as well as my reasons for why I will or will not write a fic about it.**

 **Reborn: Most definitely, but not anytime soon. Given how long the game is, it'll be another major project that'll take quite some time to plan out and complete. On the flip side, it'll be nice to write about Serra and her gym battle since I like her a lot, but man was she a challenging Gym Leader.**

 **Desolation: As much as I want to write about it, the fact that the game's rumored to be dead doesn't give me much hope for a possible story. On another note, it was thanks to The Godfeather that I learn that the blonde male PC's name is Richard.**

 **Insurgence: Another good one I plan on writing about soon. I had this awesome idea where the MC is like some sort of Delta-Whisperer that can channel the power of his Delta Pokémon to take out the cults easily. Don't worry, he won't go mad with power like Professor Maple did.**

 **Uranium: Definitely; after all an origin story for Julius and his trek through the Tandor region is a golden opportunity for an author like me. The only tricky part would be all the capturing and evolving that takes place given how many Pokémon he has, but I'm sure I can handle it.**

 **Solar-Light/Lunar Dark: Yes, but it's not a high priority one imo. Sure, it'll be fun to have someone kick ass with a new team and teach Rick a lesson in humility, but I personally found the game's story to be a little bland at times.**

 **Sage: Like with Desolation, the game seems to be dead, so I don't have high hopes for it. A shame since it's Pokédex is utterly amazing; perhaps I could find a way to incorporate it into my future Reborn fic…**

 **Clover: I'm on the fence with this one, but leaning closer to a no. Yes, a game like Clover is ripe for a satirical look on the core concept of Pokémon, but many readers might get put off by the offensive humor it contains, so I'll play it safe and leave it be.**

 **Empyrean: The latest game I'm playing and another on the fencer for me. I'm enjoying myself in terms of gameplay, but the story is a bit out there for me. Still, it's yet to receive its final update so who knows; I might write a story about this one in the future, just don't hold your breath for it.**

 **That concludes my Q &A session; thank you all for reading my fic, I'll see you all in the next chapter. **


	41. Chapter 41

**After 40 or so chapters, it's finally time for our heroes to step onto the stage that is Grand Dream City. There, they will find everything they were hoping for…as well as a few unintended surprises.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Grand Dream City, often regarded as the crown jewel of Aevium was a large city; with large being an understatement. More than twice the size of a unified Gearen City, the large city was divided into several districts accessible via a series of underground trains that although costly, was a lot quicker than walking from one district to another. Given its sheer size and grandeur, it required a dedicated team of competent leaders to ensure its stability, with the mayor rumored to have just as much political power as the Champion themselves.

Having picked up her daily coffee, a middle-aged woman began making the quick walk back to her office to resume her designated paperwork. She had dark brown skin, shiny black eyes and was fairly tall for someone her age, her black hair done up in a long ponytail that sported the occasional silver and red highlight. Her outfit was an expensive navy-blue business suit, a pair of short black boots topping off her outfit. As she was right in front of the train station, a voice called out to her, a young, teenage boy and his Flareon quickly running up to her as if on urgent business.

*Gasp…* "There you are, Rhodea…" He panted in exhaustion, resting his hands on his knees. The boy had spiky red hair and matching red eyes, his outfit consisting of a red t-shirt, a white jacket and a pair of black trousers. "I-I've been looking for you."

"I can clearly see that, Huey." Rhodea replied calmly to the young boy, with Melia and her group having just exited the train station. "Now what is it you wan—Melia, Kanon, is that you?!" She called out, turning to face the group of four.

"R-Rhodea!" Kanon called out for joy, the white-haired youth running up to her as the two embraced each other, leaving his friends a little confused. "It's so good to see you again."

"And it's nice to see you again, Kanon." Rhodea answered warmly, as it soon dawned on Melia as to who she was.

"I didn't expect to see you here…Rhodea, was it? I apologize if I forgot your name; I only saw you for a few days." The blonde inquired, with the older woman giving her a nod of confirmation.

"Yep, that's it. Whatever name I may have used back then was just a cover for me. Don't worry, Karrina informed me about your arrival, as well as that of your friends." She smiled at the younger girl.

"Ah, where are my manners? Rhodea, the young man beside me is Julius, and my bestie beside me is Venam." Melia introduced the duo to her. "They know about back then, but don't fret; they're on our side."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Rhodea." Julius greeted, bowing in respect.

"'Sup, ma'am?" Venam replied in a friendly yet casual tone, her hands in her jean pockets.

"It's nice to meet you two as well, I'm glad that Kanon and Melia have such wonderful friends to support them." Rhodea smiled at the two teens.

"Uh, I can't say I'm in the loop about this whole back then business, but the name's Huey!" The redhead introduced himself, having recovered his breath as his Flareon chirped happily at the group.

"Huey here is one of my roommates back at home, a little unusual given our age gap but I assure you there's nothing suspicious about the arrangement." The older woman chimed in, with Huey eagerly moving closer as if he was excited to talk about his place of residence.

"Yeah, it's this amazing penthouse that we all live in. The thing is really expensive, but Rhodea's able to afford it because she's the Community Manager of Grand Dream City!" He explained, a look of joy in his eyes as the older woman chuckled at his chipper attitude.

"I just take care of the affairs of the community; nothing too fancy or exciting." Rhodea replied, directing her gaze to Kanon. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I've got work to do, be it paperwork or that quick delivery to the Central Building. Last thing I want is Cassandra scolding me for being late. Trust me, it's not something I'd wish on my worst enemy. Anyway, I'm sure you're all itching to explore this magnificent city, so I'll leave you to that; once you're done, meet me by the Central Building so we can arrange sleeping arrangements."

"Thank you very much for your generous offer, Rhodea." Melia smiled, the older woman shooting her a wink as she gestured at Huey to come follow her. With an eager farewell, the redhead followed his friend towards the Central Building, the group of four pondering on where exactly to begin exploring.

"So…any ideas on where to begin?" Venam inquired to her friends, however Kanon and Melia were too busy pondering on just how much Rhodea had changed from when they first met her.

"I can't believe it…the last time I saw here, she was only nine years old." The white-haired youth commented.

"Not to mention that she changed her name; back in Amberette Town, she was known as Sandra." The blonde added.

"Perhaps she changed name for the sake of hiding her true identity, just like Krystal back on the train to Grand Dream City." Julius pondered, turning to face Melia. "Any ideas on where we should begin exploring? You know more about this place than the rest of us combined."

"Why don't we go our separate ways for the exploration? That way, we won't get held back by one of us wanting to check something out for a little longer." Melia proposed, with the trio liking the sound of her idea. "As for where we'll reunite, well the Central Building is the best candidate. It's to the north of here if I remember correctly."

"In that case, let us not waste any time!" Kanon cheered, as he, Venam and Melia went their separate ways while Julius was busy thinking to himself; just where would he begin exploring this behemoth of a city? Eventually he decided to wing it and go off in a random direction, after all what's life without leaving things up to chance?

 **0000**

As it turns out, randomly walking off in a direction is a surefire way to get lost inside a giant city; obvious to most people even though they eventually become victims themselves. The young teen wasn't terrified of getting lost, but the last thing he wanted was to be last for this designated meeting with Cassandra he promised the two siblings, otherwise Flora would nag him to death. His aimless wondering led him to a small garden filled to the brim with a variety of flowers and other assorted plant life. The local Grass and Bug type Pokémon were living like bandits, amassing caches of leaves, berries and roots to feast on, while leaving some stashed away to prepare for the upcoming winter. As he was about to take a closer look, a voice called out to him, with Julius turning around and saw…Sariah? He knew that she had abandoned her xenophobic attitude after the Narcissa Gym Battle, but to see her out of Goldenleaf in such a short span of time?

"There you are! Man, I've spent ages trying to find you; do you know how long it's been since we last met?!" She chastised him, scolding the young teen as he sheepishly scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry about my absence, but I've been through one hell of a ride since our last meeting. Between getting sent to prison, getting lost in a tropical jungle, fighting some crazy lady who froze an entire town, traversing through TWO mountains, travelling back in time, and getting lost in a secret base, my plates been pretty full lately." Julius explained, his childhood friend eyeing him up as if he had grown a second head. However, she could tell that he wasn't lying so she chose to let it slide.

"It's fine, just don't leave us hanging next time. Heh, get it? Hanging? Because we used to—" Sariah began, with the young teen quickly looking side-to-side.

"You may want to hush up on that whole "hanging" business; I doubt the people here would be…welcoming to Goldenleaf citizens like us." He suggested

"I hear you; I had some lady screaming at me over how my town was a dump compared to this place. Can't totally blame her, given how we acted back then; guess I now know what's its like to be on the receiving end." The teenage girl chuckled lightly. "Then again, it's not like this place is perfect. At the very least, we don't charge to change the damn weather."

"Wait, what?" Julius exclaimed, a dumbfounded look on his face as Sariah gestured him to follow her, the duo stopping at a billboard that listed off several weather conditions, ranging from a light shower to a full-on blizzard.

"According to this thing, you insert a few coins and select what weather type you wish to experience; after all, this is a botanical garden that we're in at the moment. Supposedly, it affects what Pokémon come out to brave the elements, but I don't think it's worth the fee in my opinion." She explained to him, the young teen gazing at the billboard calmly.

"I can't say I see the appeal of paying to have a blizzard rain down on you, but I'm not from here so what do I know?" He chimed in calmly.

"Exactly! I knew you were still the smart cookie I remember from school!" Sariah chimed in, bringing out her camera. "Anyway, I gotta get some footage for the folks back home. It was nice seeing you again, Julius!"

"Same here, hopefully we can catch up again once this who Team Xen business gets wrapped up." Julius replied, the duo going their separate ways. Remembering that he had to go north to find the Central Building, he opted to make his way to the north, paying no attention to the bustling crowds walking beside him on both sides. As he was walking on a bridge above a small river, a gruff voice called for him to stop, with Julius turning around and saw a man more than twice his age walking up to him. He had wispy, greyish-black hair that drooped over the left side of his face and wore an outfit one would expect a doctor of a scientist would wear, complete with a few stains of unverifiable origin. The older man had a stern, if not creepy look in his eyes as he gazed at the teenage man before him, his figure easily towering over Julius.

"What is your business in Grand Dream City?" The man demanded in a harsh tone, stepping closer to the teenager. "Furthermore, what is your name?"

"J-J-Julius, s-sir…" He stammered, frightened out of his wits. There was something clearly off about this man, and he wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

"Julius…that feeling you gave off, when was the last time you've been checked by a doctor?" The man pressed further, reaching into his coat pocket and presented a business card to him. "I am Doctor Isha, Head Doctor of The Hospital of Hope. I would like to see you in my office one day. But until that time, don't you DARE do anything stupid, or else the consequences will be dire."

"Y-Y-Yes, Doctor…" Julius replied, with Isha making his way to the south.

"Oh and one more thing, do not expect to get into Axis High University. There are a few power issues in that area, hence why it's been blocked off. We shall meet again, and I'll be looking forward to it…" He added, chuckling to himself as he continued his walk to who knows where. The young teen was standing ridged on the spot, on the verge of bursting into tears over that encounter; just who on earth was that man and why was he so frightening that the mere thought of him would make him cry in fear? It took a while for Julius to regain his composure and continue the walk towards his destination.

 **0000**

Eventually, the young teen had made his way to what he assumed was the Central Building, a massive skyscraper that towered over all the other buildings in the enormous city. Making his way towards it, he was mildly surprised to see that his friends weren't waiting for him; perhaps they've yet to finish exploring this city on their own terms? He figured that it wouldn't hurt to check out the interior of the large building and stepped inside, where he saw Rhodea and Huey exchanging what sounded like a heated discussion with the receptionist.

"So there's still no information regarding Rune?" Rhodea inquired hastily, the receptionist nodding her head grimly as Huey's face became deathly pale over the news. "Th-There's got to be something, a lead or a clue or anything!"

"I'm sorry Rhodea, but it is as I reported; we've got nothing about Rune's disappearance or where she could be." The receptionist repeated what she said earlier.

"W-Well I'm sure something will pop up on the news soon, I hope…" Huey chimed in sadly, the duo leaving the desk before bumping into Julius. "S-Sorry about that, I didn't expect you to come here so quickly."

"No need to apologize, if anything I should apologize for unintentionally eavesdropping on your conversation." He replied.

"It's ok, nothing you need to worry about at the moment. I'll elaborate it for you once the two of us have…settled down a bit. In the meantime, why don't we wait for the others outside?" Rhodea offered, the young teen accepting the offer as the trio made their way outside the towering building. Upon stepping outside, they were surprised to see that Melia, Venam and Kanon had just arrived at the front of the building.

"Didn't expect to see you here this early, what did you get up to while exploring?" Melia inquired, her gaze focused on Julius as the young teen instantly recalled his encounter with that creepy doctor and shivered to himself.

"I-I'd rather not talk about it, at least in a public place…" He replied quietly, looking down at his feet as his response confused his friends. What on earth had happened that rendered him…too terrified to speak about it?

"I see…on another note, the three of us had a wonderful time exploring this city, buying ourselves a few trinkets as souvenirs." The blonde answered, opting to ask Julius about his experience in private.

"Yeah, it's an amazing place, but pretty overwhelming. I may be a city girl at heart, but even I can admit that I got lost a couple times." Venam added, with Huey chuckling lightly.

"Hehe, don't sweat about it. You'll get used to it." He told her in a chipper tone of voice, a complete 180 from his pained tone back inside the Central Building.

"Now I'm sure you're all looking for a nice place to stay, so let's—" Rhodea began, the sound of a lavish car grinding to a halt cut her off as it stopped before the Central Building, a crowd of onlookers turning around and started squeeing with joy as a well-dressed chauffeur opened the side door, a mysterious figure stepping out of the luxury car.

"Is it her, is that really her?!"

"It is, it really is Risa Raider!"

"I-I'm her biggest fan!"

The crowd started chanting her name as the previously mentioned Risa Raider stepped out of the car, with her chauffeur closing the door behind her. With her long, flowing orange hair, her bright blue eyes and her tall yet slender figure, she was a most beautiful sight to behold. Her stunning outfit consisted of a red and white striped shirt, a pair of denim short-shorts and a large, thick magenta jacket. She also had a pair of headphones and a set of tinted glasses resting on her head.

"A big thank you to all of you for awaiting my arrival. It is an absolute honor to have all you wonderful people as my adoring fans!" Risa beamed at the crowd, her bright and cheery attitude on display as she blew the crowd a kiss, sending them into a euphoric frenzy as she made her way to the Central Building, stopping momentarily to greet Rhodea. "Rhodea, it's good to see you again!"

"Well I'm glad you haven't forgotten me, Risa." The older woman replied, the duo shaking each other's hands firmly.

"You know that I love you like a sister, I would never forget you even if my life depended on it. It's just that it's been so busy at Axis High University, coupled with my job as an actor and model and you've got quite a plate on your hands." Risa chimed in, blowing a kiss to Rhodea as she turned to face the group of four newcomers. "Oh my, I was so distracted that I forgot all about you."

"Risa, there are my friends; Melia, Venam, Kanon and—" Rhodea began her introductions, only for Risa to walk up to Julius.

"Oh, I know all too well about Julius, the fabled Xen Destroyer! You're a celebrity at Axis High University." She chimed in, leaning closer to him. "I gotta say…you're just as handsome as I expected you to be…"

"Uh, t-thank you—" Julius began, with Risa kissing him lightly on the cheek as the young teen began blushing like crazy, his friends giggling over his plight.

"Little known secret about Risa, but she actively fights against Team Xen. She's the main reason why they're absent around these parts of Aevium." Rhodea explained to the group.

"Exactly! I think those losers have overstayed their welcome in this great region. I say it's about time we drive them out of here for good, don't you think?" Risa asked them.

"Hell yeah, those freaks have caused Melia too much trouble; it's about time they pay for their crimes!" Both Venam and Kanon chimed in, shooting each other a quick glance of surprise over their exact wording.

"We've already dealt them several blows, so I'm up for finishing them off for good!" Melia added.

"As you can see, my friends are more than happy to join your cause, should you accept us." Julius stated, recovering from his embarrassment before.

"Yeah! It'll be an honor to work alongside the legendary Xen Destroyer. Oh man, just thinking about a world without Team Xen is getting me all fired up! In fact, I'm going to sign up for the tournament right now!" Risa cheered, making her way inside the building with a skip in her step.

"Tournament?" Melia inquired, turning to face Rhodea.

"Oh silly me, I forgot to tell you about it. Every year, we have the Festival of Dreams to celebrate the city's founding. The main draw of the festival is the tournament where trainers compete against each other. Now why is this tournament important? Because the grand prize is a complete set of Aevium Gym Badges, all 18 of them." She explained, causing the newcomers to step back in shock.

"A-All 18 badges?!" Venam exclaimed, taken aback by what she just heard. "T-That's a free trip to the Pokémon League!"

"This sounds a little too good to be true…" Julius chimed in, a little put off by the idea. One of the appeals of the Aevium League was the strategizing that a trainer undergoes to deal with each gym leader they battle, making victory all the sweeter. To receive a prize that renders most of the league relatively pointless defeats the purpose of taking on such a challenging endeavor.

"Believe me, it's 100% true." Huey chimed in, as Melia made her decision.

"Then it's decided, I'm going to join this tournament!" The blonde declared boldly.

"A most marvelous decision, my lady. Personally, I find more joy in fighting the Gym Leaders, so I'll pass on this tournament. Rest assured, I'll do everything in my power to support you and ensure your victory." Julius offered his support.

"Hey, I wish to offer my support as well. You can do this Melia!" Venam joined in.

"Yeah, I know you can emerge victorious!" Kanon added.

"Thank you three so, so much." Melia smiled at her closest allies, a determined look in her eyes. "Alright then, time for me to—" she began, only for Risa to exit the building.

"Ah, were you hoping to join the tournament as well?" She inquired.

"Yep, I've decided to join the tournament to win those badges, with my friends supporting me from the sidelines!" The blonde beamed eagerly, only for Risa to quieten all of a sudden. "Is everything ok?"

"I hate to break it to you, but all the positions have been booked out. I was barely able to scrap up the last one for myself…" She admitted sheepishly.

"O-Oh…I see." Melia replied, her spirit taking a beating as her friends took the time to console her.

"I wish I would've been able to save a spot for you, but that's against the rules. Fear not, for there's always next year; perhaps we may even get to battle each other. now, if you'll excuse me, it's finals week and I really need to study for the exams. Catch you later and stay smiling!" Risa called out, flashing a wink at the group as she made her way back to her car and hopped inside, her chauffeur driving off as the group watched her leave.

"Well that was disappointing…" Venam commented.

"Tell me about it." Melia chimed in.

"It'll do us no good to sit here and wallow in our misery. Let us make our way to the Residential District, hopefully what I have in store for you can cheer you up." Rhodea chimed in.

"Thanks…" Was all the blonde girl said, the group of six making the short trip to the Residential District.

 **Residential District**

Having arrived at the Residential District, the group were quickly escorted by Rhodea to the Dream Complex, the largest set of apartments in the entire city. Entering the elevator, the older woman pressed the button to the penthouse suites, the machine slowly rising to the top as the group waited with bated breath. Upon arriving at their destination, they were taken aback by two major factors; the sheer vastness and scale of the room before them, which branched off into four separate bedrooms, and the balcony which provided a phenomenal view of the entire city.

"Wow…t-this is a lot better than I expected." Melia chimed in; her spirit picked up from its previous funk over missing out on the tournament.

"This is where you'll be staying for the duration of your time here; I would've gotten you guys your own floor, but all the other rooms were occupied." Rhodea informed them.

"Don't sweat it, we're more than satisfied with this penthouse." The blonde replied, taking a seat by one of the tables and began thinking to herself.

"As for living arrangements; Julius get's the top-left room to himself, Kanon and Huey will share the bottom-left room, Lavender and I have the top-right room, which leaves Melia and Venam with the bottom-right room." The older woman explained the living arrangements, a cheeky grin forming on Julius' face.

"Is that so…in that case, I wonder what sort of "activities" those two will get up to?" He smirked casually, shooting a glance at Melia as she began chuckling over his wisecrack.

"Keep it in your pants Jules, it won't be anything like that, right Venam?" The blonde giggled, expecting a response from her roommate.

"Y-Yeah…nothing like that." Venam sighed to herself, slowly making her way to the fridge and began searching for something light to snack on, as Melia became puzzled over her friend's sudden change in attitude.

"Jokes aside, I'd like it if you kept that room as clean as possible, Julius. It used to belong to Rune, and I don't want anything to get lost or damaged." Rhodea told him, the young teen nodding in confirmation.

"Agreed; I will not take advantage of your generosity." He vowed, the older woman smiling at him in response.

"In that case, lay back for a little while; I'll inform you all of the situation once you've grown accustomed to your new living arrangements." She said calmly, opting to take a seat on the couch as the young teen pondered on where to begin. Recalling that Venam sounded a little…dejected, he made his way to her in an effort to cheer her up, taking a seat beside her as she was inspecting a TV dinner she had just pulled out from the fridge.

"Yunno, for a self-proclaimed paradise, I expected something a little more…fancy than a TV dinner." She commented, holding the packaged meal in her hands.

"I assume that it's there because Rhodea and her friends enjoy them." Julius replied, resting his hands on the table. "Venam, is everything okay? You seem a little upset over something, and I would like to help you."

"I…I would like some time to myself if that's alright with you. I need to think about a few things to myself." The brown-haired girl requested, lowering her gaze to the table as the young teen obeyed her request and left the table, making his way to check up on Melia.

"So, did she tell you what was bothering her?" The blonde inquired.

"No, she didn't. All she wants is a bit of time to herself; perhaps she's sad that you weren't able to participate in the tournament." He proposed.

"Yeah, that is a possibility I suppose. But it doesn't sit right with me that she's sad because of my missed opportunity." Melia continued, turning to face Julius. "What was it you saw earlier that terrified you? Because it has to be serious if it rendered you unable to speak about it."

"Alright Melia, I'll tell you." The young teen began, steeling his nerves as he recalled the frightening memory. "On the way to the Central Building, I was accosted by this tall man in a doctor's uniform and let me tell you the look in his eye was terrifying. He started asking questions, demanding what my business in this city was, and who I am; I swear, he was one movement away from pushing me off that bridge and drowning me. Once he was satisfied with my answers he left, but not before threatening me should I do anything "stupid" as he put it. I'm not ashamed to admit this; I was on the verge of tearing up from fear."

"Don't worry…I'll keep you safe from that man, Jules." The blonde cooed at him, taking his hand into hers and gave it a subtle but firm squeeze. "Anyway, we should see what Rhodea wants to say to us."

"Agreed, since there's a question I've been wanting to ask for a bit now." Julius chimed in, the duo making their way to the couch where Rhodea and Huey were sitting, with Venam and Kanon joining them shortly afterwards.

"I take it you all like the look of this penthouse?" The older woman smiled at the newcomers.

"Yes Rhodea! Thank you very much for letting us stay here!" Kanon chimed in eagerly.

"I'm glad to see that you like it, Kanon. But I assume you and your friends want me to clear a few things up. In that case, I'll put it bluntly; Grand Dream City is in danger." Rhodea began, their air becoming deathly silent as the newcomers had a hunch on what she was referring to. "And it's up to us to get to the bottom of this and apprehend the culprit."

"I see; sorry to interrupt, but there's one thing I would like an answer on. Who exactly is this Rune you two mentioned earlier?" Julius chimed in, with Rhodea and Huey shooting him a look as if they had expected that question from him.

"I can't say I blame you for asking that, mate. To put it simply, Rune is my sister. She…she's been missing for quite some time now. Here one day and then gone the next; she showed no sign of leaving, no indication that she was scared for her life; she just got up and left." Huey answered, his tone taking on a more somber one.

"Rune was a very kind person; she had no enemies whatsoever. This of course makes her disappearance all the more bizarre. Naturally, we asked many people who knew about her if they had seen her recently, or if they knew what her life was like in the past few weeks; but none of them had an answer. We put up signs, posters, commercials and even podcasts, but not a single tip came in. Besides Huey and I, there was only one person who knew Rune personally; Flora, the Grass type Gym Leader." Rhodea continued, as a mental warning blared in Julius' mind. Could this Rune have fallen victim to Flora and her Bladestar grunts, all because she stumbled across something she shouldn't have, and had to be silenced? He wanted to tell her badly about her treachery, but Erin's advice kept ringing in his head; he had to learn the full story before taking a side.

"So Flora was best friends with Rune? In that case, could she know anything about her whereabouts?" Venam inquired.

"Yeah, they were childhood friends. They used to hang out all the time, however something must've happened between them because Flora refuses to talk about it. I even tried to get the police involved, but she's a master at manipulating other people." The redhead answered her query.

"I didn't take her to be manipulative based on her rough demeanor back then, but I've never had a conversation with her to begin with. She puts on the kind-hearted, soft spoken individual act really well." Melia mused to herself, as a thought popped into her mind. "Hey…do you think that her kidnapper could be the same person who's been petrifying people into stone?"

"Well now that you think about it, both events happened at around the same time…anyway, the first victim of the petrification was a student at Axis High University by the name of Tania. No one knew what to make of it when she was first discovered. The week after that, someone else fell victim to it; the Dark type Gym Leader, Damien. Soon the phenomenon became more and more common, with the Flying type Gym Leader, Talon being the latest casualty." Rhodea elaborated on the phenomenon, catching the newcomers off-guard as they hadn't heard of another Gym Leader falling prey to this culprit.

"I am not sure where to begin…other than inquiring whether they were connected in some way." The blonde inquired.

"Well the only connection was that they had attended Axis High University at some point in their life; however, Damien is the outlier as he wasn't a student at all. Whoever is doing this has thrown us a curve ball." Huey answered, as a different theory formed in Julius' mind.

"Perhaps these attacks are random, and the culprit is banking on us wasting time with connections and all that to cover their tracks. After all, it would explain why they would attack Damien; to cause mayhem in the investigation." He proposed, a thoughtful expression forming on Rhodea's face.

"I suppose that's one way to look at it. However, as that's all we know about this phenomenon, it's best to end our discussion here." She suggested to the group.

"I hear you; this whole thing is super weird. For what reason is any of this happening?" Venam chimed in, her innermost thoughts soon overwhelming her as she began making her way to the penthouse door.

"I don't know, but perhaps it's best if we start searching for—h-hey, where are you going?" Kanon inquired.

"I-I'm sorry, but I need to head out for the moment." She blurted, quickly exiting the apartment as Julius had an idea on what she could be doing; during the night he and Melia confessed to each other, she made a causal mention on how her birthday was coming up within a week or two. He had been saving a portion of his winnings since then as a birthday fund of sorts so he could get her an amazing present. Perhaps that was what had Venam distressed earlier; she had no idea on what to give her.

"I-I'll go check on her, just to see if she's alright." Julius informed the other two, making his way to the door as Huey had caught up to him. "Is something the matter?"

"Hey, I was thinking that since you were going out an all that, I could introduce you to our other roommate, Lavender. She usually hangs out in Amber Park; I could show you the way there." The redhead offered.

"I wouldn't say no to meeting her, but it'll have to be a quick one. I've got other business to deal with." He answered, a big smile forming on Huey's face.

"Alright, that's the spirit! Come, I'll take you there now." He began, snatching Julius by the wrist as he dragged the young teen with him.

 **0000**

Upon arriving at the previously mentioned park, the duo split up in order to cover more ground, given how big it was. There were plenty of flower patches, dozens of trees and even a small waterfall that filled a small pond in the center-left of the park. Figuring it was the best place to start, Julius made his way to the small pond, where he just so happened to get a good stroke of luck for once. Gazing calmly into the pond was a very pretty teenager girl of around his age, if not a year younger. She had lavender-colored hair that was tied up into a ponytail and matching color eyes. Her outfit was a simple, yet graceful short-sleeve lavender dress that reached her shins, and a pair of white loafers.

"It's funny how this city works." She began, having heard the young teen approach her as she continued to stare at the waterfall. "People are so blinded by its brightness that they don't see the grime that builds up underneath. As for those who notice it? They get swept beneath it. This is where I found him, laying soullessly on the ground, encased in stone. No matter who's behind this, I shall be the one to find the truth."

"Lavender, I presume?" Julius inquired.

"Yes, that is me. But why have you come here? Did Huey ask you—" She began, only to hear the frustrated cries of a familiar voice.

"F-Flareon, let it go right now! That was supposed to be for Lavender!" Huey cried out, the duo running over to his location and saw the redhead staring at his companion in dismay as it began gobbling up a couple of chicken sandwiches. "S-Sorry Lavender, I would've given you lunch like I promised, but SOMEBODY thought it was for himself." He shot a glance at his Pokémon, who finished off the sandwiches before chirping an apology at the young girl.

"Heehee, it's alright. Here, have some biscuits." Lavender giggled, crouching down and offered the Pokémon some biscuits, who eagerly took them from her hand before trotting back to its trainer.

"S-So, what are you doing here?" The redhead inquired nervously.

"Well I thought about doing an investigation on my own, and collected my thoughts to myself, when this lovely friend of yours opted to keep me company for a little while." She answered, gesturing at Julius.

"The name's Julius, in case you were wondering." He introduced himself to her. "I hope you don't mind, but me and my friends are staying over in your penthouse for a while."

"It's not a problem at all. As Huey may have mentioned, I'm Lavender, the Psychic type Gym Leader. Now that we've introduced ourselves, I think it's best if we part ways for now; I've got some business I want to take care of before I head back home." Lavender stated, getting ready to leave the park, only for Flareon to begin chirping loudly.

"Flareon can tell that you're lying, Lavender. What is it you really plan on doing?" Huey asked her, eyeing her up suspiciously as the lavender-haired girl sighed to herself.

"Guess there's no hiding it from you; I plan on heading over to Talon's Penthouse." She admitted to the duo.

"The Flying type Gym Leader? Why would you want to visit his place?" Julius asked her.

"I wish to see if there was anything of note there; something that could provide a hint to the recent phenomenon. I owe it to him after all; it's…it's my fault that he got petrified." Lavender answered, a sad sigh escaping her soft lips.

"How is it your fault, you're not the one petrifying people left and right!" Huey immediately jumped to her defense, the young girl raising her hand.

"When we get there, I'll explain everything to you. Fair deal?" She offered.

"W-Wait, you want me to come along with you?" He double-checked, his friend nodding her head in confirmation as they stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment. Julius had a hunch that they liked each other, in a romantic way so to speak, but chose to keep quiet about it. "Y-Yeah, I'll join you. You'll come with us, right Julius?" The redhead asked the young teen, who began to mull it inside his head.

On one hand, he really needed to check up on Venam as she seemed pretty down in the dumps, and to get a gift for Melia of course. But on the other hand, it would be foolish of him to turn down an opportunity to uncover more information regarding the petrification phenomenon. Who knows, he could even find out what happened to Saki and the others. "Alright then, I'll be happy to join you on your investigation, provided it's a quick one."

"Now that's the spirit! Come on, lets head there together. Don't worry, it's not too far from our penthouse; in fact, it's to the right of it." Lavender told him, the trio soon beginning their private investigation.

 **The Dream Complex**

"Well here we are; Talon's Penthouse! He owns the place alongside Risa Raider and a couple others." Lavender chimed in, the trio standing by the elevator on the right. "Don't worry, no one else will be here during our investigation, but in the event that someone could pay us an unwanted visit, I'll heighten my psychic aura so that I can get a heads up on any intruder."

"Ah, so Talon and Risa are roommates? I wonder if they get up to any…midnight activities." Julius smirked casually, with Huey managing to stifle a chuckle.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" He chimed back, turning to face the lavender-haired girl. "So, will we be alright?"

"Yes, we will, unless something unexpected happens. But enough stalling, we've got a job to do!" She rallied the two men, the elevator door opening as the trio stepped inside. After a relatively smooth ride up, the elevator ground to a halt and opened, the trio stepping into the suite, only to find that it was nearly pitch black. Granted, it made sense that the lights were off since nobody was around, but it was as if the power had been cut off somewhere down the line. Apart from that detail, it was nearly identical to the penthouse they were staying in.

"Man…it's really dark in here." Huey commented, the young boy barely managing to see three feet ahead of him.

"Well nobody is here, so it makes sense for the power to be off. But if the dark is that much of a hassle, I could loan you two a torch." Julius offered, making his way to his bag only for Lavender to raise a hand in the air.

"The two of us will be fine, thank you very much. Anyway, let's split up and find whatever clues we can." She ordered, the trio splitting off into different directions and began searching the place. Almost immediately, a thought popped into Julius' mind; why not start out in Talon's room? After all, that's the most likely place to find a clue about his disappearance. Making his way to his room, which funnily enough was the top-left room, the young teen stepped inside and turned to his left, where a letter in a red envelope was out in the open. Briefly looking to his sides, Julius approached the envelope and picked it up, quietly reading the letter to himself.

' _Dear Talon, thank you for coming to our show last week! We are pleased to inform you that you won a free date with me, Nancy! Please meet me in Amber Park at exactly midnight! Remember to be alone as this is a date solely between you and I! don't be late!'_

A gut-wrenching feeling welled up within him, the young teen wiping a small tear away as thoughts of his mother came back to him. The fact that he couldn't do anything but watch as she passed on from this world would forever haunt him. However, this couldn't be the Nancy he was familiar with; perhaps there was another performer with the same name and this was all a twisted coincidence. At the very least, it was a potential lead on who the culprit could be.

"Lavender, I found something important!" He called out quietly, waiting for a minute or so as the young woman quickly entered the room he was in. "Ah good, you heard me. I found a letter on the table. Perhaps you should check it out."

"Truth be told, I should've started out in Talon's room, but I thought it would've been too obvious." She replied, picking up the letter and began reading it to herself. "Well it doesn't get any more blatant that this; it has to be a trap, since Nancy was reported miss—"

"She's dead…" Julius answered quickly, attracting Lavender's attention.

"H-How do you—" She began.

"Nancy…Nancy was my mother. She was imprisoned in a Team Xen base alongside me but was killed before she could escape. I-I'm sorry, but I'm not comfortable talking about it anymore." The young teen replied, a sympathetic look forming on the girl's face.

"I'm so sorry to hear that…" Lavender offered her condolences, with Julius giving her a quick nod of appreciation. "That aside, I'd like for you to check on Huey. Perhaps he found something while we weren't looking."

"Sure, I'll go do that." Julius agreed, exiting the room and made his way to the main dining room, where a noise coming from the bottom-right room attracted his attention. Making his way there, he saw Huey thoroughly investigating the couch besides the flat screen television.

"Hmmm…nothing in this room. As a matter of fact, there doesn't seem to be anything at all in this place." He muttered to himself, getting up off the floor and turned to face the young teen. "Did you find anything, Julius?"

"Well I did find a letter in Talon's room, but Lavender's busy investigating it. Apart from that, there's nothing whatsoever. Kinda strange when you recall that it's owned by at least half a dozen collage students. It's almost as if…as if somebody was here earlier to clean up whatever evidence was here—" Julius began, only for Lavender and her Alakazam to teleport into the room, catching the two men off-guard. "Gah! Don't scare us like that!"

"I'm sorry about that, but I couldn't walk over here; we're not alone in this place…" She replied quietly, with Huey starting to panic.

"W-We're not alone?! Y-You said this would go well!" He stammered, pointing a finger at her.

"I did say that it would go well, PROVIDED that nothing unexpected happens. Look, I don't know how it happened, but they managed to sneak up on me and my Pokémon." Lavender retorted.

"Hey, hey, there's no need to start arguing. The best thing to do is work together and take out the intruders using the element of surprise. But the three of us will need to co-operate if we are to get out of this alive." The young teen began, putting a halt to any argument that could've taken place as Huey managed to calm down.

"Good point, I wouldn't want to panic and leave Lavender to fend for herself; I'll stay behind for her sake." He pledged.

"Aw, Huey, you'd really stay behind for me?" She cooed in respect, a faint blush forming on her face.

"Y-Yeah, of course I would." Huey replied, a faint blush forming on his face as well. Julius opted to have the budding lovebirds have their moment to themselves and opened the bedroom door slightly to eavesdrop on the intruders, his eyes widening as he saw a pair of Bladestar grunts wandering around the area.

"Huh, so this is that brat's place?" The female grunt commented to herself.

"Yeah, that's what the boss told us." The male grunt answered, turning to face his partner. "She told us that this place was empty, right?"

"Yes, everyone who usually resides here are at Axis High University for their exams. Therefore, we can search the place for clues without worrying about interlopers. Once we're done, we going to head base to base to report our findings." The female grunt informed her partner, the duo heading off in separate directions to begin their own investigation.

"Seems like we're not the only ones looking for clues." Julius informed the other two, closing the door behind him. "But they're not our friends, they're Bladestar grunts."

"B-Bladestar?! What are they doing here?" Huey exclaimed in surprise.

"Probably trying to find clues about Talon's petrification; or disposing of any unwanted evidence." Lavender assumed, with Julius opening the door once more and saw the two grunts exiting Talon's room, the male grunt holding something in his hands.

"Hey, looks like we found something. Let's bring it back to the boss and see what she says about it." He chimed in, the duo turning their back to analyze it as the young teen realized what he had to do.

"Stay here, I'm about to do something a little…unorthodox." He told the duo, who looked at him in surprise as he exited the room and closed the door behind him. Both Huey and Lavender were unsure what was about to happen, only for a pair of surprised cries followed by groans of pain and a couple of thuds. The duo quickly exited the room, fearing the worst, only to see Julius standing above the two grunts, both of them groaning in pain as they clutched their stomachs.

"W-What just…" Lavender began to speak.

"My apologies, I don't like using my fists to solve a problem, but we didn't have much choice." He replied, holding something in his hands.

"Understandable, Bladestar must've found something important; it was the right choice to deny them that clue." She chimed in.

"Well their clue turned out to be a brochure to some show hosted at Magnolia Theater. Normally a dead end but take a look at this." Julius began, opening it and gestured the duo to look at it.

"For a limited time only, watch Nancy perform on stage alongside her special guest. What could be special about that?" Huey pondered.

"Talon's letter mentioned going on a date with a woman called Nancy; perhaps they could be the one and the same. But that's impossible; Nancy's dead from what Julius told me." Lavender answered his query.

"Yes, but for all we know it could be a different Nancy—" The young teen began, only for a couple of tickets to fall out of the brochure. "Huh, looks like they're handing out tickets for free. Another trap I presume?"

"Doubtful; it's highly unlikely she'll pull something off in a public place. Still, it's best if we prepare for the worst. Don't worry, my Pokémon can get us out of there in case things go terribly wrong." The young woman eased his concerns.

"I can't say I like it, but it's not like we have many options available. But what about these Bladestar grunts?" Huey chimed in.

"I'll let the receptionist know that I heard noises coming from the right penthouse. With any luck, the police will come and arrest these two." Lavender informed him, gesturing the two men to follow her out of the penthouse before any more unwanted surprises come their way.

 **Magnolia** **Theater**

Following their investigation of the penthouse, the trio made their way to the bustling theater, a sizable line formed in the inside foyer. Clutching onto their tickets, the trio quickly awaited their turn to be served as the line moved slowly but surely. Finally, after fifteen minutes they arrived at the receptionist, who smiled and took their tickets as she chimed her usual "enjoy the show!" to them. Making their way to an empty table at the front, the trio took their seats and wondered what sort of show it would be in the first place.

" _Attention esteemed guests, the show is about to begin. Please keep your Pokémon confined in their Pokéballs and keep all electronic devices switched off! Now then, let us all give a warm welcome to the one and only Nancy!"_ The announcer spoke through the intercom, the crowd giving a wild applause as the red curtains opened slightly.

"Hello, everybody! Welcome, welcome, welcome!" A feminine voice spoke from behind the curtain, a young woman stepping onto the stage as Julius froze in a state of complete surprise. Standing before him on this very stage, was his very own mother, seemingly back from the dead. This has to be a joke; a sick, twisted joke that Team Xen is pulling on him. Both Lavender and Huey saw their friend's flustered state, wondering what could've caused him to freeze up on the spot; that is until Lavender pieced it all together and whispered her answer to Huey, the redhead's eyes widening in surprise.

"N-No way…" He whispered, redirecting his attention to the show so as to not miss any more clues.

"Teehee, what a beautiful crowd we have here today! It is an honor to host this lovely show once again for you all! In fact, I think something out of the ordinary is definitely in order. Hence why I think you all deserve a special something! I brought a very special guest with me today. I want you all to be nice as he's rather shy. Please come out and say hello to our audience, my darling son Julius!" Nancy continued, as a second person stepped onto the stage causing the trio's eyes to widen in surprise. Standing beside Nancy was an exact copy of Julius; a masterfully crafted doppelganger who stood quietly beside its mother. His fists clenched tightly, the real Julius had enough of this nonsense and demanded an explanation.

"Shenanigans, Shenanigans! You two are complete fakes! Scam artists! Thieves and deceivers!" He roared, standing up in anger as the crowd turned to him, a few gasps echoing out of their mouths as they saw that both Julius' looked exactly the same. "That person on stage is not me, and the woman is not my mother! I should know, I saw her die right before my very eyes!"

"O-Oh no…" 'Julius' began, turning frantically to 'Nancy'. "What do we do, Cos—"

"Shut up, just shut up! T-T-T-T-They're not supposed to be here!" 'Nancy' began, looking frantically left and right as she desperately searched for an answer. "L-L-Let's get out of here! S-Sorry everyone, but the show's cancelled; a-ask the ticket lady for a r-refund, ok?!"

In an instant, the duo quickly dove backstage behind the curtains, the crowd staring at the empty stage oddly before turning to face the young teen. Most of them exchanged somewhat sympathetic glances at him, however one man was a lot different; in fact, he glared viciously at him.

"You! What have you done?!" He demanded, getting up off his table and stormed up to the trio. He was a young male with short, dirty blonde hair and blue eyes, his outfit consisting of an expensive corduroy suit."The show ended because of your shenanigans!"

"Well she did say that you can get a refund at the front counter, so I don't see what your problem is." Julius retorted.

"Yeah,leave him alone you—" Huey began.

"Be quiet! You will not speak unless you're spoken to!" The man rudely retorted, pushing the redhead aside as he glared once more at Julius. "You look a lot like Nancy's child Julius, yet he was on stage with her. Why are there two of you?"

"Simple; those two were con artists disguised as me and my mom. But who are you to demand such things when you talked to Huey in such a rude manner?" The young teen retorted, as his elder chuckled darkly in response.

"Who am I? I am Thomas. Thomas Blakeory." He introduced himself. "You WILL remember that name."

"Pfft, how could I forget it; you're the next heir to the Blakeory Corporation." Lavender chimed in.

"No, I'm not. That title goes to my step-sister, Saki Blakeory, not that she deserves it mind you…" He answered bitterly, jealously drenched in his voice.

"Good, she would be a much better CEO than you'll ever be." Julius retorted, the older man glaring at him as the duo beside him chuckled under their breaths.

"Y-You—who on earth do you think you are to spout such garbage?!" Thomas demanded, only for Julius to take out a trainer card that listed off all his achievements.

"Current Champion of Tandor, and Ayrith. Was awarded the prestigious title of Head Ranger for saving the world from an impending nuclear apocalypse, and as Risa Raider put it, the fabled Xen Destroyer. I think I outrank you, mate." He replied smugly.

"Yeah, he's a lot classier than you'll ever be!" Lavender chimed in.

"Keep your mouth shut, wench! Know your damn place in this—" The older man began.

"Shut up, asshole! Don't you dare, talk about Lavender that way again!" Huey growled, glaring daggers at his adversary.

"Hah! Big talk coming from some street rat who couldn't afford to walk on the same sidewalk as me. Why don't you do something useful for once in your life and throw yourself off a bridge? Who knows, maybe Rune will come out of hiding once your gone, only to kill herself after knowing that she failed to do anything significant with her worthless—Argh!" Thomas began, only to recoil in pain as Lavender slapped him across the face. "M-My face! my beautiful face! H-How dare you defile it!"

"How dare I? How dare you speak about Rune like that! Be glad that I haven't sent out my Pokémon to finish you off!" She stated boldly, with Huey staring at her in awe as a nasty glare formed on Thomas' face.

"Mark my words, you'll pay for this!" He huffed, storming out of the theater as the lavender-haired girl quickly checked up on her friend.

"A-Are you ok, Huey?" She inquired.

"Y-Yeah, I guess so. But will you be alright? You just slapped Thomas Blakeory, one of the most powerful men in Grand Dream City!" He exclaimed.

"Powerful? Pffft, give me a break; he's just some rich kid who's ride off his family's coattails. He's not even heir of the company, that's how little that pond scum matters to them. And to tell you the truth, his ass is nowhere near as cute as Saki's." Julius chimed in, shooting a glance at the retreating figure as the duo chuckled at his comment.

"Whatever you say, Julius. But for now, let's head on over to Mika's Café; that's where the others should be." Lavender chimed in, the trio quickly making their way out of the theatre.

 **0000**

"Damn…that was way too close. But that's where the fun comes in, right?" 'Nancy' eased her companion, who was busy clutching his head in a state of frantic mania.

"No…That was not fun…Cosmia, I don't want to do this anymore." 'Julius' requested, with 'Nancy' sighing to herself.

"How many times to I have to tell you, don't call me Cosmia when I'm in a disguise? But fine, if you insist, I can show you my true colors." She replied, before taking off her costume, revealing a completely different person underneath it. Cosmia was a rather pretty young lady with shoulder-length hair that was black on the left and pink on the right, heterochromatic eyes that matched her hair and a fairly curvaceous figure. Her outfit consisted of a black leather jacket, a white undershirt and a pair of black jeans. "Why don't you show me yours as well, Comet? Oh wait I forgot, you're stuck like this so shut your mouth!"

"I…I…" The now named Comet tried to form an answer but was unable to reply.

"God, you're so annoying; the most ANNOYING brother of all time! Not to mention completely brainless. Ah well, our time here is up. We can't keep pretending to be dead bitch and her edgy son anymore, otherwise our asses will get caught and that won't be cool at all." Cosmia ranted to herself, throwing the costume to the side.

"What am I going to do…" Comet sighed to himself, his older sister turning to glare at him.

"Just change, damn it!" She snapped at him,

"B-But you just said I couldn't; you know it's not that easy, Cosmia…" He replied quietly.

"YOUBTH KNOWBTH ITHB NOTBTH THATBTH EASYBTH COSMIABTHHHHH!" Cosmia replied in the most whiny, obnoxious tone she could to mock her brother. "I don't give a shit if it's easy or hard; choose another damn look or I'll kick your ass, got it?!"

"G-Got it sis…" Comet replied meekly, not wanting to piss her off any further.

"Good. Once you've done that, we can proceed to step 2 of our plan, remember? Just endure my annoying attitude for a little longer, and we're out of the danger zone, kid. Heck, if you're tempted to, you could even leave me forever, but we all know how dependent you are on me. All that said, let's leave. No need to stick around here any longer." She told him, the duo quickly making their way out the theater via the backstage area.

 **Another chapter wrapped up nicely. I know a few readers may be disappointed that the Venam rematch wasn't in this chapter but fear not for it will most definitely be in the next one. On top of it being another exciting battle, it'll also add some significant development to the main relationship of this story. Thank you all for reading, I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	42. Chapter 42

**Welcome one and all to another chapter of Rise from the Ashes. When we last left off, we got a beginners' look at the fabled paradise that is Grand Dream City. But now that they've had their fill of pleasure, it's time for the heroes to get back to work.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Mika's Café**

Mika's Café, one of the most popular eateries in the city was nestled to the left of the Central District. It was by no means a large place in terms of size, but its quaintness added to its charm. Rhodea was tapping her foot impatiently, checking her wristwatch occasionally as she soon saw the trio enter the café as a small frown formed on her face.

"About time, what took you three so long?!" She demanded an answer, the trio looking at her nervously.

"S-Sorry, Rhodea…it was my fault; I needed the boys help with some busi—" Lavender began.

"No, it was our fault as well. I—we agreed to help her with something of utmost importance." Huey pitched in for her as Rhodea's face softened.

"Relax, it wasn't that big of a deal to be honest. However, Cassandra called me and requested that I fill out more paperwork the festival. Which means that I'll have to leave you all on your own for a while. Just keep out of trouble, okay?" She flashed a wink at the trio.

"Loud and clear, ma'am." Julius replied, the older woman making her way outside the café as the trio saw Melia, Erin and Kanon sitting down at a table and opted to join them, with the young teen noticing that Venam was sitting by a much smaller table next to the group, a somewhat uncomfortable look on her face. Perhaps she hadn't finished her business yet but came along to join the group for a bit.

"Hey there, how's it going you two?" Melia smiled at the group, her gaze shifting focus to Lavender. "Ah, have we met somewhere before?"

"No, we haven't before. I'm Lavender, the Psychic type Gym leader." She introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."

"Heh, a Psychic type trainer? As an expert in Poison types, that makes you my arch-nemesis." Venam chimed in. "Anyway, I'm Venam; the white-haired girl is Erin, white-haired boy is Kanon, and the lovely blonde lady is Melia."

"Nice to meet you, Lavender!" Kanon called out eagerly.

"Charmed." Erin replied quickly.

"So what were you talking about while we were out?" Julius inquired.

"Nothing much to be honest. However, Erin was just about to tell us more details about Aelita—" Melia began.

"I wouldn't get your hopes up; she's not back at home before you ask. I like her, but she can really piss me off at times…" The white-haired girl interjected, sighing in frustration to herself. "Because of her, I'm not allowed back into the house until I find her. Why couldn't she stay put for just a few seconds? I've checked the entirety of Routes 7, 8 and 9 but I couldn't find a single trace of her."

"F-Forgive me, but who is Aelita?" Lavender inquired.

"Aelita…she's a close friend of ours, myself included. During a trek into Mount Carotos, she was cursed by Garufan magic during the retrieval of the Magma Stone, something which we needed desperately to save another friend of ours. Last we saw of her, she was taken by someone known as Crescent to get healed, at what I presume was Erin's place of residence." Julius informed her.

"I don't know about you, but I'd use the term "friend" quite loosely." Erin snarked.

"I see…so when'd you two get separated?" Huey asked the white-haired girl.

"We were on our way to Route 7 when we got separated, somehow. Don't ask me how it happened because I have no clue myself. Since then I've been spending my entire time looking for her." She explained to them.

"I guess that makes two of us then…Huey and I are also searching for someone we lost; his sister Rune." Lavender replied, shooting a sympathetic glance at her. "However, there's something the three of us need to share with you."

"Is this discovery the reason you three were late?" Melia inquired, the trio giving her a nod of confirmation. "In that case, do tell."

"M-May I explain it to the group?" Julius asked the duo before him.

"Go ahead, mate." Huey replied, knowing full well why his friend made that request.

"We were looking for information regarding Talon's fate in his penthouse, when we saw a brochure with tickets to the Magnolia Theater, and a letter stating that he won a date with Nan—my mother. Opting to investigate the place, we used the tickets to get a show, only to see two people masquerading as me and my mother. Their disguises were so genuine that it looked as though they were the real thing; I was genuinely horrified at what I was seeing!" The young teen explained, the group stopping in their tracks as their eyes widened in shock.

"S-Someone looked EXACTLY like Julius?!" Venam exclaimed.

"Oh Julius…it must've been hard for you to see your mother again, especially after what happened back then…" Melia shot him a look of sympathy.

"At the very least it solves one mystery; why that receptionist stated that she already gave me my shot. But why on earth would someone go through the trouble of disguising as me and my mother, knowing full well that it could've been shattered in a heartbeat?" Julius stated, with Erin raising her hand in the air.

"Not to be rude or anything, but what does this show have to do with Talon?" She inquired.

"Our bad; as Julius mentioned, we found a letter stating that Talon won a date with Nancy and was asked to meet her at Amber Park at the stroke of midnight. That was where I found him encased in stone." Lavender stated, a thoughtful expression forming on the white-haired girl's face.

"Uh-huh…so he actually went out to Amber Park at midnight because a letter told him to do so? I hate to break it to you, but that was idiotic of him. It was the most obvious bait in the world, and he fell for it hook, line and sinker." Erin stated bluntly.

"Well—" The young girl began.

"I'm sorry to cut you off, but I overheard something interesting." Another woman called out to them, the group turning to the side and saw a graceful woman with shoulder-length brown hair approach them, her outfit consisting of a black business suit. "Some of you said that you attended a show at the Magnolia Theater? If so, then I would like an interview with those that went there. As you can see, I'm a journalist who's trying to write a column on the Magnolia Theater's reputation."

"A-An interview?" Huey asked incredulously, the older woman nodding in response. "Ok, I guess. But who are you exactly?"

"Yes…for some reason you look…familiar; as if we met somewhere before." Venam chimed in, gazing at her suspiciously.

"Me? I don't recall meeting you all before, but if it helps ease your mind, the name's Valarie." She smiled as it soon dawned onto Julius; her face, her personality, her figure, it all came together. This was his friend whom he met during the escape from Blacksteeple Castle.

"V-Valarie?!" He exclaimed, running up to her and shook her hands. "Oh Valarie, I was worried sick about you when I heard that you disappeared. It's good to see that you're safe and sound!"

"Th-Thank you, I guess…? B-But who are you exactly?" She inquired, the young teen letting go and stepped back a couple feet."

"Y-You don't remember me; I-I'm Julius. You battled me in Terajuma Jungle and gave me the Dewdrop Badge." He continued, taking out his trainer card and showed it to her, but it didn't seem to work.

"Sorry, I'm just a journalist, not a gym leader. You must me mistaking me for someone else." Valarie stated quickly.

"O-Ok…" Julius replied sadly, putting his trainer card away. "S-Sorry for the mix up—"

"It's no mix up you made, it's the real deal, Jules!" Venam told him firmly, turning to face the older woman. "You recognize me and Mels, right?!"

"Calm down Venam, I'm sure this is just an honest mis—" Melia began, pausing momentarily as she took a closer look at Valarie and immediately saw the similarities. "V-Valarie!"

"Y-Yeah, that is my name. A-Are you three all right?" She asked the trio.

"We are alright; how can you not recognize us? Don't you remember Saki? Adam? Braixen? Please, remember us and all the good times we shared!" The blonde pleaded desperately, causing the older woman to back away uncomfortably.

"I-I'm sorry, but you're making me uncomfortable. I've never seen either of you three, nor do I know who you're talking about; well I do know who Saki is but you're implying that we're close friends or something." Valarie retorted.

"Then you must know where Saki is!" Venam exclaimed.

"Hey, I'm the one who's supposed to be asking the questions, not you! I-I'm sorry, but I must go; all of this is giving me the creeps." She exclaimed back, apologizing for her outburst before quickly leaving the café as the trio watched her go.

"Valarie…" Julius muttered sadly to himself, wondering what exactly had happened to her that made her forget them, forget him. All signs pointed at Crescent, but he had no clue where she was or why she erased her memories.

"What the fuck was all that?!" Venam stated bluntly. "That was most definitely Valarie, but she acted as if she didn't know us."

"Clearly she didn't know who any of you three were." Erin chimed in, leaning closer to the trio. "Are you absolutely sure that woman was her?"

"Yes. Granted it took me a bit of time to recognize her, but Venam and Julius were able to recognize her almost instantly once the pieces were in place. That was most definitely Valarie, but she changed her appearance for some reason. It's almost as if…as if she had lost all her memories of us."

"What is going on in this city? All I'm hearing about is disappearances, doppelgangers and amnesiacs, with very little clues pointing towards a source!" Kanon exclaimed.

"I don't know mate, but this takes the cake for the most messed up places I've been to. Something seriously wrong is going on here, and I intend to find out." Julius stated.

"As for me…I've still got my business to finish off, but I can do that tomorrow. I…I need some rest urgently." Venam stated.

"Yeah, sounds like a good idea." Melia agreed.

"I hate to ask others for help, but does anyone mind if I shack up with you? As I said before, I've got no place to stay until I find Aelita." Erin requested.

"No worries Erin, you can have the room I was given. As for me, I'll sleep on the couch so you can have some privacy." Julius offered.

"Y-You sure?" She double-checked, the young teen nodding in confirmation. "T-Thank you…" She smiled at him.

"Well since we're all agreed unanimously, let's head back home for the day. Today was an eventful one, especially for a few of us." The blonde chimed in, the rest of the group making their way back to the penthouse to catch some well-earned rest. However, before she left the café, she tugged on Julius' sleeve, the young teen turning to face her.

"Is everything alright, Melia?" He inquired.

"Y-Yeah. I just wanted to say that if you ever want to talk to me in private, I'm more than happy to lend you an ear. You had a very rough day today, and I'm sure you mind is racing with various unsettling thoughts. Kinda like me to be honest; the last few nights have plagued me with a series of uncomfortable dreams. Hence why I'm not exactly looking forward to sleeping tonight." She consoled him.

"Is it something I can help you with? I'm more than happy to lend you and ear as well." Julius asked his lover, who shot him a smile in gratitude.

"I'm fine thank you very much, the dreams must be caused by built up stress, what with all I've been through these last few days. Still, thank you for worrying about my sake, honey." Melia reassured him, the duo exiting the café and made their way to their penthouse for the night so they can prepare for the next day.

 **0000**

 _Julius had managed to fall asleep rather quickly despite sleeping on the couch, however he soon found himself in a pitch-black void on his own, as if he was caught up in a dream. The darkness didn't feel foreboding, so he knew it wasn't a nightmare, but that only meant that he would have another appointment with his "alternate self". But that illusion was soon shattered by a mysterious voice calling out to him._

" _Familiar scene, familiar faces. Dream a dream so great…that it becomes a nightmare." It spoke to him._

" _W-Who are you?" Julius called out to the void, only to get a response that he did not expect at all._

" _Interceptor, oh Interceptor…what is your name, oh young Interceptor?" The voice requested, catching the young teen off-guard. That was the exact same thing that his alternate self called him back then; but what on earth was an Interceptor?_

" _J-Julius…" He answered uneasily, his eyes darting left and right._

" _What are your dreams, young Interceptor?" The voice asked once more._

" _T-To life a long, peaceful life with my friends, and the ones I love with all my heart." Julius answered once more._

" _Which mind will you inhabit next, Interceptor?" The voice asked yet another question as it slowly grew on his nerves. Not only was this voice ignoring all his answers, but his last question made no goddamn sense; how on earth could he be inhabiting someone's mind?! "Ah…at a loss for words? The night fades slowly. We will meet again…to you young Interceptor, I ask of you to wake up…"_

" _Wake up…"_

" _Wake up…?"_

" _Wake up…!"_

" _Hey, I said, wake up!"_

 **0000**

"GAAAAHHHH!" Julius exclaimed in fear, falling off the couch and face-planted the floor and the blanket slowly fell on him to cover his body. Groaning in a mixture of exhaustion of pain, he got up off the floor and saw Erin quietly gazing at him.

"Quite the heavy sleeper, aren't you?" She quipped, taking a seat on an adjacent couch. "Anyway, Flora called Rhodea a few minutes ago. She wants us both to head on over to the Judicial District so that we can report what we found back then."

"Ah yes, our escape from that Bladestar base." The young teen replied.

"Indeed. Once you're ready, I'll take you to where the meeting's taking place." Erin replied, turning around so that Julius could get himself dressed in private. A couple minutes later, he had finished getting dressed and was about to leave, when he saw Rhodea enter the door with a clipboard in her hand.

"Morning Julius; your friends are out and about with their own private business today. By the way, did you order something yesterday?" She inquired, gesturing at the parcel in her hands.

"No…why'd you ask?" He replied, neatly adjusting the cap on his head.

"Because I just received a notification from SPU that they're delivering three packages later today. I asked the others, but they all denied ordering anything; a mistake I presume? Either way, we'll wait until everyone's back here before we deal with them." Rhodea stated.

"In that case, Erin and I will be out on some business of our own. Catch you later!" Julius shot her a smile, the older woman giving him a quick nod as he and Erin quickly made their way out of the penthouse and began the short trip to the Judicial District. Upon arriving there, they were surprised by the sheer number of police officers patrolling the area. Granted, a city of Grand Dream's size would require a large police force to manage the peace, but this felt a little…excessive. Asides from that, there were several tall skyscrapers in the area, with several offices dedicated to ensuring that the affairs of the entire city ran smoothly. Giving him a quick tug on his sleeve, Erin gestured at a particularly tall building near the center of the district with the duo making their way towards it.

Upon entering the large building, they were soon greeted by the receptionist. "Welcome to the District Building you two. Unless you have an appointment here, this is as far as you can go." She greeted them cheerily.

"Cassandra said she wanted to talk to us about something we witnessed a couple days ago. The name's Erin and Julius if you were wondering." The white-haired girl replied, the older woman quickly going over today's schedule as she found what she was looking for.

"Ah yes, you do indeed have an appointment with Cassandra today. Her office is the far left one on the 100th floor, enjoy your meeting!" She smiled at them, gesturing the duo to hop on the elevator, which they did. After an uneventful ride up, the duo arrived at the designated floor and made their way to the office, where they saw Flora and Florin sit calmly by a coffee table, the latter typing away on his laptop.

"And it looks like our final guests have arrived. Come, take a seat." A third person called out to them, gesturing the duo to take a seat. She was a fairly tall woman with long auburn hair that reached her back and wore a pristine silver business suit. "As you may have heard, I'm Cassandra; the mayor of this great city."

"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Julius and this is Erin." He greeted himself and his friend, who merely waved at her quickly in disinterest.

"Oh, I know who you are, Julius! You're the talk of the town it seems." Cassandra shot a smile at him.

"Yeah, that's cool and all but let's got to the point please." Flora requested.

"You have a point I suppose." The older woman replied, taking on a more professional approach. "Now, you all have something to report from beyond the city walls?"

"Yes; while on our walk to the Dreamyard, Florin and I have come across something…concerning." The green-haired woman started, trailing off on the last word as if she was in the middle of a bluff.

"Concerning you say? Oh my…what did you find?" Cassandra inquired.

"We found corruption; the exact same corruption that's present at the Badlands." Flora continued.

"I see…so there are barren patches located in Darchlight Woods?" The older woman wanted to double-check, causing Erin to shoot an odd glance at her.

"Correct. As you can see, we really need to start some sort of—" Flora began.

"Stop right there." Cassandra interrupted her. "We've gone over this before; we can't simply provide funds for the Badland Restoration Project. You've already restored parts of it yourself, right? And look what that gave you; a forest full of toxic substances and lethality. There's just no fixing that place, and if what you're saying is true…then it wouldn't matter anyway because we're safe inside these walls."

"But what about the people outside the walls, in places such as Gearen, Akuwa and even Terajuma Island?!" The green-haired girl protested fervently, slamming her fist on the table. "Surely you don't intend of leaving them to die…"

"On the contrary, it'll make Grand Dream City look even more beautiful!" The older woman chimed happily, oblivious to what she had just implied. "Besides, there's a perfectly good train citizens can use to get here safely."

"You're willing to—You know what?! I'm fucking done with this shit!" Flora snapped, getting off her chair and tossing it to the side in a fit of rage.

"F-Flora, calm down…" Florin pleaded.

"Talking to this woman is like talking to a fucking brick wall, only in this case the damn wall would actually give a shit. She doesn't give a damn about anyone but herself and her "precious" city. I'm done here. Fuck her and fuck this place!"Flora ranted, shooting an apologetic glance at both Erin and Julius before storming out the office. The young teen was a little impressed over her last stand as he began to put the pieces in his mind; was Cassandra's lack of empathy for outsiders the reason for Flora's allegiance to Bladestar? Was Bladestar's ultimate goal to save the Badlands from the corruption that plagued it?

"M-My sincerest apologies Cassandra. I know my sister can be a handful, but this is unprecedented." The green-haired guy uttered multiple apologies.

"Don't worry, as a mayor I've had to develop thick skin in order to deal with people like her. She'll see things our way someday…I just know it." Cassandra replied calmly, seemingly unfazed by Flora's previous outburst.

"That aside, we have something else to report. During our investigation, we stumbled across a Bladestar base hidden underneath Darchlight Woods, which was where we met Miss Erin as a prisoner." The green-haired man reported, catching the mayor off-guard.

"Really?! What did you find?" She inquired urgently.

"Well I personally found a computer holding live footage of the entire city, such as Mika's Café, the Scholar District and even the Botanical Garden. However, before I could get more information, someone must've sprung a program that deleted all the bases files, leaving us with nothing to show you." Florin told her, shooting a glance at Erin and Julius. "I brought these two here with me to talk about their experiences inside the base. So, Erin, Julius. What did you two find?"

This question had caused the young teen to think for himself; he knew that he and Erin didn't find much together so he didn't expect her to speak up that much, but he still had Flora's true allegiance in his mind. On one hand he was wanting to spill the beans and see how things played out, but on the other hand he was struck by a sense of…pity for her. This was someone who desperately wanted to help the people of the Badlands, who are going through some very rough times from what he heard but was unable to achieve said dream due to an uncaring mayor. It was then that he opted to make a decision; a decision that unbeknownst to him, would bite him in the ass in the near future.

"No…we did not find anything, unfortunately." Julius replied, with Erin gazing at him before nodding to support his claims.

"I see…so you weren't able to find anything of note? That's a little…disappointing." She told him, turning to face Erin. "And what about you, Erin?"

"Unless you have a thing for boxed uniforms and damaged books, I don't think anything in there would be of interest to you." The white-haired girl answered.

"A shame…anyway, I appreciate you all coming here to this meeting. I say we learnt a lot today. Unfortunately, I have a meeting coming up so I'm going to have to end this discussion here. Florin, tell Flora I forgive her for her outburst." Cassandra informed the trio.

"Will do!" Florin replied eagerly.

"As for Julius and Erin, I appreciate you two taking the time out of your busy day to be here. I hope you all have a lovely day in this great city." She smiled, the trio bowing in respect before leaving her office. As Florin was making his way to the elevator, Julius was halted in his place by Erin.

"So you decided to keep quiet and say nothing, right?" The white-haired girl asked him.

"Y-Yeah, you got me…" He replied, a sense of guilt welling up inside him for hiding something from her.

"I'm not going to tell you if what you did was right or wrong, as that's up to you to decide. But in my opinion, I felt you made the smart decision." Erin continued, shooting him a small smile.

"R-Really?" Julius exclaimed in surprise.

"Yeah, you did. I don't know about you, but that Cassandra woman gave me the chills…mainly due to her coldness regarding Flora's pleas. Sometime the smart decision isn't always the right one, but it's what needs to be done. Besides, Cassandra slipped up." She continued. "I assume you know what I'm talking about?"

"Yeah, when she mentioned that the corruption was in Darchlight Woods. None of us told her where exactly the corruption was, yet somehow she knew." The young teen replied.

"Yep, seems like your silence wasn't a lucky fluke after all. The point I'm making is that she's hiding something, so we best be on our guard from here on out, yeah?" Erin suggested to him.

"Agreed. Right now, I need to check up on Venam, she seemed a bit off yesterday and I never got the chance to talk to her." Julius informed her, the duo making their way to the elevator, unaware that a familiar woman with red hair exited one of the other offices and made her way to Cassandra's office.

 **0000**

There was a swift knocking on the office door, attracting the attention of the prestigious mayor. Taking a small sip of coffee, Cassandra granted the person permission to enter, the door opening as Madelis stepped inside the office before closing the door.

"Oooh! You're here at last Madelis. Come, take a seat!" Cassandra called out, gesturing the redhead to take a seat which she promptly did. "I hope you locked the door after closing it."

"Yes, I did lock the door." Madelis answered, a sigh of relief escaping from the mayor's lips.

"It's good to see you again, Madelis…good for me, that is. I'll admit that I was surprised by Neved's call from Headquarters; talking about how the high and mighty Madelis was demoted from her status as Admin of Team Xen. Serves you right if you ask me." She smirked, not even attempting to hide her contempt for the former admin.

"You say that as if anyone asked for your opinion." The redhead retorted, attempting to stand firmly before the powerful woman.

"Well at least you haven't lost your cheeky wit upon demotion; seems you haven't changed at all. Granted, you could say the same about me, but that would be a lie, wouldn't it?" Cassandra replied.

"Nah, you're still the same self-righteous woman that I remember." Madelis shot back quickly.

"Well my personality hasn't changed, but my position has. After all, I am your new boss, right?" The mayor smirked, with Madelis shooting her a glare in return. "Aw, what's with the long face? I'd like you to smile please, this is a momentous occasion for me."

"Two words; piss off!" The redhead snapped back, with her superior sighing to herself.

"Mmmh…what was it that Madame X said again? 'If Madelis screws up, even a little bit, call me and she'll be done', was that it? It's not 100% accurate, but I got the jist of it." Cassandra inquired.

"Yeah, I suppose it went something like that…" Madelis admitted, sighing in defeat.

"See? I knew I was right! So do as I say and smile!" The mayor ordered, the redhead slumping her shoulders slightly before forming a smile with her mouth, thought it was easy to see that it was a forced one. "Thank you, now that wasn't so hard, was it? You should smile, after all you're lucky that you're still functional, unlike poor Geara..."

This had set of an alarm in the redhead's mind; she never did get an answer for what happened to Geara from Madame X, so perhaps she'll be lucky this time around. "You know what happened to Geara?" She inquired.

"Obviously I know what happened to him." Cassandra replied bluntly.

"T-Then please, tell me what happened to him!" Madelis requested urgently.

"I'm sorry, but I do hope you remember who you're talking to. You better not be demanding an order from ME." The mayor shot a glare back at Madelis, causing her to step back in surprise.

"I-I'm sorry for my impudence, but may you tell me what happened to Geara, please?" The redhead requested, mentally cursing herself for taking a knee so easily to this woman before her, a smile soon returning to Cassandra's face.

"Thank you, see what is so hard to use manners ever now and again?" She chimed back, shooting a glance at the laptop on her desk, fishing out a USB from one of the drawers. "Alright then, time for a demonstration. See this USB in my hand? Say I want to stick it in to transfer something from this laptop onto it…like so." She continued, performing the steps as she described them.

"Okay, and…?" Madelis said, watching the process unfold before her, the progress bar filling up as files were being transferred onto the device.

"Now watch as the progress bar fills up like so, but oopsie daisy! I accidentally unplugged the USB." Cassandra yanked the USB from the port, just as the bar reached the halfway mark. "Now what happens when you take the USB out while it's undergoing a file transfer?"

"In most cases, the file becomes corrupted and stops working." The redhead answered, the mayor clapping her hands together.

"Correct! Which means you now have some sort of idea what happened to Geara!" She chimed happily. "That aside, I can't have you in my office forever. Therefore, I've given you a small job in the Shopping District to keep yourself occupied. May I suggest a disguise to keep your identity hidden? The fact that you came in here wearing that Admin outfit you do not deserve is downright horrifying; who knows what would happen if this gets leaked to the press. I did not spend years building my reputation just to have it shattered in seconds because of your idiocy!"

"G-Got it…" Madelis replied, quickly exiting the office and made her way back to the empty one to change into her disguise.

 **Shopping District: 30 minutes later**

"And…done, that's Melia's birthday presents covered!" Julius smiled to himself, satisfied over a job well done. The young teen had managed to secure two presents for Melia's birthday next week and was satisfied that his gifts would please her greatly. This first one was a thick encyclopedia that contained a lot of information about Pokémon from outside the Aevium region, be they from Tandor, Urobos and even far away regions such as Rikoto. He got the idea from a casual comment she made the other day, how she's been wanting to research and learn about Pokémon from faraway regions, so he'd figured he'd get her a nice book to read. The second gift was a more personal one; a nice necklace that had a rose gold pendant decorated with various precious jewels. It was a rather expensive gift, one that took a chunk out of his savings, but he was confidant that she'd like it. As he was walking down the street, he saw that Venam was eyeing up a few nearby stalls, a worried look on her face. Seeing as how he wanted to talk to her over a few things, he'd figured that now was the time to do so. "Hey Venam, how's it going?"

"O-Oh, hey Jules. I see that you remembered Melia's birthday…" She replied, turning to look at the ribbons while the attendant was busy re-organizing her stock. "I was thinking about getting that ribbon over there for her birthday; the nice rainbow-colored one made from the finest silk available."

"That one? Yeah, that's a really nice gift; I'm sure she'd like that one a lot." The young teen smiled.

"Y-Yeah…so what did you get her?" Venam inquired, her eyes focusing on the book in his arms.

"This? Oh, it's an encyclopedia detailing Pokémon from faraway regions. But that's not the only gift I have for her." Julius replied, showing the brown-haired girl the small velvet box in his hands and opened it, revealing the necklace inside. "I figured that I'd get her a necklace as well. Do you like it?"

"Y-Yeah, i-it's looks s-so n-nice and…oh who am I kidding? Why did I even think I had a chance?" She stuttered, before breaking down into tears to the surprised reaction of Julius. His instincts kicking in, he reached over and embraced her, petting her back gently in the hopes of consoling her.

"There, there…please don't cry. Is something troubling you?" The young teen inquired gently.

"I-I saw you and Melia hanging out a-alone the other night, and you two looks s-so happy, so p-perfect that i-it realized that I-I have no c-chance with her…" Venam sobbed into Julius' shoulder, as a sinking feeling overcame the young teen; she knew about the secret relationship between him and Melia. They were hoping to reveal it when the time came for Melia and Venam to confess to each other, but it seems like that wasn't going to happen.

"Venam, I'm so sorry…neither of us wanted to hurt your feelings, you have to believe me." Julius apologized. "Both Melia and I care about you more than you realize…"

"Y-You do…?" The brown-haired girl sniffled, moving away from her friends as she wiped a few tears away.

"Yes; Melia and I care about you a whole, whole lot. I'm sure that someway, somehow, all three of us can find our happiness together." He pledged, before opting to make a most radical decision. "But if such a thing is impossible…then I will yield to you. After all, the chemistry you share with her is far greater than any other couple I've seen in my life."

"Jules…I-I'm touched that you would do that for me. But I can't accept it; it's evident that Melia cares for you a lot. Were you to break her heart, even for my sake, I don't think I'll be able to forgive you." Venam replied, a small smile slowly forming on her face. "Besides, I trust you when you say that it's possible for all three of us to find happiness. B-But I'm not quite ready to confess yet…"

"No need to rush. I'm sure that in the near future, the time will come when you're ready." Julius smiled back at her.

"Listen, this whole relationship drama is driving me insane. Just make up your mind and—" The attendant called out, turning around and saw Venam and Julius standing there before letting out a surprised yelp and quickly turned back around. Madelis sighed to herself in worry; had they figured out who she really was? "J-Just tell me what ribbon you two want and I'll give it to you for free, honest!"

"Is that so? In that case, I'll like the rainbow one please." Venam requested, with Madelis quickly taking it out of the display case before handing it to her.

"H-Here, now please leave me alone!" The redhead blurted, with the brown-haired girl shooting her a smile before the duo began walking down the road.

"You know…it has been a while since we last battled. Would a 3-on-3 battle help cheer you up?" Julius offered, a confident smile soon forming on Venam's face.

"Yes…I suppose a quick battle could help cheer me up." She replied, turning to face Julius. "Alright then, I accept. But don't start crying when I wipe the floor with you!"

"Now that's the Venam I know and love!" The young teen called out, quickly selecting his Pokéball as the brown-haired girl sent out a Scolipede, the large centipede chittering loudly. With a quick flick of the wrist, Julius sent out his first Pokémon, a mighty Feliger as his opponent raised an eyebrow in surprise at it. It was a large cat with a plump body coated in white, orange and brown fur with two tails wagging slowly in the air. Its paws were tipped with sharp claws and it sported an impressing brown mane around its head. But what was most surprising was that the large beast was sleeping without a single care in the world. "Uh…as you can see, he really likes his catnaps." He chuckled uneasily.

"Fine by me; it enables me to have the first strike. Use Megahorn, Scolipede!" Venam declared, the Megapede Pokémon charging towards its slumbering foe, its sharp horns pointing at it as it jabbed its side roughly, causing the feline to growl in its sleep as it was pushed back a few feet. The Gym Leader jumped for joy over the direct hit, only to gulp quietly in surprise as she saw the Feliger wake up and glare at the centipede, its green eyes locked onto its foe. With a sharp meow of anger, the Fat Cat Pokémon got up on its hindlegs and slammed its thick torso onto the Scolipede, the invertebrate chittering in pain as it managed to wiggle out from underneath the cat after a few minutes. Panting quietly to itself, the Megapede Pokémon shot a viscous blob of poison at its foe, the large cat wincing in discomfort as the fluid seeped into the wound on its side, before following up by shooting a clear liquid from its body at the wound, the fluid reacting with the poison to cause an intense, electrifying pain to course the Feliger's body. Now past the point of infuriation, the Fat Cat Pokémon got on all fours and barreled towards the centipede, tackling it and sent it flying through a couple unoccupied stalls as the wreckage ensured the Bug type Pokémon. It soon crawled out from the broken stalls, only to collapse onto the pavement, to exhausted to continue fighting. "I see you haven't lost your touch yet."

"What can you say? I learnt a lot during my journey so far." He chimed back.

"Well I've spent quite a bit of time catching new Pokémon and training them up; why don't I introduce you to one of my new teammates?" She called out, recalling her Scolipede and threw her second Pokéball, an Alolan Muk oozing out of it. The sentient pile of sludge gazed at is foe before hurling a large ball of trash from its mouth, the attack striking Feliger head on and caused it to stagger back a few feet. Knowing that the poison flowing through its veins will eventually cause it to faint from exhaustion, the Fat Cat opted to doubled down on its offense and rear its forelegs in the air, slamming them down on the ground and caused a sizable tremor to rock the area. The Muk was weakened by the attack, quivering on the spot as it tried its hardest to maintain its footing, with Feliger using this opportunity to land a finishing blow onto it. With its paw reared in the air, it swung it down and slashed the Muk across its body, but not before it retaliated with a swift punch to the cat's stomach, it's fire-coated fist singing the fur on its underbelly. The two towering foes were pushed back from the attack, with Feliger letting out a weak meow before falling on its side and began sleeping once more. The Muk saw its foe fall and shot out a pleased chuckle before slumping forward and collapsed to the ground, too exhausted to continue fighting as well, leaving things off at a tiebreaker.

"Impressive…both our friends gave it their all in that battle. That's a nice Muk you trained up!" Julius commented, the duo recalling their Pokémon.

"I can say the same about you and that cat of yours; now I know not to give it a rude awakening in the future." Venam chuckled, quickly selecting her last Pokemon. "But here's where I make my epic comeback; Seviper, let's go!"

"Seviper? In that case allow me to bring out a serpent of my own; Dunseraph!" The young teen retorted, the duo sending out their Pokémon as the brown-haired girl stepped back in surprise.

"Woah! You didn't tell me that Dunsparce had an evolution!" She exclaimed in shock, her Seviper eyeing it you wearily.

"It's an incredibly rare occurrence for Dunsparce to evolve; to the point where some people brush it off as a myth. But allow me to show you that there's more to this myth than what meets the eye; Dragon Pulse!" Julius declared, the God Snake Pokémon flying up into the air and held its paws together, channeling its inner energy to charge up an attack before firing a pulsating beam of draconic energy at the serpent. The Seviper was able to dodge the attack in time, though the residual explosion did send it flying back a couple feet. Quickly recovering from the attack, it slithered up a lamp post and opened its maw, firing a rapid flurry of sludge at the majestic dragon. The attack struck Dunseraph's side, causing it to hiss in annoyance as it turned around and blocked the rest of the attack with its feathered wings. Once the incoming barrage was over, the God Snake Pokémon extended its legs towards Seviper, its wings flapping slowly as it lifted up the serpent with a mysterious air current. The Fang Snake Pokémon was startled by its new position and began wiggling fervently in an attempt to break free from its foes grasp, but to no avail as the air pressure began squeezing it momentarily before the Dunseraph lowered its legs, sending the Seviper hurtling towards the ground as it crash landed and caused a blanket of dust to get kicked up. When the dust soon cleared, it showed that Seviper was no longer able to battle.

"Damn…I thought I would've been able to make a comeback." Venam sighed in disappointment at Julius, the duo congratulating their friends before recalling them back to their balls.

"Sorry about that, I know you wanted to win but I had to give it my all, otherwise it wouldn't be as satisfying." He replied, his friend shrugging her shoulders.

"Don't be; I was hoping to crush you when you were at your best." She replied back, her mood improving greatly from before. "Besides, Tesla told me that I should get better at losing a while ago. I know, it's silly of me to bring her up when I still have her Charizard, but I swear I'll return it when I see her next."

"That'll be appreciated. Anyway, we should head back to the pent—woah!" The young teen began, only to get cut off as Venam embraced him in a warm hug.

"Thanks for cheering me up before, I really needed it." Venam thanked him, before moving away from him. "Hahahaha, you're blushing like crazy!"

"L-Like you're any different!" Julius shot back in embarrassment, his cheeks a vivid red as the brown-haired girl gazed into the nearest reflection and saw that he was telling the truth. But why were they blushing in the first place, unless…

' _D-Do we have feelings for each other?!'_ She thought to herself, mulling over the situation in her head. On one hand it made little sense given how they both have feelings for Melia, but on the other hand it wasn't surprising that they liked each other given all they've been through together. If so, then it'll make their end goal a little easier as they won't have to worry about fighting each other for her. "I-I guess we really love each other, huh…" She broke the ice.

"Yeah, that seems to be the case." The young teen admitted, looking down at his feet uncomfortably. "But we can't get too close for now; I don't want Melia to think that I'm cheating on her."

"Makes sense. Best we keep it secret until I'm ready to confess to her." Venam stated calmly. "Speaking of secrets, we should keep our birthday gifts to her a secret. Spill the beans and I'll knock you senseless with that book you got her."

"Sounds like a plan! Oh, and as for the necklace…I'll say that it was your idea and I happened to pitch in half the fee, alright?" Julius offered.

"Really…?" The brown-haired girl inquired, the young teen nodding in confirmation at her. "Thanks mate, I appreciate that a lot. Let's head back and see what the others are up to." She continued, the duo beginning the quick trip back to their penthouse.

 **0000**

"Who is it…?" Cassandra inquired; an eyebrow raised in curiosity given that she wasn't expecting anyone to come visit her in her office at this point in time. The door opened quickly, with Madelis stepping inside before closing the door behind her, a concerned look on the redhead's face. "Ah, it's you again. What do you want now? Your shift in the Shopping District doesn't end for some time."

"Have you lost your goddamn mind?! You didn't give me any heads up that Julius and his friends are walking about the city! It was a miracle they didn't notice me through my disguise!" Madelis ranted in frustration.

"Yes, they are. Why are you so concerned about it? You're just some cashier who's paid by the hour." The mayor retorted calmly.

"That may be so, but he didn't know that! If he had recognized me back there, I would've been in a lot of trouble right now." The redhead continued, with Cassandra sighing quietly to herself.

"You mean to tell me that you came all this way just to tell me something so uneventful? Oh come now Madelis, you can do so much better than this." She sighed in annoyance.

"All I'm asking for is a little courtesy. You know anything about that?" Madelis asked in a passive-aggressive tone, a hint of concern plastered in her voice.

"Let me answer your question with a question; why should I waste my time with meaningless requests? After all, you of all people have no right to ask others for some courtesy." Cassandra retorted sassily, with the redhead huffing in annoyance. "Now, now; this attitude of yours will not do, I'd like an apology right now."

"Apologize? For what?!" The redhead shot back, a small smirk creeping up on the mayor's face.

"Well I was just going to ask for a simple sorry, but that comment warrants an additional punishment. You are to beg for my forgiveness, beg me to spare you from Madame X's wrath. A shame that you still don't understand the situation you're in, thinking you have the right to ask me all these questions. You just DO as I say, WHEN I say it, got it? Now, get on your knees and beg for my forgiveness." Cassandra demanded, with Madelis flinching to herself momentarily before opting to swallow her pride and comply with the demand.

"P-Please…I beg of you to forgive me for my impudence—Gah!" She got on one knee and pleaded, the words feeling like week-old bile in her mouth, only to cry out in pain as her wound flared up once more.

"Hmmm, did you get slashed? I suppose Neved was telling the truth about that after all. You must've screwed up big time to have Madame X use physical violence as well. Come now, let's see how bad it is." The mayor requested, with Madelis getting back up and showed her the sword wound as the former 'tsked' to herself. "You know you're supposed to take care of wounds like these, right? I know you aren't that stupid. Very well, I'll arrange an appointment at the Hospital of Hope to take a look at you; should that would get any worse, I'll be down a slave."

Madelis shot Cassandra a quick glare before making her way out of the prestigious office, leaving the mayor to her own whims once more.

 **0000**

Upon arriving back at the penthouse, Venam and Julius were surprised to see three large packages on the table, their friends sporting equally surprised looks on their faces. "Hey, who was the one who ordered all this stuff? Because it wasn't me so I'm not paying a single dollar for it." The brown-haired girl inquired.

"it wasn't me, that's for sure." Melia answered, taking a closer look at her friend. "At the very least, I'm glad you're a lot cheerier than you were the other day."

"Yeah, I was feeling a little stressed out over all the crazy things that's happened in this city so far. Luckily, Julius offered to battle me in order to get my spirits up; unfortunately, I lost but at the very least my worries were put to rest." Venam fibbed, not wanting to spill the truth out about what they talked about earlier.

"In any case, we've got these three packages to deal with, and they're all from the…the Toy Box?!" Rhodea exclaimed in surprise, examining the tags on the packages.

"The Toy Box? But that place isn't—" Lavender began.

"No one owns the Toy Box to my knowledge. However, these packages are labelled as such, right?" Erin interjected, the older woman shrugging her shoulders.

"I guess we don't have much choice but to open them and see what's inside." Rhodea stated calmly, making her way to the one on the right and reached for it, only for the box to jump up on the air, causing everyone to step back in surprise. "D-Did that box just jump, or am I going crazy."

"No, I saw the box jump as well so I might be going crazy alongside you." Julius chimed in, the box tearing open as a familiar face soon appeared on the table as a sinking feeling welled up within him. "K-Karen?! Oh no…"

*Yaaaaaawwnnn…* "Who the hell turned the lights on and why? I was having such a great nap. Now who on earth are all you peo—Little Dove, is that you?!" Karen called out, shooting a glance at Julius as everyone else turned to face him.

"Little Dove…? Looks like we have a new name for you, Jules." Melia smirked in amusement, with Venam and Kanon resisting the urge to begin laughing like crazy.

"Just when I thought this place couldn't get any worse, I'm thrown another curve-ball…" The young teen sighed to himself, slouching down on the nearby couch as he began contemplating his life.

"D-Don't throw in the towel yet Little Dove, I need you to help me fend off these criminals who are after my rock collection!" The auburn-haired woman protested, shifting her glance towards Rhodea. "And how could I forget about you, Rhodea?"

"Yes, how can I forget about you…?" The older woman trailed off.

"Y-You know this woman as well?" Melia inquired.

"Yes, this is Karen of the Elite 8…and a rather unstable person." Rhodea answered her query.

"Ah yes, the Elite 8. Boy it's been a while since I've done that job, it almost feels like foreveeeerrr!" Karen exclaimed, spinning on the table rapidly as the others started at her in complete bafflement.

"Can you at least tell me what you were doing in that box, or whether you've taken your pills yet?" Rhodea asked her, the auburn-haired woman coming to an abrupt halt and face her.

"My pills…? Momma always told me to take my pills or the man in white would take me away…" Karen mused to herself. "But who needs pills when I have Little Dove with me? Oh how I enjoyed our time in the Unown Dimension together with Little Duck!"

"I thought you were planning on staying in the Unown Dimension with—" Julius began.

"Jules, please don't humor her. Nothing she's said has made ANY sort of sense." Venam called out to him.

"Now come on, there's no need to interrupt such a good story. Now, where were we? Ah yes, Little Dove and I met two lovely people in the Unown Dimension; I chose to stay behind so I can become one with the Unown and spread my wings to fly into the sunset. Momma always told me she loved the sunset…" The auburn-haired woman rambled with Erin suddenly clearing her throat.

"Karen, if you were in the Unown Dimension, then why are you here all of a sudden?" She inquired calmly.

"I think we should do what Venam says and ignore her ramblings…" Huey began.

"If I enable her thinking, she may actually say something sensible for once." Erin replied back, turning to face Karen once more. "Your answer?"

"My answer…oh yes, I remember. Some man with a mask appeared and I asked him to by my new momma! But he gave me this rather creepy stare in response…rather spine-chilling if I say so. After that, everything was a blur but I'm here now!" She answered quickly.

"…I see. And what of these two people you and Julius met in the Unown Dimension?" The white-haired girl continued her questioning.

"Now that's a very easy question; so easy that your stupidity bores me to tears. I just wanna *sniff* cry a lot now. L-Like how…how?! How could you be this stupid?! I don't understand it!" Karen shouted back and began "crying" on the spot, but Erin knew that she was faking it.

"Just answer the question." She demanded.

"V-Very well…" The auburn-haired woman wiped her "tears" away and pointed a finger at the other two packages. "They're in these boxes."

Upon uttering those words, the two boxes jumped in the air and burst open, revealing a pair of familiar figures to the group. "A-Alice, Allen?!" Julius exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh my…what's going on? Where are we?" Allen inquired, his eyes darting all around the vast room.

"It seems as thought we've slipped through a pocket dimension, brother." Alice answered calmly, catching her brother off-guard.

"A pocket—wait, sister! We can interact with each other now!" The blonde man exclaimed with joy.

"Indeed we can, brother. Our souls have successfully been separated." The blonde girl replied with a similar amount of joy as the young teen figured out what they were talking about.

"So that explains why you two were never seen in the same room together back then." Julius chimed in, attracting the duo's attention.

"Ah, it's been a while hasn't it, Julius?" Alice smiled at him.

"Yes, I do believe it has been a while. I must say you're no longer as weak as you were back then." Allen shot a casual smile at him.

"Well when you put it like that…" The young teen began as Melia abruptly raised her hand in the air.

"I'm sorry, but who are you two?" The blonde teen inquired, the duo turning to face her.

"Oh, pardon me for our rudeness! Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Alice and this is my brother, Allen." The blonde girl introduced herself with a curtsy. "We both hail from the Unown Dimension."

"Ah, the Unown Dimension. What a wonderful place it is…" Allen mused to himself as Erin shot the duo an odd look.

"…Goodbye." She called out abruptly, quickly making her way out of the penthouse with Alice waving her farewell.

"You say you two came from the Unown Dimension, but who sent you here?" Kanon asked the duo.

"Why the Puppet Master of course! They're a most wonderful person who lives in the Toy Box, opening the door to this world for us." Alice smiled at the white-haired youth, with Venam staring at the newcomers oddly.

"First Karen, and now these two? Everything I've heard today has been absolute nonsense. Between this Unown Dimension and that Puppet Master they're going on about, I have no clue where to even begin!" The brown-haired girl exclaimed.

"Now you know why I was late that day…" Julius commented to her.

"It certainly is strange, but we've seen and heard a multitude of strange things, right?" Melia asked her close friend.

"Well when you put it like that, you have a point I suppose…" Venam trailed off momentarily.

"So what do we do with them? After all if they were sent here it's likely that they have nowhere else to go." Huey inquired.

"Personally, I'd send them all back to that Toy Box or whatever it was called." The brown-haired girl suggested.

"We can't…return people though the mail, at least I think you can't." Lavender rebutted the proposal.

"Besides, it would be an impossibility. There is nothing in the Toy Box at the moment, just a solid block of brick and wood." Allen chimed in.

"But how did you three come from the Toy Box in the first place?" Venam pressed the newcomers, hoping to get some sort of explanation from this madness before her.

"Bleh, bleh, bleh! I'm done hearing your voice! Momma used to yell at me all the time, it made me so sad. The memory follows me wherever I go…CONSTANTLY TAUNTING ME…I CAN'T DO IT! I CAN'T! I CAN'T DO IT!" Karen began screaming, hopping off the table and ran out of the penthouse in a hurry.

"Uh…is it safe to let her run around freely?" Lavender inquired.

"I don't know and I don't care, as long as she's out of my hair that's all I care about." Julius exclaimed, sighing in relief that he was freed from her grasp…for now. "As for Alice and Allen, if I recall there is an extra room for them. Perhaps they can stay here until things get settled."

"This penthouse became crowded rather quickly, huh?" Rhodea chimed to herself in slight exhaustion. "They can stay here, UNTIL we get something sorted out."

"Oh thank you, thank you so much!" Alice thanked her profusely.

"Yes, thank you very much as well." Allen expressed his gratitude as well, with Rhodea suddenly remembering something.

"Ah yes, this envelope is meant for you, Lavender." The older woman said, handing the young girl a red envelope.

"F-For me?" Lavender exclaimed, eyeing it up wearily before accepting it from her elder. "T-Thank you…"

"Is everything alright?" Rhodea inquired, noticing her hesitation.

"Y-Yeah, everything's alright." The lavender-haired girl replied, making her way to her room as everyone else went their own ways to attend to their personal business, leaving Julius on his own. A sense of curiosity overtaking him, the young teen was about to check up on her when he felt a sudden wave of exhaustion throughout his body. Realizing that he was tired from the days events, he figured that it'll be best to head off to bed and made his way to the couch, preparing himself for what would hopefully be a good night's sleep.

 **0000**

Venam was still up in bed despite everyone falling asleep earlier, her mind racing with various thoughts about what happened earlier today. Did she really like Julius that way, or was she just simply happy that there was hope for her after all? However, her thoughts were soon interrupted by Melia tossing and turning in her sleep, a few drops of sweat falling down her forehead.

"M-Melia, are you okay?" Venam whispered to her but to no avail. Perhaps she was having another nightmare, like she had told her the previous night. Giving her friend a quick hug of reassurance, she attempted to comfort her friend through whatever nightmare she was going through, before hopping out of bed to look out the window.

"For such a big city, it's pretty silent at night— wait, is that?" She began, her eyes focusing on something in the distance, which appeared to be Lavender walking through the streets on her own. Fearing the worst, the brown-haired girl quickly made her way out of the penthouse and made a beeline towards the young girl, catching up to her near a large fountain.

"V-Venam, what are you doing here?!" Lavender exclaimed, a look of surprise on her face.

"I should be asking that question to you; I saw you through my window walking through these streets, an odd thing to do for someone like you, especially at this time of night." Venam stated, the young girl shuffling her feet uncomfortably.

"V-Venam…you should leave." Lavender requested.

"I'm not leaving until you give me an answer on why you're wandering the streets tonight! There is absolutely no reason for you to be out here right now when people are getting turned to stone left and right. It's not safe and I won't have you going out here alone!" The brown-haired girl stood her ground.

"B-But why do you care about me? We've known each other for less than a day, it's impossible for you to feel this way." Lavender shot back in defiance.

"Feelings can work in a mysterious way; speaking of which I'm getting bad feelings from you right now. After all, your hesitance to answer me can only mean that you're up to no good. So Lavender, I'll ask you this one more time…what are you doing up so goddamn late?!" Venam demanded, the young girl sighing to herself before yielding to the demand.

"I suppose there's no harm in telling you what I'm doing. You see—" Lavender began, before a crashing noise came from behind the duo.

"Wh-What the hell was that?!" Venam exclaimed, but the darkness of the night shrouded the thing in total secrecy, the duo left totally helpless to whatever terror stalked them that fateful night.

 **The next morning**

"Nnnngggghhhh…" Julius yawned, waking up from his slumber as he got up from the couch and scanned the nearby room, where he saw Melia and Rhodea having a cup of hot chocolate each.

"Ah, good morning Julius. Did you sleep well last night?" The blonde inquired.

"Better than last night, that's for sure." The young teen replied quickly, taking a seat beside her.

"On another topic, did Venam mention anything to you recently? Because when I woke up, she wasn't in bed beside me, and I know how much of a heavy sleeper she is." Melia asked him.

"Come to think of it, I haven't seen her either. I was too busy tending to Alice and Allen to notice." Rhodea added, a look of concerned growing on the blonde's face.

"This is odd behavior from her; Venam always greets me first thing in the morning. For her to not do that and go somewhere without telling me is—" Melia began, only for the penthouse door to burst open as Huey rushed inside to alert the trio.

"Y-You three! You have to come to the Central Square, pronto! There's people panicking in the streets; someone else must've turned to stone!" He yelled at them, a sinking feeling welling up inside Julius.

"No…don't tell me…" He whispered to himself, quickly making his out of the apartment with the other two following suit.

 **0000**

Life hasn't exactly been the kindest to Julius throughout his life; for every handshake he would receive, he could expect a punch to the gut to come soon afterwards. But this instance? This instance felt less like a punch to the gut, and more like a deep, painful slash; the sort that would disembowel him with ease. Standing in front of the fountain, with a familiar rainbow-colored ribbon beside her…was the petrified body of Venam.

"N-No…" Julius said weakly, his heart taking an emotional blow as he saw his friend, his potential lover petrified in place as the crowd watched in complete horror. But the one person who took this harder than him, was the one standing beside him, Melia.

"No…No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" Melia cried out, running up towards the statue with Julius beside her, the blonde holding the statue firmly in her hands as tears began streaming down her face. "Oh God, Venam! Why did it have to be you of all people?! This isn't fair, this isn't fair at all!"

"M-Melia, please calm dow—" Rhodea replied, extending a hand only for Melia to smack it away.

"Don't touch me! G-Get away from me!" She shouted back hysterically. "J-Just leave me alone! G-Get the hell away from me!"

"M-Melia, we only want to help you. Please, trust us, trust me…" Julius pleaded, opting to reach out to Melia like Rhodea did, only this time instead of a slap she simply buried her face into his shoulder and began sobbing profusely.

"Why…why did this happen to her?! I-I don't understand how this could've happened. I-I promised her that I wouldn't let anything like this happen to her, a promise that above all else, I would keep her safe from those who would harm her. But I failed her; I failed her when she needed me the most. W-What good am I if I can't protect the ones I love?! I'm so sorry Venam, I'm so, so sorry…" The blonde continued sobbing, the young teen rubbing her back to comfort her, no matter how little it did.

"Please don't cry…we'll find a way to save her, I know we will." Julius reassured her, as an ambulance arrived at the scene with a nurse hopping out the driver's side door.

"I'm sorry, but we need to bring her to the Hospital of Hope, immediately." The nurse informed the duo.

"Please…take me, take us with you then." Melia requested, with Julius taking the time to quickly scoop up the fallen ribbon and tuck it safely into his pocket.

"If I may, can I accompany Melia with you to the hospital as well?" Julius requested, the blonde shooting him a grateful look as the nurse yielded to their requests.

"Very well, but just the two of you. There won't be enough room for anyone else." The nurse agreed, opening the back doors as the trio helped pick up Venam's body and place it safely on the stretcher in the back. Once that was done, both Melia and Julius took their seat in the back with Venam, the nurse hopping back into the cabin as she revved up the engine and began the quick drive to the Hospital of Hope as Rhodea, Kanon and Huey watched the ambulance drive off.

As they were about to leave the scene, Huey noticed something else on the ground and took a closer look at it, only to recoil in shock and horror. "N-No! T-This is Lavender's bow! T-That must mean…I-I'm coming Lavender!" He cried out, quickly running off to the north.

"H-Huey!" Rhodea called out to him, but to no avail. "Kanon, can you go fetch him for me? As you can see, now's not the time for us to be running off on our own."

"Got it!" He promised, quickly running off to catch up to the distressed redhead, his trail taking him to the front of the Scholar District. Soon enough, the white-haired youth caught up to Huey and saw that Lavender was sitting still by the sewer entrance, her eyes closed as if she's in a peaceful sleep.

"L-Lavender, what happened to you? Are you okay? Speak to me!" Huey pleaded, the young girl's eyes fluttering open as she began breathing erratically. "Ah, your asthma pump? Do you have it on you? Gah! Forget it, I'm going to get the paramedics to help us out here."

"Let me give them a ring." Kanon replied, taking out a spare CyberNav Melia had lent him a while ago and dialed in the emergency number. Shortly afterwards, a second ambulance arrived near the scene, a pair of nurses picking up Lavender's body and placed her on a stretcher, wheeling it into the ambulance before closing the doors. Before Huey could even ask to join then, the siren blared as the ambulance quickly drove off to the Hospital of Hope, leaving the two men on their own.

"How…how did this all happen? We all went to bed safe and sound but look what happened; Venam got petrified and Lavender is barely breathing. How did it all get to this point?! Argh…if only Rune was here, she'd know what to do!" The redhead cried out in frustration, punching a nearby lamppost.

"Now's not the time to get all worked up, we need to make our way back to the penthouse so we can work something out with Rhodea." Kanon told him.

"Yeah…I can see your point. I didn't feel like wandering the city today, anyway." Huey replied, the duo quickly making their way back to the penthouse for a much needed break.

 **Hospital of Hope**

Julius was at a complete loss on what to do at this very moment, asides from comforting Melia during this most trying ordeal, the duo in the room with Venam's body was hooked up to an assortment of various medical machines. He knew just how much she meant to the blonde, and how her petrification affected her, as well as how it affected him. Just when it seemed like life would finally give them a break, it throws this in their path. His hand firmly held Melia's in a comforting grip, reassuring her that he'll be there for her during this point in time. The blonde shot him a look of gratitude for being here with her, a few dried-up tears on her cheeks, as the young teen's pocket started vibrating, indicating that his CyberNav got a text message. Uttering a quick apology to her, he took out his CyberNav and began reading the message quietly to himself.

' _Hey Julius, I heard about what happened to Venam. Me and Allen extend our sincerest condolences for what you're going through and hope that she makes a swift recovery. By the way, have you tasted the food in the freezer back home? It tasted really nice, though my brother thinks otherwise. It was then that nice Rhodea lady scolded us for eating them all, claiming that those "tv dinners" as she called them were meant to be heated up. Guess that explains why they were cold; personally, I thought they were from the magical frozen galaxy of snow, where everything is covered with snow and ice! Anyway, the Puppet Master wanted to meet you inside the Toy Box. Don't be afraid, they're a very wonderful person; they'll tell you all you need to know! But you can't enter the Toy Box from this world Mr. Silly; you can only enter it in the world of dreams, but it has to be a nightmare. One so grand that it'll scar you for the rest of your life. Luckily, you can get yourself a Nightmare Medallion to ensure that you'll get one, though I'm not sure where you can find one._

 _Best wishes: Alice'_

"S-So what was the message about?" Melia inquired cautiously, with Julius putting the CyberNav away.

"Supposedly the Puppet Master Alice mentioned yesterday wants to speak to me, but I don't know what they want to talk about. She did say that they know everything and can answer every question, so—" The young teen began.

"Then you must speak to them! Th-They might know how to save Venam!" The blonde requested urgently.

"There's just one small problem; I can only speak to them during a nightmare. She said something about a Nightmare Medallion—" Julius began, only for Melia to begin digging through her bag quickly and handed him what looked like a purple and gold medal that while beautiful, carried what felt like an air of unease around it.

"Here, take it! I got that thing during my first day here; it's brought me nothing but bad luck ever since I got it." She stated quickly, the young teen holding it carefully in his hands. "Once you're done with it, just throw it away. I don't want to ever see it again!"

"As you wish, my lady." He replied, noticing an unoccupied couch in the room and made his way towards it. "I hope you don't mind if I fall asleep right here; I want to save Venam as soon as possible."

"As do I, Julius. As do I…" Melia spoke softly, watching him make himself comfortable on the couch before he fell asleep a few minutes later. "Please be careful, I don't want to lose you as well…"

 **Talk about a sad cliffhanger, I'll admit that it broke my heart a little when I first saw Venam getting petrified hence why writing about it was a little hard. But I'm sure we all know what happened to her in the latest episode. Speaking of which, I do apologize if she was a little OOC during the ribbon scene, but I hoped I was able to convey her grief in a realistic way. Anyway, the end part of this chapter is a little different from the base game, but I felt that it fit the story I've wrote so far. Finally, I've heard that Episode 13 had made some significant process in development which is wonderful given how great Episode 12 was. Anyway, thank you all for reading my fic, I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	43. Chapter 43

**WeS RoYaL: Thank you very much for the kind words and support. Quick question, when you said you haven't played Insurgence, did you mean to say Rejuvenation, or was that the game you're talking about? Regardless, I highly suggest that you play them both as they're some of the best fangames to have ever been made.**

 **Welcome one and all to the next exciting installment of Rise from the Ashes. In this episode, Julius traverses the City of Nightmares in the hopes of finding a cure for Venam, unaware that he'd have to deal with several things including a Gym Battle. Will he be able to persevere? Let's find out right now!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **The City of Nightmares**

"Urk…guess I did it right." Julius winced, slowly getting up off the ground as he surveyed theimmediate area around him. He seemed to be at the entrance of a dark, gloomy city shrouded by fog, a few dim lights attempting to illuminate the dark, starless sky in the air. The stench of misery and despair hung in the air, as the city of darkness loomed over him menacingly. It has been quite a while since the young teen had a nightmare, but he would endure an endless stream of them if it meant saving Venam. Quickly patting himself down, Julius began his trip towards the city to explore its interior, a cacophony of shadowy voices calling out to him faintly.

" _Why did you abandon us?"_

" _I thought you were our friend."_

" _I hate you!"_

" _I just wish you were dead!"_

"Been a while since I've heard those; must be the medallions' power." He mused to himself, recalling the voices surrounding him. They were the ones that plagued him in his dreams for so long, no thanks to Professor Larkspur. However, those voices no longer affected him, not only because Melia saved him back then, but because he had more pressing matters. Speaking of which, he was curious on whether or not she would confess to Venam once she's saved; after all it wasn't every day that someone confessed their love to another at the hospital. Soon enough, he found himself inside the city of darkness and quickly made his way to the city square to check his current location and was caught off-guard by the sheer amount of people aimlessly wandering the streets. They were doing their usual business for the most part, but all their vitality was drain from their body, turning them into glorified zombies. A couple people were screaming curses into the night sky, condemning whatever legendary Pokémon doomed them to this miserable existence.

"No, way…" A voice so familiar to the young teen called out, forcing him to turn around as he was soon greeted by…Aelita?! "Julius, what are you doing here?!"

"I could ask you the same thing, Aelita!" Julius smiled back at her, the duo running up to each other and gave each other the firmest handshake of their life. "It's so good to see you after so long, but you look a little…different." He continued, having just realized that she looked a little different than before. Her hair was a light shade of magenta, reaching down to her waist as a part pf it was tied up into a ponytail. Additionally, she wore a white, long-sleeved shirt and matching pants with a red belt around the waist.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it, I look different than before." She replied bluntly, before sighing to herself. "I-I'm sorry, it's just that I got a little tired of everyone else pointing it out."

"No need to worry, I'm sure the air in this place is putting you on edge. I just hope that I don't succumb to it was well." He stated, shuddering over what little he remembered of Angie and her twisted dimension. Thankfully, the air here didn't seem as oppressive as the air back then, but that could change at the blink of a hat. "So, what are you doing here?"

"Long story short, I screwed up and wound up into an eternal coma. But as you can see, it wasn't as eternal as you'd expect. Though, given the dreary look of this place, I wish I never woke up." Aelita told him.

"I'm so sorry about what happened in Mount Carotos; had I known you would've wound up in a coma, I wouldn't have gone through with the plan." Julius apologized, only for the magenta-haired girl to raise her hand in the air.

"Don't apologize, we needed the stone to get the TM to save Nim. But for now, we should find our way out of this place as soon as possible." She replied calmly, trying her hardest to hide the foul mood festering within her. It wasn't that she was angry at her friend, far from it; it was just the fact that ever since she woke up, she's been a lot more irritable.

"W-Wait! I can't leave just yet, I need to find the Puppet Master. Th-They have information that I desperately need." The young teen stammered quickly, catching Aelita off-guard.

"So you're looking for them as well? Heh, I guess fate brought us back together for a reason." She replied, quietly chuckled to herself. "I wish to see them so that I can change back to my normal self; ever since I woke up, I had this magenta hair, a different personality and all these strange people around me. It's almost as though…I woke up in an entirely different body. It's a very horrifying feeling…not something I would wish on my worst enemy, well except for that jackass Texen."

"As for me, I need their insight on how they can help Venam. It's a…complicated situation so to speak. But enough talking, we've got a Puppet Master to meet; don't worry about your back because I've got it!" Julius pledged firmly.

"And I have your back; just like old times!" Aelita smiled back, a hint of her usual cheery self returning. Noticing a gate to the north, the duo walked towards it, only to phase through to the other side upon walking up the stairs. "Huh…that was a little weird. At least it wasn't just me."

"Yeah…though this place is a lot weirder than I'm used to." The young teen commented, noticing a discarded pamphlet on the ground and picked it up, the front cover showing another familiar face alongside a futuristic CyberNav. _'From the brilliant mind of Professor Friedrich Larkspur, comes the new and improved CyberNav 5000! This handy device contains all the features of the previous models, plus an all new function that allows you to boost the power of your Pokéballs, making difficult to catch Pokémon a lot easier to obtain! Present this pamphlet to your nearest Larkspur Co. branch and get 10% off your purchase! Limited stock available, so don't miss out!'_ It read, the young teen scowling before crumpling the pamphlet and tossed it aside.

"Only in my worst nightmare would that weasel be considered brilliant…" He hissed to himself, a slow clap soon echoing throughout the air.

"Now there's no need to get all moody when you're with your friend; after all reunions are meant to be fun." A mysterious, but familiar voice from afar mocked Julius. "After all, it's not like I'll ever get to experience something like that again; I'll probably spend the rest of my time here, bored out of my mind."

"Show yourself right now!" Aelita demanded, the voice chuckling once more.

"Aw, is that really how you greet an old pal? That isn't very nice of you, Aelita." He replied, a figure stepping out from the shadows of a nearby alley to reveal…Zetta?!

"Y-You! I thought Crescent disposed of you!" Julius called out to him, the blonde man letting out a quick chuckle.

"Yeah, yeah. Enough about that crazy woman; it is great to see you two suckers again! Man, how long as it been; a few weeks? A few months?" He chimed to them, the unamused duo frowning back at him. "Oh don't give me that face you two; you're breaking my heart."

"How are you here at all? I thought…" Aelita shot back at him.

"Thought what? There's now way you could've known what happened to me, but then again your blabbermouth friend did ruin the surprise. But you wanna hear something, Aelita? You failed your friends; you forced them to come fight us alone. While you were busy takin' a snooze, Melia and her merry band of obedient lackies came to finish the job. But things didn't go quite as well as we expected. Oh it was a bloodbath, with both sides losing people; my side lost two and yours lost two." He taunted, causing Aelita to flinch on the spot.

"W-We lost people on Valor Mountain?!" She exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, it was a real tragedy. Melia lost her poor old man, was forced to watch Nim fall into the lava, and even saw the same thing happen to Mr. Julius over there. But somehow, against all fucking odds, he survived and is here to spoil my day once more." Zetta continued, a look of grief overcoming the magenta-haired girl as she quickly turned to face Julius, hoping he would say that the Xen Admin was lying.

"I-I'm sorry Aelita…" The young teen apologized, turning away as the full magnitude of the situation downed on her. Her sacrifice, her eternal slumber was all for nothing.

"Don't start crying now, you weren't the only one to lose people. Not only was I myself lost, but that old geezer Larkspur flew the coop and from what I've heard he fell off the radar. The Zetta in the real world is no longer the guy that you knew him to be. Turns out he was a humble Solosis that was experimented on to be a clone of Melia." The Xen Admin continued to ramble; the magenta-haired girl constantly bombarded with revelation after revelation.

"E-Excuse me?!" Aelita demanded an explanation but was met with silence as she formed her own opinion on the matter. "So, it is as I thought it would be; this isn't the real world, but some crazy nightmare."

"Well I would say that you're wrong, but you aren't. Nor are you correct, to tell you the truth. This is the City of Nightmares; though I may not exist in the real world, I'm doing pretty well for myself. I got myself a new boss, the Puppet Master and they gave me a roof over my head, or more accurately an entire world to play in." Zetta stated proudly.

"So you're nothing but their glorified pawn then?" Julius asked bluntly, with Zetta chuckling to himself.

"Guess that's the case; seems like I've always been someone's pawn, whether it be in this world or the real world. But I can't just give you all the answers yet, you've gotta earn 'em first. But this won't be the last time we see each other; Sayonara!" He waved at the duo, disappearing back into the alley from whence he came.

"Ugh, did you understand any of that? Because it made no sense to me." Aelita inquired Julius, sighing quietly to herself. "This is all my fault; had I just listened to the Eldest back then, none of this would've happened."

"Don't blame yourself, we didn't have much option back then." Julius attempted to console her, but it didn't seem to work.

"You don't understand! I-If I was there with you, then things would've ended a whole lot differently. Everyone would've been safe and happy! Nim would be safe, as would Professor Jenner. This whole thing is a nightmare; an utter nightmare!" She continued to rant, only for the young teen to rest his hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

"Hey, there is no need for the 'coulda, woulda, shoulda' spiel. Yes, it is a tragedy that we lost several of our friends back there, but if we want to preserve their memory, then it's best that we keep moving forward. Who knows, there may be a slim chance that we'll get to see them again." He attempted to raise her hopes, and it seemed to work this time.

"Thanks, Jules…" Aelita shot him a smile, quickly rubbing her nose. "Now's not the time to be moping; we've got a Puppet Master to find!" She declared, the duo going deeper and deeper into the oppressive city. It seemed that for ever few steps they would take, they would come across an obstacle that forced them to go a different direction. Most of the time said obstacles would be benches, food stalls and trees, but one of them was a billboard that advertised a movie titled 'Angie and the Cold Truth of Arceus'. It depicted Angie as the young teen remembered her, standing in front of some frightened children to fight a demon that looked a whole lot like himself, no doubt a reflection of his corrupted self from back then. Having shot a quick glance at the billboard, Aelita was a little puzzled at the sight before them. "Hey…that demon looks a whole lot like you do."

"Yeah, it does. There's a story that goes with it, but we don't have the time for me to recall it right now." Julius told her, not wanting to tell her as he simply wanted that memory to disappear for good.

"Well with all the obstacles we're encountering, it seems like we'll be here for the rest of our life." Aelita complained, a black ball of electricity crackling from behind them as they turned around and saw Zetta staring at them.

"It is a nightmare, so don't go expecting things to go right all the time." He informed him, smirking slightly to himself.

"But all nightmares end eventually, and you're no different." The magenta-haired girl shot back at him.

"Yeah…I suppose your right. In that case why don't we get along for now? Besides, I'm far from done playing with you two! after all, this may be the last time we ever get to talk again?" Zetta said to the duo.

"You say that as if it's a bad thing. Personally, I won't miss you at all and I'm sure Aelita won't as well." Julius retorted, with Aelita giving him a nod to indicate that he was on the money.

*Sigh…* "I suppose you're right. Not like it matters anyway; you're just talking to a manifestation of someone's nightmare. May I suggest going to the Shopping District next?" The Xen Admin suggested to them.

"Fine, we'll comply. Come on Julius, let's do what he tells us to do." Aelita sighed in annoyance, making her way to the Shopping District with the young teen following behind, his mind stuck on something.

' _Someone's nightmare…'_ He thought to himself, wondering who he could be talking about. Eventually, the duo made their way through the gate and into the Shopping District,quietly walking down the main street as Aelita abruptly cleared her throat.

"H-Hey, listen. There's something I have to tell you. I'm sorry for running away from you in Darchlight Woods. I-I know you may not know who I was, or if you even saw me, but I immediately knew that it was you in those woods. I just couldn't face you back then because I looked so different." She apologized, only for the young teen to brush it off.

"No need to apologize; If I was in your shoes, I would've most likely done the same thing." Julius replied casually.

"W-When I first woke up, I was in this house with the Eldest and two other people; an old monk and his granddaughter Erin. Ever since that day, I've been monitored daily, following me wherever I went. Every time I did something, they would ask me so many questions; I just…I just couldn't take it anymore! I had to leave immediately, hence why I ran away." Aelita explained her situation to him, raising her voice part way to emphasize her point.

"Look hun, we all have our problems, but yours are no more important than mine." Zetta abruptly cut her off, mysteriously appearing once more to them. Whatever powers the Puppet Master bestowed onto him, it was evident that he mastered them easily.

"None of this concerns you at all!" She shot back at him, causing the older man to step back in surprise.

"Woah there, no need to yell. Uncle Zetta is here to solve all your problems! Besides, we're all here for you." He replied in jest as several more copies of himself surrounded the duo, thought it was evident that they weren't amused by his antics.

"Look, I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself or whatever, but as you may know, we don't have the time for your nonsense!" Julius retorted, having lost his patience with the man a long time ago.

"Dang…you two are so mean now. What happened that made you this way? Look, I get being cranky after a poor night's sleep, but you're both asleep now!" The Xen Admin inquired.

"We wouldn't be in such a bad mood, if you just left us alone and stop messing with us." Aelita told him bluntly, with Zetta's shoulders slumping in response.

"Man, you two are no fun whatsoever. I prefer the other people that come to this place; they all think they're dreaming so they're a lot of fun to be around. See, everyone you see here is an actual person having a nightmare. But the Puppet Master takes those nightmares and throws them away, bringing you all to this very city." The older man commented casually.

"You're their accomplice, right? In that case, you must know who the Puppet Master is." Julius inquired, the older man shrugging his shoulders.

"Truth be told, I don't know who they are myself. Heck, I don't think anyone in Team Xen are aware of their presence, not even Madame X herself. It's like the Puppet Master is on an entirely different level to us all. But that's all you're going to get from me right now, the boss is starting to get upset with me. Ta-ta!" Zetta called out, as he and his copies soon faded to the ether as the duo were left with even more questions than before.

"So everyone here is an actual person in the real world. Wonder if they'll remember this place when they wake up." Aelita said to her friend.

"Yeah, seems to be the case here." The young teen replied, the duo continuing their walk down the street as a sudden revelation formed in his mind. Was this where Melia was spending all her sleepless nights, at the mercy of her former adversary? If so, then that explains why she couldn't get much sleep. Soon enough, they walked through yet another gate and wound up on the opposite side of the abyss from where they were before, the duo recognizing the movie billboard that blocked their path earlier.

"So what was even the point of going to the Shopping District earlier? This guy is wasting our time, provided that time is even passing in this place. Augh! I knew following his orders was a bad idea…" She complained to him.

"Oh? And why is that, Aelita?" Zetta inquired, suddenly appearing to the side of them as a look of confusion was plastered on his face. "Jeez, you two aren't fazed by anything anymore, huh?"

"After all we've been though, silly antics like this are child's play." Julius stated, crossing his arms over his chest. "Alright, we're here now, what do you want us to do?"

"Let me guess, you want us to jump off a building with one eye closed. Or better yet, you want us to order different types of ice cream in a very specific order. This place is your playground, right? Then just state your demands already!" Aelita chimed in rudely, shooting a glare at the Xen Admin.

"Yikes…you need to calm down already; we've got plenty of time to mess around. Speaking of which, we've got time for you to tell me how you got here; be a good girl and speak for the class." He inquired casually.

"I fell asleep and woke up here, next?" The magenta-haired girl answered bluntly.

"Oh that can't be all; the only way you can be here is if the Puppet Master invited you. There's got to be an important reason why you're here. And before you deny it, I know that you're here to see if he can fix you up." Zetta goaded her, with Aelita sighing in annoyance before yielding to him.

"Fine…I heard rumors about how the Puppet Master knows everything and is willing to answer your query. I figured that they would give me an answer for my predicament, so I bought myself a Nightmare Medallion and fell asleep. Now here I am." She elaborated her answer a little.

"Fascinating story, Aelita. I almost shed a tear, actually. Now then, what's your story Julius?" The Xen Admin asked the young teen, the latter sighing to himself as he knew he couldn't back out of this.

"Earlier today, Melia and I came across the petrified body of Venam, the both of us distraught over what we were seeing. We came to the hospital with her and comforted each other for a while, until I got a text from a friend. She told me about how the Puppet Master knows all, and relayed this information to Melia, who quickly handed me her Nightmare Medallion in an effort to get some answers from the Puppet Master." Julius answered begrudgingly.

"Another tragic tale; a pair of lovers hoping to save their third lover from a tragic fate. Sounds like that cheesy movie I saw a while ago. But enough from you two, as I'm sure that you're interested in how I came to be here." Zetta chimed in, clearing his throat as he began recalling his tale. "Truth be told, I only came to this dimension recently. When Julius and his friends took their first night's sleep, a certain someone bought a Nightmare Medallion and dreamt about me in a nightmare, thus spawning me to this place immediately. I'm sure you two know who I'm talking about."

"Melia?" The young teen guessed.

"Yep; turns out that big sis really misses me, or she's scared of me." The older man replied, a question forming in his mind. "Hey Julius, what do you think I look like with my hair unbraided?"

"I-I'm not sure." He replied, with Zetta quickly unbraiding his hair as it flowed down beside him, the older man now resembling Melia a lot more than before. "N-No way!"

"Yes, I do look like her now, do I? What's the matter, falling in love with me already?" Zetta jested, with Aelita gazing at him oddly.

"Why are you showing this to us? What point does it serve?" She asked him, the older man turning around to look away from them.

"I-I don't know…I-I guess you could say I miss her, because I never had a family. Team Xen may have created me, but they never loved me at all, treating me as a mere tool. I wonder…how Melia and I would get along had the circumstances been different." He replied quietly.

"I can't say I know for sure, but your allegiance to Team Xen didn't really help you out there." Aelita told him, the older man chuckled once more and faced the duo again.

"I knew that already, but it's not like I had a choice regarding my allegiance to them. Team Xen were the only thing I knew of this world. I have no memories of the time before I was a human; what other guideline could I have followed back then? Now…now I'm nothing but a lonely nightmare walking around. I was just that bad of a person, bad enough to come back as a nightmare. You want to go to the Toy Box, right? It's a brisk walk to the right; I'm done blocking your way." Zetta told them, tying his hair back up to the way it was, before disappearing into the ether once more.

"Zetta…" Julius said quietly, mulling over what he had just heard. Even after all he had done to get in the way of him and his friends, he couldn't help but…pity the man, if only a little. Could each of his adversaries have some tragic past that forced them to become the monsters that they are now, even Professor Larkspur? Well he knew that was the case for Indriad, but what about Angie, or Madame X? Did either of them have some mysterious shadow that haunted their past?

"Come on Julius, let's make our way to the Toy Box. I'm sure both of us want this nightmare to end as soon as possible." Aelita called out to him, snapping the young teen out of his state of thought as the duo began the quick trek to the right, going through another gate and wound up in what appeared to be the Residential District, a large multi-colored box standing out from the sea of buildings. Briskly walking towards the box, the duo soon arrived at their destination, only to see Zetta standing in front of the entrance. "Zetta? I thought you were done playing games?"

"Heh…I guess I'm bad at keeping promises. I'm so sorry to do this, but there's one last thing I must do; a final battle between Julius and I. Neither as enemies, nor as friends; just a pair of trainers that locked eyes with each other." He requested solemnly.

"Very well, I accept your request. But don't expect me to go easy; we've got important business to attend to." Julius agreed to the request.

"Well I won't say no to this, after all it's been quite a while since I last saw you battle." Aelita agreed as well, the trio getting into position as both trainers selected their first Pokémon. Within an instant, the trainers threw their Pokéballs, with Julius sending out his Yatagaryu and Zetta sending out his Vileplume.

Outstretching his arm to his opponent, Zetta ordered his Pokémon to use Moonblast, the sentient flower charging up lunar energy with its flower before firing a beam of energy at its foe. The serpentine dragon was able to dodge the attack effortlessly, retaliating by charging up a Dragon Pulse and fired back at the Vileplume. But when the attack struck the flower, it just simply disappeared into a cloud of smoke, no cries of pain, just a quiet 'please' echoing through the area.

"W-What the…?" Aelita exclaimed quietly, with Zetta simply shrugging his shoulders before sending out his Absol to the field, the quadrupedal Pokémon kicking up a bit of dust with its paw. In an instant, the Absol lunged at the Yatagaryu and slashed at it with its sharp horn, only for the attack to phase right through the dragon as it swiped at the Absol with its talons, causing it to disappear into smoke once more as a quiet 'do' echoed throughout the area.

"The battle wasn't what he wanted; he wanted to say his last words in a way I'm familiar with." Julius whispered to himself, with Zetta quickly sending out his third Pokémon, a Weavile. Now realizing what Zetta's endgame was, Julius requested his companion to use Thunderbolt, the Stormbringer Pokémon collecting energy within its horns as the Weavile generated a series of sharp ice shards and flung them at the Yatagaryu. As expected, the attack phased through the Pokémon with the bolt of lightning striking the Weavile, causing it to disappear into more smoke as a quiet 'not' could be heard.

"Heh, just as strong as I remembered. But this is where the fun really begins." Zetta commented, sending out his Dragonite as the large Pokémon let out a bellowing roar. It promptly lunged at the serpentine dragon, attempting to smack it down with its claws as the Yatagaryu dodged the incoming attack and retaliated with a Dragon Pulse, the beam of energy striking the foes back as it too faded into a cloud of smoke, the only noise left being a quiet 'forget'.

"Is he trying to say something to us…?" Aelita spoke to herself, piecing the uttered words together as Zetta sent out his Silvally, the bulky Pokémon rearing its legs in the air before slamming them down on the ground. It lowered its head and charged at its foe, tackling through it before slashing its body with is claws. Like before, the Yatagaryu wasn't fazed by the attack at all and flew up into the air, charging up a quick Thunderbolt before striking its foe with the electricity. The attack hit its mark, the Silvally disappearing into a cloud of smoke as a quiet 'about' echoed throughout the area.

Realizing that his message was getting across to the duo, Zetta sent out his last Pokémon, a humble Solosis. The small Pokémon chirped a little sadly, a weak smile on its face as its body glowed and an ethereal copy of it escaped its body and struck the Yatagaryu, the only attack to do so throughout the entire battle. The Stormbringer Pokémon was struck with an odd wave of sadness, as it watched the Solosis faint with a tearful smile on its face, fading into smoke as a quiet 'me' could be heard.

"Please do not forget about me…" Julius pieced the words together, looking at Zetta to see if he was right.

"Yeah, I guess that's it for me then. Thank you, Julius. I really mean it…" Zetta smiled serenely, accepting his fate as he soon began to fade from existence. "When you see Melia next, please tell her not to forget me, no matter how she chooses to do so…"

"I-I'll make sure to tell her that. Don't worry, I won't forget you as well." The young teen pledged, with the older man nodding in gratitude as he soon faded from the nightmare. The duo was left standing before the entrance, with Julius thanking his Yatagaryu for its hard work before recalling it to its ball.

"Well if there's one thing he can count on, is that I don't think I can forget him anytime soon." Aelita chimed in. "Come on Jules, let's not keep the Puppet Master waiting any longer!"

"Y-Yeah…" Julius replied, his mind still a little distracted by Zetta's wish as the duo entered the Toy Box that they've spent all their time in this world looking for.

 **0000**

The inside of the Toy Box looked exactly like the duo had anticipated it to be; a mishmash of colors on the walls and floor with dozens of various toys all over the place. In the center of the rook was a blue music box with a jester decal on the front, a line going down the middle to indicate that this was the opening to the box. However, asides from the two of them, there was nobody else in this mysterious room before them.

"What kind of stupid joke is this, there's nobody here!" Aelita complied in frustration, kicking a small stack of wooden blocks to the side.

"H-Hey, there's no need to throw in the towel just yet. This must be another one of the Puppet Master's puzzles, so why don't we go look around for an answer?" Julius reassured her, his eyes scanning the area for a hint on where to go before noticing a small entrance at the back. Informing Aelita that he'll be back in a minute, he quickly made his way to the back entrance and was greeted by a set of six weight-activated pads that were connected to a small generator. Assuming that he had to press the pads in a specific order to connect the circuit to the music box, he first made his way to the bottom-left pad and stepped on it, before going around the others and stepped on the top-right pad. But just as he was about to choose a third pad, the lights on the ground flared up, as the low humming noise emitted from the generator, indicating that he had completed the puzzle. Caught off-guard by how quickly he finished, the young teen exited the room and made his way back to Aelita, informing her that he had finished the task.

"Huh, that was pretty quick. Now I feel a little silly for getting angry before." She chuckled sheepishly.

"Don't worry. I've also gotten angry over insignificant things; now all we need to do is—" He replied, his comment abruptly cut off by the crank on top of the box turning in a clockwise manner, a haunting melody slowly filling the room as the duo braced themselves for what was inside that box. The tension in the air was tense as they waited for what was about to come, the seconds slowly turning into minutes as the crank continued to go clockwise. All of a sudden, the doors on the box flung open, causing them to jump in surprise, but nothing came out through the doors. They were contemplating on whether to walk through the doors when all of a sudden, a pair of figures leaped out from the darkness and confronted the duo. The figures were what appeared to be medieval jesters with theater masks on their face, the one on the right donning a neon green uniform, while the one on the left donned a vivid magenta uniform. But one thing was for sure; both of these mysterious figures had an air of mystery and otherworldly power to them.

"T-There's two Puppet Masters?!" Aelita exclaimed, this surprise twist catching her off-guard. During her time here, she had assumed that the Puppet Master was a singular entity, as opposed to a tag-team duo. Still this played in her favor; if one of them didn't know the answer to her query, then surely the other one will.

The two jesters chuckled ominously in union, selecting their first Pokéballs and sent them out to battle; the magenta one sending out a Beheeyem while the green one sent out a Claydol. As their Pokémon stared at the two trainers, the Puppet Masters gazed at them as well, silently telling them that teamwork is the only way to pass this test. "I guess they want us to work together. Fine by me, I've been wanting to fight alongside you for a while." Aelita chimed at Julius, the duo selecting their first Pokéballs as well.

"I'd be more than happy to fight with you once more…here's the plan, I'll deal with the left one, let's refer to them as Magenta, while you deal with the right one, which we'll refer to as Neon. Is that fine with you?" Julius proposed his plan to her.

"Sounds like a plan!" The magenta-haired girl agreed, the duo sending out their Pokémon to challenge the twin jesters, with Aelita sending out her Mienshao and Julius sending out his Chainite.

A few seconds had passed before the one dubbed 'Neon' outstretched their arm, gesturing the Claydol to use Reflect. The sentient doll's eyes began glowing a deep blue and used its psychic energy to create a wondrous blue wall of light around itself and Beheeyem to protect themselves from physical attacks. However, Aelita had expected such a strategy to take place and ordered Mienshao to use Brick Break, the nimble Pokémon leaping into the air and swung its arm down onto the Claydol. And though the attack didn't do that much damage, it did shatter the blue wall that protected the two Psychic-type Pokémon, leaving them wide open to attack. Seizing this opportunity, the Chainite disappeared into the shadows, slowly slithering towards the Beheeyem as it leaped up from the darkness and struck the alien head on, a distorted cry of pain coming from its mouth as it was pushed back a few feet. As it got back up on its feet, it channeled its psychic energy into an orb and flung it at the Mienshao, the attack dealing a lot of damage as the slender Pokémon was hurled into one of the nearby wooden blocks, but was able to break free and make its way back to the arena. Noticing that it was injured from the attack, Aelita was thinking of a follow-up attack until she saw the Claydols' eyes glowing a mixture of black and white as the room slowly started to distort. Knowing full well what this meant, the magenta-haired girl called out to her companion, with Mienshao nodding in confirmation as it lunged at the Beheeyem and kicked it with its feet before leaping back at Aelita and re-entered its Pokeball. The alien was sent flying into a nearby wooden block before crashing into it, sliding down and slumped on the ground as it was deemed unable to continue fighting.

"U-Turn…" Julius mused to himself, watching Magenta recall their Pokémon as they and Aelita quickly made their next choice, sending out a Slowking and Gliscor respectively. By this point, the rooms dimensions have successfully been twisted, with Gliscor feeling a little sluggish all of a sudden while the other three Pokémon felt considerably more energetic. "You knew Neon would use Trick Room, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I managed to pick up on their gameplan rather quickly; Magenta's the one that dishes out all the powerful hits, while Neon offers support for their partner, be it by setting up protection or crippling the enemy. Pretty clever of them, but if we focused all our efforts on taking out Neon first, then Magenta should soon fall to our teamwork!" Aelita told him, impressing the young teen with her quick thinking and cunning. With a new strategy at hand, Julius requested his Chainite to attack the Claydol, the malevolent entity more than happy to do so as it lunged at the doll with a speed that only the twisted dimensions could provide, raking its firm body with its shadowy claws as the Claydol was flung to the side and crumpled before slowly rising back up. But the Slowking wasn't one to sit there and do nothing, the regal Pokémon taking in a deep breath before spewing a vicious blizzard from its mouth, the relentless gust of cold wind sending shivers down the entity's back as it was standing its ground. This distraction granted the Gliscor an ample amount of time to perform a dance to heighten its spirit, spinning in the air albeit it a little slowly due to the twisted dimension. Soon, the small purple orb hanging around the Gliscor's neck on a necklace began to glow, a faint purple hue appearing on its cheeks as it was soon poisoned by the orbs power. But rather than be crippled by it, it was only heightened up by the poison, due to its special ability.

Taking to the skies, the scorpion/bat hybrid swooped down onto the Claydol and swung its clenched claw onto its head, sending the doll careening into the ground and caused a sizable amount of dust to get kicked up into the air. While this was happening, the Slowking and Chainite were squaring off against each other, the former taking in a deep breath like before and spewed a stream of boiling hot water at its foe. But the Chainite expected this, it's eyes glowing a reddish-purple as it took the attack and was flung backwards to the ground, a shadowy specter emerging from its unconscious body and glided towards the Slowking, passing through it and sapped it of its energy as the regal Pokémon soon slumped down to the ground and collapsed. As soon as the dust died down, it showed that the Claydol was also knocked out, leaving Gliscor as the sole survivor for now.

"That was some impressive battling out there!" Julius complimented his Chainite, recalling it as he soon noticed that the distorted dimensions were returning back to normal. But despite being at a disadvantage for a moment, the two jesters were unfazed by their situation, simply recalling their Pokémon before selecting their next combatants, with Magenta sending out a Gardevoir and Neon sending out a Xatu. In response to their decision, the young teen opted to send out his Dramsama, the regal-looking Pokémon preening its feathers before shooting a glare at its foes. It soon turned its head slightly and emitted hypnotic rays from its eyes at the Gardevoir, the Embrace Pokemon's eyelids growing heavy as it soon drifted off into a deep sleep, though for how long wasn't known. Meanwhile, the Xatu raised its wings in the air and generated an updraft that heightened its speed greatly, taking to the skies and flew towards the Masquerade Pokémon before emitting a weak charge of static electricity from its body. However, the Gliscor was able to intercept the charge and managed to resist it, due to a combination of its typing and the fact that it was already poisoned. It then opened to retaliate by swinging its claw onto the bird's head, causing Xatu to chirp in surprise as it was plummeting towards the ground, only for Dramsama to follow up with a swift Shadow Ball. The eerie blob of negative energy struck the falling bird, causing it to fly back into a wall and crash against it, sliding down to the ground as the weary look in its eyes indicated that it was too exhausted to continue fighting.

Promptly realizing that the powered-up Gliscor was the real threat at hand, Neon recalled their fainted Pokémon and sent out their Slowbro, the dopey Pokémon chiming happily at its foes as it began heightening its mental strength to prepare for this battle. At this point, the Gardevoir had woken up and was now ready to deal some payback to the Dramsama. It quickly began collecting lunar energy with its mind, the Masquerade Pokémon attempting to hypnotize it again, but the Embrace Pokémon wasn't falling for that trick again. Soon enough, it collected the lunar energy into a vivid pink ball and hurled it at the Dramsama, the attack striking it head on as the regal-looking Pokémon was pushed back a few feet. The Gliscor soon flew up into the air before swooping down and slammed its tail into the ground, creating a series of powerful tremors that dealt major damage to the other combatants as a thick blanket of dust was soon kicked up into the air. However, the Slowbro's infamous bulk ensured its survival, the dopey Pokémon channeling a beam of ice-cold energy at the Gliscor as it was struck by the beam and was sent hurtling towards the ground and crashed. When the blanket of dust died down, it showed that the Gardevoir, Dramsama and Gliscor were all unable to continue battling, the Slowbro letting out a casual moan at the sight.

"Whew, now that was an amazing performance from you two!" Aelita chimed at Gliscor and Dramsama, with Julius giving them a supportive nod in agreement as they both recalled their Pokémon. Soon enough, they had selecting their next Pokémon to battle with and threw their Pokéballs to the ground, with Julius selecting his Harptera and Aelita sending out her Mienshao once more. Though the Martial Arts Pokémon was still a little exhausted from its earlier fight, its special ability allowed it to regain much needed energy while inside its ball. Gazing calmly at the opponents Pokémon, Magenta recalled their Gardevoir before sending out their Gallade, the Blade Pokémon bowing slightly in respect.

Sensing a slight hint of exhaustion in the Slowbro's eyes, the Harptera took to the skies and flew towards it at a rapid pace, with Gallade noticing its plan and opted to halt it. Digging a small hole in the ground and hoisting up a hidden boulder, it broke it down into smaller rocks with a series of rapid punches before collecting the rocks and hurling them at the dragonfly. The Mienshao intercepted the attack, shattering the rocks with its fists and legs as it knew that such an attack would be devastating on its partner. Shooting the Mienshao a nod of appreciation, the Harptera continued its flight path towards the Slowbro, dodging an incoming beam of ice from the latter as its tail began glowing a lime green and slashed at the Slowbro. The Hermit Crab Pokémon let out a surprised moan as it was flung into a pile of plush toys standing beside a wall, causing them to fall into pile onto the ground. There were faint traces of movement from beneath the pile, with Slowbro emerging from it, only to collapse after taking a few steps, the last attack having dealt a critical amount of damage.

Neon calmly gazed at their fallen Pokémon before recalling it, opting to send out their Bronzong next, the bell's eyes glowing a mixture of pink and black as it raised its arms in the air. The Harptera's eyed widened in surprise as its plummeted from its current height, to only a few feet above ground, now realizing that the Bronzong had intensified the room's gravity. With its crucial advantage gone, the dragonfly had to play smart now, and opted to target the Gallade, its body glowing a harsh blueish-red as it tried its hardest to get up higher in the air. The Mienshao realized that it too was at a disadvantage due to the intensified gravity and opted to take care of the Bronzong as soon as possible, charging towards it and swiped it with a swift chop. The bell let out a low moan, spinning in the air as its stranglehold on the room's gravity was soon lifted, enabling Harptera to reach the heights it desired. Swooping down towards the Gallade, its body cloaked in a blueish-red aura, it tackled the Gallade and sent it flying back several feet, the Blade Pokémon managing to land gracefully and retaliated by collecting psychic energy in its blades and slashed at the dragonfly. It landed it's mark and sent the insect flying back a couple of feet, only to block an incoming kick from the Mienshao and pushed it back with a swift Ice Punch. The three Pokémon continued their battle, with Gallade managing to parry the incoming attacks with ease as the trio were soon caught-off guard by the sound of a familiar chiming. They turned and saw the Bronzong collecting a massive amount of energy, the Gallade shooting a look of agreement at it, as if it knew what the bell's endgame was. Before either of the heroes Pokémon could react, the room was soon struck by a large explosion that send dust and toys everywhere, with Aelita and Julius covering their faces as a means of protection. Once the brunt of the attack was over, the two trainers uncovered their faces and saw that all for Pokémon were knocked out by the blast, the two jesters seemingly unaffected by the explosion.

"They must be getting desperate to use such tactics against us…" Julius commented, the duo rushing to check up on the Pokémon before recalling them. "This could only mean one thing; they're down to their last Pokémon."

"Yeah…we better prepare for whatever trick they may have left." Aelita replied, letting out a quick sigh as they saw Magenta and Neon recall their Pokémon before promptly sending out their last combatants, a Medicham and Musharna respectively. Realizing that they were up against some very tough Pokémon, the duo opted to send out their strongest companions, with Aelita choosing her Hawlucha and Julius sending out his Syrentide.

"Now then, it's time to wrap this bat—" The young teen began, clamming up as he saw Magenta whip out a Mega Ring and press the Keystone, the Medicham surrounded by a multi-color orb of light as it broke through it a few seconds later, standing tall and proud in its Mega-form. "Well then, this will be interesting." He replied in a deadpan manner.

Opting to take the initiative as soon as possible, the Medicham leaped into battle, jumping up in the air and landed a direct kick at the Hawlucha, causing the nimble bird to stagger back a couple feet before quickly scurrying up the walls and leaped off then, pointing its elbow at the Medicham as it knocked it to the ground. While this was happening, the Syrentide spewed a steam of hot water at the Musharna, the Drowsing Pokémon shuddering in pain as the hot water left a rather painful burn on its side. It promptly turned around and collected negative energy into a shadowy orb before hurling it at the Syrentide, who promptly blocked it with her arms but was pushed back by the attack. Opting to switch tactics to finish off their foes, the Syrentide nimbly dove to the side and spewed a stream of boiling hot water at the floor beneath Medicham's legs. The bipedal fighter was about to retaliate by leaping into the air to deliver another devastating kick, only to slip on the water and fall on its back. This gave Syrentide an ample amount of time to charge up her strongest attack, gathering lunar energy as quickly as she can before the Medicham could get up. The enemy Medicham was soon able to get back up on its feet, steadying itself to ensure it didn't fall over again, only for its eye to widen in shock as it saw Syrentide aim her ball of lunar energy at it, quickly realizing that it wouldn't be able to dodge in time.

Meanwhile, the Hawlucha quickly ran on the floor to confront the Musharna, the bulky Pokemon forming balls of psychic energy with its mind and hurled them at the bird. It was and to swiftly dodge the incoming barrage of attack and promptly leaped up in the air, crossing its arms together to form an 'X' as it swooped down at the Drowsing Pokémon, crashing into it and sent it flying towards the Medicham. The two Pokémon collided with each other and fell into the pile of plush toys from before, with Medicham devolving into its regular form as it was unable to continue fighting anymore, with Musharna just as exhausted. A wave of relief overcame Aelita and Julius as they clasped their hands together, with both Hawlucha and Syrentide huffing proudly over their victory.

"We did it Julius, we defeated the Puppet Masters!" Aelita cheered to him.

"It wasn't just us that won, our Pokémon gave it their all and they succeeded with flying colors!" Julius added, the duo congratulating their victorious companions before recalling them to their balls. The two jesters let out an amused chuckle, quickly recalling their fainted Pokémon before turning to face the two trainers, fading away from the room as the heroes were left confused at what they just saw.

"What the…they just attacked us out of nowhere before disappearing once they lost. Just what is up with them?" The magenta-haired girl asked out loud.

"Who knows; however, I think we should make out way into that music box we opened. That might be where they're hiding." The young teen suggested, turning to face the box standing firmly in the center of the room. Mustering up all their courage, the duo quietly walked past the entrance and into what looked like a fairly small room, the only notable feature being a jester lying back on a white couch at the back of the room. They were considerably taller than Magenta and Neon and donned the same theater mask they wore; however, their uniform was what could only be described as a mixture of pink and green.

"Hehehehe…you two were pretty cool out there, you know? Defeating Magenta and Neon is no easy feat. However, if you came to look for the Puppet Master, then you have succeeded." They spoke, sitting up straight to look into the duos' eyes.

"S-So those two back there weren't the Puppet Master?" Julius inquired.

"Nope, they weren't. But I had them test you to see if you would work together in a team, and you passed with flying colors. Good thing too since you'll be battling together multiple times in the future. Don't worry, I'll send you two a gift for winning the battle." The Puppet Master told them, their voice as calm as calm could be.

"A gift? What kind of gift are you talking about?" Aelita asked, only for the Puppet Master to waggle their finger in the air.

"Uh-Uh-Uh, no spoiling the surprise. But I see you two have come for some of my wisdom; ladies first as the saying goes." They called out, with Aelita taking a step forward.

"I want you to tell me how I can fix myself; I want to go back to be the person I used to be. Who I am right now…this isn't me." She stated her request, with the Puppet Master musing to themselves.

"Hehehe…I may know how to revert you back, but I'm so sorry, I refuse to tell!" They chuckled, the magenta-haired girl shooting him a glare.

"What?! Why would you refuse to tell me?!" She demanded; anger drenched in her tone of voice.

"The answer to your query is something you'll have to figure out on your own. After all, it's crucial to your development as a person after all." The Puppet Master told her, turning to face Julius. "Now then, your request?"

"M-My friend Venam was petrified earlier, and Melia and I wanted to find a cure for her as soon as possible. So I figured that I'd come to you in the hopes that you know how to save her. So, great Puppet Master; do you know the way to save Venam from her plight?" He requested, a little concerned about his answer after the short straw Aelita was dealt.

"Hehehe…such a noble desire you have. In fact, I do know the way to save her, but I refuse to tell you." The jester chuckled once more, catching Julius off-guard with his answer.

"Excuse me?! We've spent so much time and effort reaching you, only to get rewarded with non-answers! What is your deal?!" The young teen snapped at the mysterious entity, who promptly raised their hands in the air to calm the duo down.

"I must apologize for this, but I was the one who ensured that the rumors about me reached your ears. I needed you here in the City of Nightmares, but I couldn't force you to come; after all people can only visit this place by their own free will. Hehehe…tricking people to come here is something I specialize in; it's very easy to get anyone to believe anything if you make it show up in their dreams. And should multiple people experience that same dream, they'll think it's real or something. Having complete control over what people dream can be very powerful…" The Puppet Master chuckled, setting something off in Aelita as she lunged at the figure and grabbed them by their uniform.

"You insignificant bastard! I'll teach you to mess with us!" She snapped, rearing her fist back for a punch, only for the jester to swiftly catch her wrist in response.

"Hey, hey! Hands off the goods, missy! I brought you both here for a good reason, honest!" They quickly told her, the magenta-haired girl huffing before pushing them onto the couch.

"Fine, but it better be a goddamn good reason." Aelita huffed, making her way back to Julius' side.

"I need you two to reunite, after all you both must be inseparable! Well not inseparable given the complicated relationship of a certain someone, but close enough will do." The Puppet Master began, shooting a quick glance at Julius. "After all, you two were separated for some time and look where that got you. You were trapped in a coma for a long time, yeah?" They returned their glance to Aelita.

"Y-Yeah, I was. But where are you going with all this?" She inquired.

"Well I just so happened to see what went down at Valor Mountain, and what a sloppy event that was. The whole shebang could've been avoided if there wasn't a lack of communication." They promptly answered, as a sinking feeling returned to the magenta-haired girl's stomach.

"S-So it is true then, all those losses actually happened on Valor Mountain…" Aelita spoke quietly to herself, the Puppet Master letting out another chuckle.

"You amateurs have no idea what's in store, and it's really funny. You all think that this little game is just black and white, back and front…well have I got a newsflash for you; the entire world doesn't revolve around your special little group. Your war against Team Xen is but one piece of a thousand-piece puzzle." They told the duo, with Julius shooting them another frown.

"Maybe if you, I don't know, gave us some answers for once, then we wouldn't be running around like headless Torchic! The whole reason we've been fighting Team Xen is because that's just what had to be done. What, you mean to tell me that I should've let them capture Melia and be done with it? Not a chance in hell!" The young teen shot back at the menacingly calm figure.

"Yeah, we still have no idea what Team Xen's endgame are, or why they're doing all of this. So far, we've met a whole lot of people who wish to remain silent and keep us in the dark. Those times we were blindly running into danger? They were all because we were told to do so!" Aelita shot back at him as well, the Puppet Master gazing at them silently as they took a deep breath.

"So…you want to know what Team Xen is planning? Instead of outright telling you the answer, I think it would be best to move you in the right direction. You'll know what I mean when you receive your gift, Aelita." They told her, turning to face Julius once more. "As for you Julius, we're quite alike, aren't we?"

"Wh-What?! How on earth are we alike?! No, scratch that, I want an answer to my original question; how can I save Venam from her plight?!" Julius demanded, the Puppet Master lying back down on their couch.

"Interceptor, oh Interceptor? Whose mind will you inhabit next? Dream a dream so grand it becomes a nightmare…" They mused to themselves, with the young teen letting out a low growl.

"Argh, enough of this Interceptor bullshit and tell us a straight answer for once! I'm sick of all this riddles you yammer on about!" He hissed, the taller figure letting out another sigh.

"Alright, you want some answers? Well first of all, I needed to get Alice and Allen out of that cruddy dimension. I told them to get you to come here to this dimension because I needed to speak to you. Those two are important for later down the road, but I thought it would be best to get them acquainted with everyone as soon as possible. Aren't I just the kindest?" The Puppet Master inquired, the duo refusing to answer his question. "Anyway, I came here to warn you about something; _'Eight souls, shine like gold…to create grim future they must behold. One soul out of the eight shall slice down their destiny in two, creating a new path. A path that has already been decided. A future that I've seen only once before. A path that will lead the world into a new era of destruction.'_ "

"…That told us absolutely nothing. What are we supposed to do with that kind of information?" Aelita inquired, with something stirring in the Puppet Master as they realized something.

"Ah…Morning comes, and thus I fade away. We will meet again, I'm sure, oh young Interceptor. Perhaps it won't be in this time, or dimension, or space…but oh young Interceptor, oh Interceptor…whose mind will you inhabit next? One last thing, before we go…beware the Xenpurgis" They spoke to Julius, the young teen fed up with the nonsensical responses he was given.

"D-Damn you Puppet Master! Tell me what I want this instant! Tell me! TELL ME!" Julius demanded, attempting to run towards the figure only for the room to get enveloped in a bright light.

 **The Next Morning**

"Gaaahh!" Julius cried out loud, sitting up straight on the hospital couch and pinched himself to see if it was just another dream. But the light stinging sensation in his hand confirmed that it was indeed the real world, with Venam still in her petrified state. Seeing that image sent another painful blow to his heart; he'd promised Melia that he'd come back with the solution to freeing her from her rocky prison, but all he was given was a bunch of nonsense that he's heard before. Letting out a scoff of frustration, he fished the Nightmare Medallion from his pocket and flung it against the wall, shattering it into two pieces and inadvertently woke up Melia, who was sleeping in the chair beside Venam's bed.

"Mmmnnnn…" She stirred to herself, her eyes opening up as she saw that Julius was awake. "J-Julius, you're awake! D-Do you have the answer to how we can save her?!" The blonde called out eagerly, making her way to sit beside him. But the look of defeat on the young teen's face told an entirely different story, one which told of a most heartbreaking failure.

"I-I'm sorry Melia, but I didn't get what we were looking for…T-The Puppet Master, they knew how to save her, but they refused to tell me, saying that I must earn the knowledge first or something. What I got instead was more of that Interceptor garbage, some random prophecy and another thing called a 'Xenpurgis' or whatever the hell. Y-You put your faith and trust in me, Melia, and I disappointed you; I-I'm so sorry…" Julius recalled, burying his face in his hands as he began sobbing to himself in grief over his failure.

"There, there, I'm not mad at you. W-We'll just have to find another way to save her, that's it." The blonde attempted to cheer him up, gently petting his back with her hand. And while it was evident that she was disappointed over the lead going nowhere, she had expected it to be a red herring in some twisted sort of way. "So, what else happened in the nightmare?"

"T-The nightmare?" Julius sniffled, wiping his tears away with a small handkerchief as Melia gave him a quick nod of confirmation. "W-Well I met Aelita in the City of Nightmares and…"

"Aelita! I-Is she okay?!" Melia cut him off abruptly, catching the young teen off-guard.

"Well in terms of health she's ok; however, she looked and acted a little…differently. Not only was her hair completely different than before, but she was a lot more irritable than she usually is. She was so different, that she questioned on whether or not she had woken up in an entirely different body." He answered. "Anyway, we also met Zetta in the City and would you believe it, I actually felt bad for the guy. After all, he had no memories of his life as a Solosis and was raised in an environment where he received no love from Team Xen but was forced to fight for them anyway. He even imagined a future where you and him could stand together as brother and sister, having the time of your life. I know you don't like him and considering what he's done I can't blame you, but I'd just like to rely his parting request to you; he doesn't want you to forget him."

"As I expected…last night I saw him in my dreams like usual. But instead of it being a terrible one, it was a more…peaceful one. In it he said what you told me he said to you, as well as extending an apology for all that he's done to me and my friends. And while I'm still a little angry at him for costing me a normal childhood, I don't have as much animosity towards him as I used to. In a way, I think he will get his wish after all because I don't think I can forget about him. Because if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be on this adventure and meet so many wonderful people; Venam, you, Aelita; despite all our ups and downs it's been an experience that I'll look back on fondly." The blonde replied, a smile forming on her face as a swift knocking rattled on the door. "Come in!"

On cue, a nurse entered the door with a package in her hands. "Good morning you two, by any chance is a 'Mr. Julius' residing here? A co-worker of mine found this on the front desk with a name and the room number on a small card." She inquired.

"Yes ma'am, that's me." Julius called out, taking the package from her hands. "Thank you very much."

"You're very welcome, young man." She smiled, bowing slightly before the duo and exited the room, closing the door behind her as the young teen sat back down beside Melia.

"A package this early in the morning? Did you order something else, or is this another "gift" from the Puppet Master?" Melia inquired, with Julius picking up the card to read it.

"Most likely the latter; give this card a quick read." He replied, handing the card over to Melia as he got to work opening the package.

' _Hey, Julius! Remember when I said I had a gift for you and Aelita? Yepperinos, that's what this is my friend! This is taken straight from Lavender's stash. I made some slight modifications to it to enhance its appearance, but it should act just the same! Now that you've got your Trickery Badge, I think you should go find Aelita again. Shouldn't be too difficult, I think. My card to her mentioned the Grand Dream Station so may I suggest starting off there? Until we meet again, ok Interceptor…Sweet Nightmares!'_ The card read, as Julius managed to open the box and saw…a single solitary badge on the bottom. It resembled a pair of theater masks, one green and one magenta, much like the duo whom he fought with Aelita.

"It says here that Aelita may be at the Grand Dream Station, but why the Puppet Master wants you to meet her is a mystery." Melia commented, with Julius attaching the badge to his trainer card.

"He said something about how our friendship must be inseparable if we are to survive the events to come." Julius answered, quickly getting himself ready. "Anyway, I'm going to go check on her. Will you be alright here on your own?"

"I'll be fine, thank you very much. I've been wanting to spend some time alone with Venam anyway." The blonde replied, the duo giving each other a quick kiss before the young teen promptly exited the hospital room, beginning the quick trek to Grand Dream Station.

 **0000**

Luckily for him, it didn't take long to find Aelita. Indeed, the moment he entered the vast station, he heard someone call out to him. Turning to the left, he saw Aelita running towards him, looking exactly like she did in the City of Nightmares. "Hey, Julius! I had a hunch you'd come here. But just to be sure, that was you who fought alongside me back there, right?" She called out to him.

"Would this suffice as proof?" He replied, taking out his trainer card and showed her the Trickery Badge. "This was my gift from the Puppet Master."

"Hmmm…yep, that's good enough for me! I'm just glad it wasn't just a bizarre dream, but then again it kinda was a dream. But enough about that, why don't I show you where I've been living for the last couple weeks? I…I don't want to go back there on my own after running away. I have a friend who lives there. Her name's Erin and she's really blunt at times." Aelita requested.

"Sure, I'll come with you. After all I met Erin earlier and from the sound of things, she wasn't the happiest about you getting up and leaving the place." Julius agreed, putting his trainer card away. "Funnily enough, Erin's been staying over at the penthouse I'm currently renting while looking for you."

"W-Wait, she's been looking for me this whole time?!" The magenta-haired girl exclaimed, the young teen nodding in confirmation. "Whew, it's a good thing you agreed to come with me. She'd put my head on a stake after all the trouble I put her through. Well there's no point putting it off any longer, let's head back there as soon as possible."

"Fine by me. Since you'll no doubt be in a lot of trouble, shall I ease your burden a little by shouting you a ticket?" He offered.

"That'll be lovely, thank you very much." Aelita thanked him, the duo making it to the turnstile and got their tickets, passing through it and hopped onto the train. Soon enough, the train took off and made the short trip to the Route 9 station as Julius got his first glimpse of the route. The grass was a light shade of gold, as were the leaves in the trees that populated the route, giving the area a sense of tranquility that was only present during the fall season. A few minutes later, the train ground to a halt and stopped at the station, the duo hopping off and descended the small flight of stairs to the soft dirt path. "And here we are, Route 9. All we have to do is walk north, take a left at the first crossroad we come across and we should reach our destination. It's on a cliff so it's really hard to miss it."

"In that case, lead the way." Julius offered, the magenta-haired girl giving him a quick nod as the duo began the walk to her place of residence. Along the way, they were treated to a few more sights, such as a couple Water-type Pokémon frolicking in the lakes to the side, a pair of trainers battling each other, and even a couple people heading to the small beach to the east of the route, a metal detector slung over their shoulders. After a while, the duo made it to what looked like a large theater with Japanese-inspired architecture standing tall and firm over the area, a quick sigh escaping from Aelita's mouth.

"Well here we are…there's no point trying to get out of it." She sighed, opening the door and stepped inside with Julius following her in. Upon entering the theater, the first thing they saw was the Eldest in what seemed like a heated discussion with an elderly gentleman around her age. He had short white hair on his head and had a scruffy beard that reached his neck, his outfit consisting of a blue robe commonly worn in Japan, a thin belt of sorts around his waist. Like the Eldest, he had a staff in his right hand that was taller than he was. However, because the duo were a considerable distance away from them, they weren't 100% sure who was saying what.

"It's going to be all right, don't worry about it."

"But what if something happens again? We won't be around to help the situation."

"If something happened, it would've already happened. Besides, Erin is out looking for her right now. I'm sure she'll be back soon." They conversed with each other, with Aelita taking a deep breath before approaching the duo.

"Uh…hey." She called out, attracting their attention as Julius made his way to her side.

"Aelita!" The Eldest sighed in relief, though was still a little upset with her. "Where on Arceus' green earth have you been?! You can't just get up and leave when you feel like it, especially after what happened to you!"

"I'm fine…you don't have to worry about me all the time." Aelita replied calmly.

"The last time you said that, you fell into a coma!" The elderly lady reminded her, the magenta-haired girl letting out a quick sigh of frustration.

"Everyone keeps telling me that, I know what happened to me! You don't have to keep reminding me of a mistake I made, I get it." She snapped momentarily, before lowering her voice to its usual level. "Anyway, I found Julius in Grand Dream City."

"Did you?" The Eldest replied, turning her head slightly and saw the young teen standing beside Aelita. "It is you, Julius! I'm very happy to see you again, are you well?"

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Eldest. In terms of health, I'm very well. But my emotional side has been…rattled as of late. I'd rather not talk about it for the moment." He replied, bowing in respect to her.

"I see…well if you don't feel comfortable talking about it yet, then that's fine. But don't keep it to yourself all the time, lest your grief consumes your spirit." She told him, turning her head briefly when she heard the old man beside her cough. "Ah but where are my manners? Julius, this is Souta over here."

"A pleasure to meet you. I'm the owner of this lovely theater. A simple question though, have you two seen my granddaughter?" The now named Souta greeted the young teen.

"It's nice to meet you as well. Now as for your question, yes I have seen Erin. She's currently staying over in the penthouse I'm renting with my friends, using it as a place to rest during her search for Aelita." Julius answered.

"Good to see that she hasn't forgotten what I sent her out there for." The old man scratched his neck briefly, shooting a glance at Aelita. "Aelita, tell us what happened out there. Weren't you simply investigating that wreckage with Erin?"

"A-About that…it was kind of a small lie…" She confessed hesitantly, shuffling her left foot on the wooden ground.

"But why lie to me, Aelita? Do you not trust me at all?" The Eldest inquired, a look of hurt in her eyes.

"I-It's not that I don't trust you, far from it. I just got sick and tired of everyone staring me down all the time. Ever since I woke up, the three of you have been watching me while my back was turned, as if I was in some sort of psychiatric ward. I couldn't take it any longer! I just needed some time away from the prying eyes of you all!" Aelita got into a little rant, the older couple staring at her calmly before promptly forming their answer.

"Aelita…we were just trying to protect you—" The Eldest began.

"I don't need your goddamn protection you dense old lady! I can take care of myself, and I don't need any of you two to remind me of what happened. Because trust me, I'm pretty well aware of what happened." She continued to rant.

"A-Aelita, there's no need to attack them like that. They were just hel—" Julius began, only for the door to slam open as a familiar figure stormed inside.

"That's it, I've had enough of this nonsense!" Erin protested, marching towards Souta. "I don't care that I can't find her. She ran off and that's no longer my problem!

"Erin, you see—" The elderly man began.

"No, you listen to me, Old Man. I'm done looking for that spoiled brat. I know she didn't get lost; I think she ran away when she got the opportunity. So you know what? To hell with her." The white-haired girl blew off some more steam. "I've done my part; I've earned myself a nap after all the searching I did."

"Erin, she—" Souta began once more.

"No, I said I won't look for her anymore!" She stood her ground.

"Erin…" Aelita chimed in.

"WHAT?!" Erin yelled, turning around to face the voice, only to be staring right into Aelita's eyes. A variety of mixed emotions overcame her; anger, confusion, annoyance, but mostly the anger.

"…This is not going to end well." Julius muttered to himself, watching the white-haired girl storm up to Aelita and slap her harshly across the cheek, sending the magenta-haired girl back a few feet.

"Aelita!" The Eldest called out in concern, as she, Souta and Julius were now spectators to another sticky argument.

"You selfish bitch! Next time you decide to make my life hell, you better punt in the paperwork first! Because of you I was homeless for weeks, WEEKS! All so you can run off and do your own thing?! What the hell do you think would happen to me? I was responsible for you! I convinced the Old Man to let me take you out in your own, but then you betrayed me! I did all of that just so you could stab me in the back! I hope you're happy with yourself, you selfish little prick!" Erin ranted, storming off past Aelita and straight into her room.

"I-I'll go have a talk with her." Aelita told the elderly couple, following Erin to her room as the duo watched her go.

"Well, that was a wonderful reunion, wasn't it?" Souta commented, a hint of amusement in his tone.

"I see you haven't changed a bit at all." The Eldest commented, the duo making their way to their individual room leaving Julius on his own. He turned his head and noticed a package beside the front door and assumed it to be Aelita's gift from the Puppet Master. Speaking of which, he figured it would be best to check up on her and Erin, so as to ensure they don't tear each other's throats out. So the young teen made his way to the western wing of the theater and towards Erin's room, slipping in quietly so as to not disturb the duo.

"Erin, listen…" Aelita pleaded, but Erin was too busy tiding up her hair in the mirror.

"I have nothing to say to you, Aelita." She replied, still upset with her over what had happened.

"I'm sorry that I tricked you, but it was something I had to do." The magenta-haired girl defended her actions.

"Perhaps that was the case. I'm more annoyed by the fact that you refused to let me help you. instead you chose to throw me under the bus. That was always the plan, right? I just want you to know that I was worried about your safety, but now I know that was a huge mistake." Erin told her bluntly.

"I-I don't know what else to say." Aelita spoke quietly.

"You know, people usually say 'I'm sorry' to people they've wronged." The white-haired girl promptly turned around to face her. "Has that phrase completely left your vocabulary?"

"Ugh, fine. I'll just head back to my room. I've had enough of this anyway." The magenta-haired girl scoffed, beginning to make her way out of Erin's room.

"I don't know who you were before this, but all you think about is yourself now." Erin commented.

"Why must you instigate?! Am I that much of a burned to you all?!" Aelita snapped back at the white-haired girl.

"Heh…you really don't remember what happened, do you? You know, the day I brought both you and the Eldest back here. You were completely fine, but the Eldest was badly injured. Naturally, we tended to her wounds first, before the subject switched to you. Supposedly, you were inflicted with some ancient Garufan curse; since Souta was a spiritual healer, we brought you to the main hall for healing." Erin began recalling the events of the past.

 **0000**

" _Hm…much more inflicts this girl than a standard Garufan curse." Souta mused to himself, the sleeping form of Aelita resting on an altar as he, Erin and the Eldest watched over her. "There appears to be many locks around her heart and soul."_

" _Vivian…" The Eldest mused to herself, turning to face the elderly man. "Is there anything you can do for her, Souta?"_

" _Yes, I will be able to undo the curse, but that will mean I have to remove the chains around her soul. I have no idea what the consequences of that will be, so we best be prepared. Erin, I want you to go get the prayer slips ready." He requested._

" _Got it." Erin agreed, quickly making her way to the backroom to retrieve the desired item._

" _Get ready, for I shall begin the process now." Souta told the Eldest._

" _Think you could swing that stick like you could in the old days?" The elderly lady inquired, looking at the staff in his right hand_

" _Heh, I've still got it!" He replied in an amused manner._

" _Ugh! Please get back on topic; I'm not even in the same room yet I'm disgusted by what I'm hearing!" Erin complain from behind the backroom door._

" _Very well…let us begin." Souta complied, raising his staff in the air as the unconscious form of Aelita hovered a few feet into the air. "Erin, have you found those prayer slips yet?"_

" _Just a couple more minutes." The white-haired girl replied._

" _These chains around Aelita's soul…will unlocking them harm her?" The Eldest inquired._

" _No…but I have no idea on what kind of effect it will have on her psyche. Her mental state may be different from what you're used to." Souta answered promptly. "Now, I'm going to proceed with unlocking these chains. Break!"_

 _A loud cracking noise could be heard throughout the room, as the Eldest detected a difference in the room's atmosphere, almost as if the air carried with it a hostile presence. "W-What's going on?" She inquired._

" _I don't know…" The elderly man replied, a look of concern growing on his face. "Erin, the prayer slips!"_

" _I'm almost done with them, Old Man! These prayer slips must be absolutely perfect." She retorted through the door. "If I do them incorrectly, then they're about as useful as an inflatable dartboard, and you know that!"_

 _Suddenly, Aelita's eyes opened widely, the Eldest letting out a sigh of relief upon seeing her wake up, only for that relief to disappear as a mysterious red aura enveloped the girl. Turning around to face duo, a sinister grin appeared on her face as her eyes began glowing a crimson red._

" _Hehehehe…" "Aelita" chuckled darkly, enveloping the Eldest in an invisible aura before flinging her towards the back wall._

" _Cel!" Souta exclaimed in fear, briefly turning to face the elderly lady._

" _D-Don't take your eyes off of her… W-We can't leave Aelita in this state…complete the ritual." The Eldest replied weakly, with Souta fixing his gaze back onto her. The old man's worries only grew larger as he felt her energy resisting the spiritual power of his staff._

" _By Arceus' name…what has happened to this girl?" He muttered to himself. "Just how powerful is this curse?"_

" _What's happening in there?" Erin inquired from behind the door._

" _Erin, we need those prayer slips right now!" Souta requested urgently._

" _I'm almost done with them, just hold on for a little longer! They wear off seconds after they're made, so I have to make sure I do this correctly. J-Just stall a bit!" She called out to him. Souta, realizing the magnitude of the situation stood his ground, hoping that he would be able to keep Aelita from breaking free. Seconds turned into minutes, beads of sweat falling down the mans face. But his perseverance would pay off as Erin quick stormed out of the back room, several prayer slips in her hand._

" _Time to go to bed, Aelita." The white-haired girl called out, slapping a prayer slip onto the possessed girl as a bright flash enveloped the room. Once it died down, it showed that a faint black aura had enveloped the girl, who was slowly lowered back onto the altars surface. Soon enough, it faded away and freed Aelita, her once purple hair now a distinct shade of magenta._

" _Urgh…" Aelita groaned to herself, as she began to slowly awaken from her deep sleep._

 **0000**

"After all that was done, you woke up. but you still weren't quite you…actually, you were absolutely awful. You broke things, damaged the place even going so far as to attack the Kimono Girls who work here at the theater, and the innocent bystanders travelling on Route 9. It got so bad that Souta was on the verge of exiling you two from this place but opted to try one last thing before doing so; reattaching some of the chains that were undone. With that, he placed a robe over you and told you to recite a prayer every 24 hours. You were back to your old self, somewhat, but with a more aggressive touch." Erin concluded, with Julius and Aelita taking the time to digest all that they heard.

"So that was why you kept watching her all the time." The young teen deduced.

"Yeah, we weren't watching her to make sure you were ok, but to make sure she didn't harm anyone else." She replied, turning to face Aelita. "We don't just look out for the theater staff, but everyone who travels on this route. Now, just imagine what would happen if one prayer suddenly wasn't enough? What if you lost sight of who you were again? What would happen? You'd go off and attack other people because you couldn't control yourself. I would've been responsible for each and every person you touched. THAT'S why I'm upset with you. that is why we couldn't let you out of our sight at any moment. Now do you understand, Aelita?"

"Erin…I-I'm so sorry. For everything…" The magenta-haired girl apologized, wiping a small tear away.

"I'll accept your apology for now, but you better not try a stunt like that again. I hope I made myself clear." Erin accepted the apology.

"Yes, I'll behave from now on. I just wish someone had told me about all this earlier." Aelita promised, turning to face Erin.

"We couldn't run the risk of upsetting you. Any extreme emotional stimulation may cause an unwanted reaction, which is what we're trying to avoid the most." The white-haired girl informed her, explaining their reason for keeping quiet about it. Suddenly, the Eldest burst into the room, a concerned look on her face.

"E-Everyone, you need to turn the TV on right now!" She urged them.

"G-Got it!" Julius replied, making his way to the small television on a desk beside Erin's bed and switching it on, the two girls joining him to see what the fuss was about. As they expected, the familiar face of Volta appeared on the screen and was ready to present the latest news update.

" _Hello everyone, It's the ever-so wonderful Volta from Gearen City News! We're here to announce the participants of the Festival Tournament coming up! we've already gone through brackets A-D and the first bit of Bracket E, so now we're going through the final list! The last few participants in Bracket E are…Jean, Mary Ann, Lucien, Erin, Aelita, Venam, Melia, Julius, Kanon and the beautiful and talented Risa Raider! Thank you all for watching; tune in next time for some exclusive footage of the tournament!"_ She reported, with Erin promptly turning off the TV as the three teenagers took the time to digest what they had just watched.

"No fucking way…" Julius gasped quietly to himself. He remembered Risa telling him that she took the last position in the Festival Tournament the other day, so how could he and his friends even have a position in the first place? Not to mention that Venam was unable to participate, and he doubted Melia had the will to do so considering what had happened.

"Well that was certainly something…" Erin quipped out loud.

"Why have all our names been called out as participants for that tournament?! I didn't sign up to take part in it!" Aelita exclaimed.

"Not to mention that you couldn't have; Risa Raider told me that she took the last position, meaning that neither me, nor Melia, Venam or Kanon could sign up." The young teen told her. "S-Surely this is a mistake and we can just choose to not participate."

"I don't know the terms and conditions for signing up for this tournament, but I do remember there being this huge controversy last year over people not showing up for the tournament after they signed up, wasting so much money for spots that weren't filled up in the end. Cassandra was so livid over it that she enforced a new rule; trainers who wish not to participate must either pay a huge fee or relinquish their right to participate in the Aevium League and face some serious jail time." The white-haired girl answered, with Julius letting out a sigh of frustration.

"Man, can't we just catch a break for once in our lives?" He complained, lying on the floor and began thinking to himself. This whole event must be a trap laid out by Cassandra to bring them out in the open, but for what purpose? Was she but a puppet dancing on someone's strings, and if so, whose exactly? For a so-called City of Dreams, it was slowly becoming the City of Nightmares that he spent the last night wandering in. whatever the case, he needed to relay this information to Melia and the others as soon as possible, if they are to prepare a suitable strategy to deal with this new revelation.

 **And that is all for this chapter and boy did it go on for longer than I expected. It's fitting that I end things here as this is where one of my favorite episodes, Remember, I Love You begins. I should be able to begin writing it in the New Year so that's something to look forward to. Some people may raise an eyebrow over how easy the Zetta fight was, but considering it was meant to pass on his final request, hence the nicknames of his** **Pokémon** **, I figured I'd try and replicate that the best I could. Thank you all for reading my story; I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays, my wonderful readers!**


	44. Chapter 44

**Guest: Thank you for your comment, I'm looking forward to the bad future arc just as much as you are!**

 **Welcome to the new year everyone and boy do I have a treat for you all today. It's the start of one of my favorite episodes of Rejuvenation and I'm glad I'm finally able to write about it. I hope you'll all enjoy it as much as I will.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Julius had spent the last half hour wandering around the Rose Theater, his mind going over the news report he had heard earlier. Against all odds, he and his friends were all signed up for the Festival Tournament despite the fact there weren't any vacancies left; just what was going on behind the scenes? His mind then began to wander back to another odd occurrence that happened recently, the duo masquerading as him and his mother. Could they be the ones that signed him and his friends up to the tournament? While that could explain his position at the very least, it didn't make as much sense for the other people; surely, they would have to sign in themselves in order to be accepted into the tournament. No, there had to be someone in a position of power who purposely signed them up for the event, but for what reason was unknown to him at this moment. While he was wandering around the theater, the young teen happened to catch Aelita pacing up and down the hallway, a glum look on her face.

"Argh, I can't believe I've been that horrible of a person, and I didn't even know it!" she sighed to herself, turning her head and saw Julius nearby. "Ah, sorry I distracted you from your chain of thought."

"No need to apologize, for both the distraction and for what you've done earlier. You weren't in complete control over your body back then." He attempted to cheer her up.

"I suppose your right…" The magenta-haired girl replied, sighing quietly under her breath. "Look, I understand why the others kept an eye on me, but I still had the right to a little privacy and a right to know why they did what they did. I'm not an unreasonable person, I would've understood their intentions. And that's not even mentioning this damn tournament that I've been signed up to; I didn't even know it existed until now!"

"I can't blame you for feeling uncomfortable about this whole tournament deal; it's got to be a trap by whoever's pulling the strings in Grand Dream City." Julius chimed in, a set of approaching footsteps putting the duo on edge.

"Settle down, it's just me making my way." Souta reassured them calmly, shooting a gaze at Aelita. "While I understand your grievances, there is no need to be so fierce."

"O-Oh, y-you heard us?" Aelita inquired wearily, the old man letting out a quick chuckle.

"I heard all of it, but that's no a problem at all. In fact, I understand your situation, but please understand that we had no ill-intentions towards you. We only wanted to protect everyone around us, including you." He replied, the magenta-haired girl letting out a insincere laugh in response.

"Guess that's the story of my life; I'm surrounded by people who seek to protect me like I'm some relic at a museum or something. Well you know what, I don't need anyone's protection. I'm perfectly capable of handling myself!" She declared boldly.

"Oh I'm more than confident that you can handle yourself, Aelita. I've heard many tales about your strength and bravery. But this is no ordinary situation you're in; there are things that cannot be explained prop—" Souta began.

"Oh, and why can't it be explained? Why can't anything be explained to me?!" Aelita shot back, causing Julius to think to himself momentarily. That story Erin told them about what Aelita went through sounded like a more extreme version of what he went through during his time as Angie's captive. Perhaps there was some secret magic behind that Garufan curse that infected her, magic that could be identical to the energy powering up the Dimensional Rifts. The young teen then turned to face Souta, a thoughtful expression on the old mans' face as he began to ponder Aelita's request in his mind.

"So you wish to know the truth then? Is that what you truly want?" He double-checked with her.

"Yes, it's what I truly want right now. More than I can put it into words." She confirmed it, the old man looking down at the ground momentarily before looking back up at her.

"I see…then it seems like it's time for my purpose in life to finally be fulfilled." Souta replied, an odd mixture of sadness and happiness etched on his wrinkled face. Julius initially thought that the older gentleman was being a little over dramatic…but considering what he's been through during his time in Aevium, there could be more to this than he initially expected. "Yes, I believe that you are ready to learn the truth. However, you will need help from your friends. Do any of you two know where Erin went off to?"

"Well I do remember her making a comment about settling this whole tournament business in Grand Dream City." Julius chimed in.

"Yes, I have heard about that particular business from the Eldest. If I remember correctly, further inquiries are handled at Axis High University. Go get Erin, and Melia while you're at it, she should be at the Hospital of Hope." The older gentleman informed them.

"I knew where Melia was, sir. Rest assured, we'll return once everyone's been gathered." Julius promised his elder.

"Good…I expect you two to be back as soon as possible. Now make haste, we do not have all day to stand here and chat." Souta told them, with Aelita quickly expressing her thanks as the duo quickly made their way out of the theater to gather the others.

 **0000**

"Lavender has been assigned to the ER on the ground floor; direct orders from Dr. Isha himself." A nurse informed her two colleagues, the trio wheeling the stretcher with the weakened Lavender lying on top out of the ambulance.

"Of course she'd go there; where else would she have gone?" A second nurse commented, watching the duo wheel her into the hospital before making her way to the ambulance. "Ma'am, do you require any assistance?"

"No, I can take care of myself, thank you." Madelis replied, hopping out of the vehicle while clutching her wound. "It's just a small wound that needs attending, I don't need to be pushed around on a cart. So if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way then." She continued, making her way past the front door and into the vast hospital and towards the receptionist's desk.

"Welcome to the Hospital of Hope, how can I help you today?" the receptionist chimed happily at the redhead.

"Listen, it's nothing too serious. I just need a small wound looked at and treated. I believe Cassandra made an appointment for me or something?" Madelis replied, causing the receptionist to raise an eyebrow before checking the hospital's database for proof.

"Hmm, let's see…this should take a few minutes." She replied, directing her focus on the computer as the redhead waited patiently. But only a few seconds later, a familiar figure made his way down the hospital halls and towards the main lobby.

"Ah yes, I've been expecting you, Madelis. You were the one Cassandra sent here, right?" Dr. Isha called out to her, turning to the receptionist. "No need to look up the appointment, I've got this one covered."

"Y-yes sir!" The receptionist blurted, watching the duo make their ways down the pristine halls. But instead of going towards one of the usual rooms, the doctor took a swift turn right and led Madelis down to the depths of the hospital, towards a private room kept hidden away from the public eye.

"So this is where you always bring your patients; some creepy underground room?" Madelis inquired, watching Isha retrieve some rubbing alcohol and a few bandages.

"Do you always speak nonsense whenever you speak?" The man retorted, pouring a bit of alcohol on a rubbing pad and began disinfecting her wound with the pad.

"Touché, it's just a little weird." The redhead replied, wincing slightly in pain from the alcohol making contact with her wound.

"To answer your question, no. I do not bring anyone down here period. But given that this is a special circumstance, I'm willing to make an exception this time." Isha answered, rubbing the wound dry before beginning the process of wrapping bandages around it.

"A special circumstance? By any chance, are you a member of…" Madelis began.

"Team Xen? No, I couldn't be bothered to take part in a disorganized organization. However, I am affiliated with Cassandra, and she is part of Team Xen, so I guess we're co-workers in a sense." The doctor answered bluntly.

"A mutual partnership I see." The redhead replied, watching Isha finish wrapping the bandages before snipping the excess parts off.

"To some extent, yes. I couldn't care less about what she does. All I care about is my research." He replied back, putting the bandages and alcohol away. "I must say that was quite the wound you had. How did you get that?"

"I…I fell on a knife." Madelis lied, not wanting to tell him that she had displeased Madame X for the last time. "Yeah, that's it. I was making myself something in the kitchen when I slipped and fell on a knife, leaving me with this wound."

"I see…anyway I've finished patching you up. Try not to move around too much or else you'll reopen it." Isha informed her, not fully buying the story she just told him. "I assume you can see your own way out?"

"Yeah, I can see myself out. Thank you for checking up on me." Madelis told him, promptly exiting his underground office and made her way through the underground tunnels. But as she was about to make her way to the ground floor, something had caught her eye; a seemingly lone door leading to another room. Curiosity got the better of her as she made her way to the secret room, opening the door and stepped inside, only for her eyes to widen at the sight. There was a young blonde girl lying in the bed, her eyes fixated on the redhead before her. She didn't know who exactly she was but there was something about her that felt…familiar. Whatever the case, Madelis knew she wasn't supposed to be here and promptly exited the small room.

 **0000**

Julius had made his way to Axis High University to begin searching for Erin, with Aelita having gone off on her own for a bit of quiet time to herself. Though he was a little concerned that she might break down and start attacking people again, he was confident that she'll be able to recover quickly before anyone got seriously injured. Arriving at the front of the prestigious academy, he was surprised to see around a dozen or so stalls lined up around the place, selling various items and confectionery and well as even a few minigames.

"Must be a celebration to herald the tournaments debut." He mused to himself, his eyes scanning the nearby area for Erin only to lock onto a stall selling ice-cream. Slowly approaching it, he saw that the stall sold over twenty different flavors of ice-cream…including the fabled Blue Moon ice-cream. The young teen heard tales about the stuff and how it's taste is out of this world, hence the extreme price tag on it. Figuring that it could help cheer Melia up a bit, he opted to purchase a small tub for her, the purchase using up over half the money in his wallet. Placing the sealed tub in his bag to keep it cold, he continued to explore the area until stumbling upon Erin standing by another stall, engaging in what sounded like a heated argument.

"You mean to tell me that I can't do anything about it, making this trip a complete waste?!" Erin expressed her frustrations at the receptionist.

"I'm sorry, but our policies are incredibly strict. You were told all of this when you went to sign up, there's no excuse." The receptionist replied calmly.

"I already told you that I never signed up in the first place! Someone else must've put down my name as a joke!" The white-haired girl continued to press her case.

"I find that extremely hard to believe. Each client requires their ID and an interview before being accepted. I can assure you that signing other people up for the tournament is an impossibility." The receptionist defended herself, bringing up a sheet of paper that listed off the terms and conditions for the teenager to read.

"Well then, that's it?" Erin asked, with the older woman nodding in confirmation. "Thanks for nothing, Ma'am." She sighed, walking off in a huff with Julius following beside her.

"I take it that you weren't able to pull out?" He inquired.

"Yeah, that was a complete bust. Looks like we have no choice but to participate in this tournament." She told him, a voice calling out to them as they saw Aelita approaching them.

"Hey, did you two managed to pull out of this tournament?" Aelita inquired, oblivious to the glare Erin was shooting back at her.

"Aelita, what did we just talk about? You aren't supposed to be out here by yourself!" The white-haired girl yelled at her.

"Ugh…yell at me later, okay. I don't give a damn right now. Did you get the situation taken care of, or not?" The magenta-haired girl brushed her friends comment off and pressed her question further.

"Unfortunately, Erin wasn't able to pull us out of the tournament. We have no choice but to participate in it. The only way we can get out of this is by paying them off, but that'll cost us our Trainer Cards as well, and I don't have any intention of letting all my efforts go to waste." Julius broke the bad news.

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad, can it?" A voice called out to the trio, attracting their attention as they saw…what appeared to be a tall man making his way to them. He had short black hair and wore a set of tinted sunglasses over his eyes, his outfit consisting of a blue jacket and a matching pair of jeans, the jacket wide open and revealed his well-built torso.

"I'm sorry, did you forget your shirt today, or are you always this disgusting?" Erin retorted, narrowing her eyes at the older gentleman.

"Hey ma'am, that's not cool! I wasn't even planning on making a move. I just overheard your conver—" The man began.

"You mean eavesdropping?" The white-haired girl corrected him.

"Well yeah, I may have been eavesdropping just a little bit, but could you blame me? Whatever you were going on about sounded really juicy to me." He defended himself, albeit poorly as Aelita took a closer look at him.

"Hmmm…have we met before? You look like someone I know." The magenta-haired girl asked him.

"Ah, you've probably seen me in a poster or something! The name's Adam Might; hard as rock and—" He began to introduce himself, only for Aelita to jump back in shock.

"A-Adam?! Is that really you?!" She exclaimed, catching Julius off-guard as he began to take a closer look at the man before him. And though he couldn't get a clear look at his eyes, he was able to connect the dots by admiring his well-built figure.

"My goodness, it really is you, Adam. I'm Julius; you remember me and Aelita, right?" The young teen inquired, with the now named Adam taking a closer look at the duo.

"Nope, I can't say I recognize you two at all. But I admire your enthuse—" Adam began, only for the doors to the university to open wide as Risa Raider and an older woman stepped out of the massive building. The second woman had short blonde hair and blue eyes, her outfit consisting of a black and yellow dress that reached her shins.

"We were wondering what the noise was, and it seems we've stepped into a party! Looks like THE Adam Might is the star of the show tonight, what are you doing tonight?" Risa called out, attracting the groups' attention.

"Nothing much, just hanging out and chatting to a few fans of mine." Adam replied casually.

"Hahahahaha, that's so cool of you. You're quite the charmer, you know that? Perhaps one night we can go on a date or something." The model proposed, with the muscular man contemplating it.

"As tempting as your offer is…I find the company of men to be more comforting; men like this handsome gentleman over here." He knocked her offer back, pointing directly at Julius. "Yes, he's quite the looker isn't he? Not too muscular, has that air of mystery around him, it's no wonder I've heard so many good things about him."

"Well I can't fault you for eyeing off the fabled Xen Destroyer himself; after all I'm tempted myself to take him out on a date." Risa replied, shooting a quick smirk at Julius. "Good thing I ran into you; I was just talking to my good friend Volta about you."

"Ah yes, I've heard of her; the widely popular news reporter from Gearen City." The young teen chimed in, making his way to shake hands with the blonde woman. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Volta."

"And it's a pleasure to meet you as well!" Volta smiled back at him.

"Yeah, yeah, formalities and whatever. I was just telling her about how Julius and co broke into the tournament system and got their names registered even though it was full. So Julius…how'd you guys do it?" Risa inquired, her focus directly onto the young teen and his friends. "We met right before I signed up for the tournament myself, and I was the one who took the last position. There's no way you guys could've all signed up if you could have only done it after I did."

"That's the thing; none of us sighed up for the tournament at all. Heck I didn't even know it existed until a while ago." Erin attempted to explain their situation.

"Say what you will, but the proof is in the pudding, dear. But it's no big deal; all it means is that we're rivals now. I won't keep you here any longer Volta, after all you have that meeting with your reporters." The model turned to face her close friend.

"Yeah, I did ditch them by mistake a while back. I gotta go make sure they're okay. It was nice meeting you all, though. See you next time; Volta's out!" The blonde chimed in, leaving the nearby area as quickly as she can.

"I gotta go too. Jean's probably mad at me for keeping him waiting for so long. Catch you all later!" Risa chimed in, blowing the group of four a kiss before making her way out the area as well.

"I gotta go prepare for the tournament as well. See you all when the time comes; I'll show you all just how rock hard my team can be!" Adam called out, the tall man making his leave as well as the trio were left to their own devices.

"Ugh…now I have a headache…" Erin complained, raising a hand to her head.

"I don't blame you; that entire affair was exhausting." Aelita expressed her sympathies.

"Whatever, I won't let this rigged system beat me; I have a plan to deal with it, but I'll keep it to myself for now. That aside, I never did ask why you two were looking for me."

"Long story short, Souta was the three of us to talk to him about Aelita, alongside Melia. Once the four of us are present, he will tell Aelita the truth about her." Julius answered. "And on that note, I'm going to check up on her. It's my duty as her loyal follower after all." He continued, the young teen promptly making his way to the Hospital of Hope.

"A little ominous, but slightly fascinating. Very well, I'll wait at the theater; it's not like I can do all that much out here." Erin agreed, beginning her journey back home but stopped right beside Aelita. "Stick by Julius, and don't wander off. I've marked the location of the Hospital of Hope in your CyberNav."

"Yeah, yeah. I know…" Aelita sighed in annoyance, the duo going off in separate directions as the magenta-haired girl followed Julius to their destination.

 **Hospital of Hope**

Having made his way to the 38th floor, Julius was about to make his way to the room where Venam was being kept when one of the nurses noticed him and walked on over to him. She informed him that Venam had been moved to a restoration pod in one of the rooms on the right and gave him the directions to said room. Giving her a nod of appreciation, the young teen made his way to the room she mentioned and knocked briskly, a voice from the other end granting him permission to enter. Upon entering, he saw Melia, Kanon and an older woman with purple hair observing one of the pods and made his way over to them.

"Hey Jules…" Melia greeted him a little sadly, gesturing him to look at the pod before her, which was housing the petrified Venam inside its firm steel case. "Look at what they put her in, a simple pod to just sit in there…how could I have let this happen to her? Why can't I be good enough to do anything…"

"Don't beat yourself up over it; it wasn't your fault that she got petrified. Besides, I'm sure that we'll save her soon, I promise that." Julius pledged, resting his hand on her shoulder.

"Your friend raises a point; if I know Veronica well as I do, then she'll be up and ready to go within a short amount of time." The older woman commented, turning to face Julius. "Which reminds me, I'm Chasity; Veronica's mother, or Venam as you call her. It's nice to meet you."

"Despite the circumstances being as grim as they are, it's nice to meet you as well, ma'am." The young teen replied. "I've heard a few stories about you."

"I'm sure they weren't the most flattering tales either…" The older woman chuckled halfheartedly. "It's funny…when I got the letter saying that Veronica would be temporarily replaced as Gym Leader, I wished for an excuse to leave and not look back. And when I got the call about what had happened to her, I…" She began, wiping a few tears away from her eyes. "Well as they say, be careful what you wish for."

"I just wish there was something we can do about this; Julius braved the City of Nightmares for an answer but got nothing in return." Melia spoke out loud, taking another gaze at the pod with her friend in it.

"Unfortunately, that'll be easier said than done." A familiar voice called out, the group of four turning to see Dr. Isha walking up to them and the pod. "Venam's state is a very tricky one; something I've never dealt with before. How does one reform someone from stone back into organic human flesh?"

"I-I thought you would know, you're the doctor after all. I may have heard some of the nurses talk about your 100% success rate, so surely you can do it." The young teen chimed in slight fear, remembering that first impression the doctor left on him.

"Well yes, I do pride myself on overcoming the impossible and achieving a perfect success rate. However, there isn't much that can be done at the moment but rest assured, I will try my absolute best to save Miss Venam—" He began, only for the door to the room to slam open as a familiar redhead stormed into the room and confronted the group.

"What the hell happened to her?! I was about to get my Charizard back, when I see—" Amber began ranting, only to turn and see Chasity gazing quietly at her. "O-Oh…Ms. Vasile. It's been a long time."

"Forget about the reunion, when did you get here Amber?" Melia inquired.

"That's not important, I'm trying to ask how my friend was turned to stone!" The redhead knocked the question back.

"Thing is, we don't know ourselves. It's been happening for a few weeks now, and Venam was just the latest victim of this epidemic." Julius answered calmly, a look of grief soon overcoming the redhead.

"Argh, Y-You stupid idiot…I told you one day you'll get yourself in a lot of trouble. S-Stupid bitch!" Amber vented, punching the nearby wall shivering slightly to herself as a few tears fell down her cheeks. "S-Surely there's something that can be done about this?"

"As I just told the others, there's nothing we can do at the moment. In fact there's nothing anyone can do, and that's just the reality. I'm working as hard as I can to achieve a miracle, but you only get so many." Isha told her firmly.

"So that's it then, we're to sit on the sidelines and pray to whichever legendary we can for a miracle?! That's bullshit! I refuse to sit around and do nothing while we wait for a miracle." The redhead shot back at him.

"That's the only thing we can do at the moment, so we don't have a choice." Kanon chimed in, with Amber huffing in annoyance as she made her way to leave the room but stopped by a second pod that had someone laying inside it.

"Hmm, did this guy get hit as well?" Amber inquired.

"Precisely; that's the Dark type Gym Leader, Damian—" The doctor began.

"Really? Give me a break; there is no Dark type Gym Leader in Aevium at the moment. The last leader resigned to go travel the world or something, I should know this, they were my dad. He didn't resign to travel the world; he resigned because he wanted nothing to do with me or my mom. So that's why I know that this guy isn't the Dark type Gym Leader." The redhead answered back, a hint of bitterness in her tone.

"Heh, clever girl. Perhaps you should take her advice, doc." A voice called out to him, the group directing their attention to a man entering the room. He had dark brown skin, spiky black hair and brown eyes. His outfit consisted of a black jacket with a grey undershirt and matching black trousers. But what was most unsettling was that the man in the pod…looked exactly the same as him.

"W-Wait, are you—" Julius began.

"The person left in this pod? I mean he sure does look like me, but he isn't. The name's Damien, the Dragon type Gym Leader." The man introduced himself.

"The Dragon type Leader? I-I don't understand, why—" Melia began was well, only to get cut off.

"Why I'm simultaneously in this pod and out here talking to you. It's because the one inside the pod is just a sculpture, one I made myself." He explained.

"But why pull a stunt like this? Do you realize how many people you've caused unnecessary worry upon?" Kanon inquired, eyeing up the man suspiciously. "How did you even get people to mistake you for the Dark type Leader?"

"It's really easy to trick people into believing a lie, kid. I created a fake persona that involved me being a Dark type Leader. All I had to do was prove to that Amanda girl that I was capable of having the role, and that was it. turns out she's been travelling the whole region to find a replacement for the longest time. I jumped on that opportunity as soon as I could. As for why I did it, it was all to find Alexandra. You may have unexpectedly met her; she's created tons of aliases to ensure her safety." The older man explained his plan to them, as the young teen mulled over his last statement. Creating tons of aliases…this Alexandra woman sounds a lot like…that Krystal woman he and the others met on the Dream Express a week or so ago.

"Mr Damien…I believe I may have an idea on who this Alexandra woman is, but unless I can make sure that you have no intentions of harming her, I can't divulge her identity just yet." Julius told him.

"Understandable; we just met today and you haven't gotten to know me all that well. I assure you, I mean no harm." Damien reassured the young teen. "I've spent so much time searching for her, longer than I can even remember. She's far to crafty for me; if I couldn't find her myself, I had to make her come to me, hence why I did what I did. She knew that I've always wanted to be a Dark type trainer over a Dragon type trainer but was forced to take up the latter. I figured that if she heard that a Dark type Leader going by the name of Damian was turned to stone…her curiosity would consume her and she'd make her way to investigate it herself. It came so close to working, but I revealed myself too early and she ran off. I must tell you all this now; Alexandra will bring upon the end of the world if I don't find her."

"W-Well…I'll confess; I did speak to this Alexandra person before. She was a really nice person and didn't do anything that made me feel unsafe. Not even when she asked me to do the Dragon's Trial." Kanon chimed in, catching the older man off guard.

"The Dragon's Trial?!" Damien exclaimed, pausing momentarily before opting to correct the group on something. "Well it's not Alexandra that I'm worried about; she wouldn't harm a fly. It's the thing she was travelling with; something that she stole from our tribe."

"Travelling with…but she was alone." The white-haired youth replied, as a look of fear now grew on Damien's face.

"A-Alone?! Did she not…did she not have a female being travelling with her? You know, dark hair, dark skin like mine, ponytails and incredible psychic abilities?" He inquired, the heroes mulling over his last words as Julius came to a startling conclusion. That description…it sounded almost identical to Nim.

"Th-That's Nim you're talking about!" The young teen exclaimed, with Melia's eyes widening in shock as she came to the same conclusion as him.

"Yeah, that does sound like Nim. But how can she be responsible for destroying the world; she's one of the friendliest people that…that we knew." The blonde added, her mind recalling Nim's tragic death at Mount Valor.

"So that was the name it picked for itself? Only it would name itself Nim…" Damien muttered under his breath, gazing directly at the blonde. "Where was the last time you've seen Nim?"

"A-At Mount Valor; we tried to rescue her from Team Xen's clutches, but she was dropped into the volcano before we were able to…" Melia answered solemnly, the older man mulling over her answer.

"I'll be blunt here; don't be fooled by its appearance. It's not the innocent girl you tried to rescue back then. Its very existence is what's causing everything to go wrong in the first place. if she isn't taken care of, the entire world—" He began.

"I told you, she's dead. I should know, I was there when it happened." The blonde interrupted him.

"Impossible, if it were dead then—" Damien began once more.

"For the love of, she's was a fucking person you moron! Stop referring to her as an "it"!" Amber shot back at the older man.

"She was more than a person; she was a friend of ours. We failed to save her from Team Xen, and I won't have you disrespecting her memory by branding her as some doomsday weapon!" Julius snapped as well, with Damien chuckling lightly at them.

"Ahahahah…forgive me, but I find your ignorance amusing. Its cannot die from methods like that! I'll grant you the notion that it fell into a pit of lava, but it wouldn't have killed it. Its body must've reformed somewhere else. That's just its demonic nature; you can't kill it through normal means." He chuckled, a small glimmer of hope appearing in Melia's eyes.

"Y-You think Nim's still alive…somewhere?" She inquired.

"Most definitely. Now that I have this new information, I must make haste elsewhere." Damien turned to leave, but not before shooting a glance at Kanon. "As for you, if you're who I think you are…then perhaps things won't be so bad after all. But if you don't remember quickly, then we're going to have some problems. Now that I've said that, I must find…Nim as soon as possible. And should any of you find Alexandra, tell her than she can't run from her problems forever. Because one way or another, they will catch up with her."

With those closing words, Damien quickly walked out of the room as the heroes mulled over his words to themselves. In particular, Kanon was pondering on what he meant when he implied that there was something special about him. Was he the hero of some hidden prophecy, one where his powers could only activate if he remembered what exactly it was?

"Pffft, that guy was a weirdo. A weirdo and a jerk." Amber broke the ice in an attempt to get the others to laugh, but it didn't seem to work.

"I'm sorry, but I'm still going over all the information we were just given. There's a possibility that Nim's alive, and I won't rest until I find out for myself!" Melia chimed in, with Dr. Isha clearing his throat to catch their attention.

"I'm sure you're all overjoyed, but visiting hours are now over. You have to leave this room for the time being. I must attend to that Lavender girl, once I remove that decoy Damien had set up."

"Understood; we'll leave right now." The blonde replied, with the heroes quietly making their way out of the room as Isha locked the doors behind them. While going through the corridor, they began to quietly chat among themselves. "Well where do we even begin with all that?"

"I'm sorry but I'm not in the mood to think right now. Anyway, I'm here for the Festival of Dreams, and this year's a special one; I was asked by Cassandra to be a commentator and a referee!" Amber told them, unable to hide her pride from them.

"That's great to hear Amber!" Julius complimented her.

"I know right?! I took the job and came here as fast as I can, but I soon heard about Venam getting into some sort of accident. So I made my way here to get the news, and I found out that she was turned into stone. I had to leave my mom behind, but I'll make it up to her once I reunite with her. Still working on the spoiled brat thing, but it's a process. Anyway, I gotta go look for her, I'm sure she's worried about me."

"Give my regards to Tesla when you see her!" Melia called out, with Julius nodding in confirmation as the redhead waved goodbye at them before quietly leaving the hospital. "I guess we should all get going now." She told the others.

"Wait Melia!" Julius called out, attracting her attention. "Look…I know this isn't the right place to do so, but when we found Venam in her…current state, I saw something of hers and picked it up. I realized what it was and kept it safe for the time being, but now I feel that it's the right time to give it to you."

Digging into his bag, he handed the blonde a small box that read _'To Melia: From Venam'_ on the front. Opening it gently, she saw that it contained a multi-color ribbon in pristine condition, with a small card that read _'Happy Birthday, Melia!_ _Love, Venam!'_ "I…I see. Thanks Julius…" The blonde grew quiet all of a sudden before briskly making her way out of the hospital, her mind racing with various emotions as Julius and Kanon followed right behind her. Upon exiting the hospital, the trio soon found Aelita waiting there.

"There you are Melia! I've been waiting for you!" Aelita called out to her.

"Um…I'm sorry but do I know you?" The blonde inquired.

"That's Aelita; as I may have mentioned, she looks a little different. Which reminds me, I need you to come with us to the Rose Theater on Route 9." The young teen told her.

"Route 9, for what reason?" Melia pressed further.

"Long story short, I'm close to finding out the truth about myself, but I need you there with me, Erin and Julius." The magenta-haired girl stated, locking eyes with the blonde. "Are you coming with me or not, Melia?"

"Well what if I don't want to? what then, Aelita? I don't really appreciate the attitude you're giving me right now." The blonde retorted, with Kanon about to step in only for Julius to rest his hand on his shoulder.

"I recommend staying out of this; things might take a turn for the worst soon." He warned the white-haired youth, only for things to go surprisingly well all things considered.

"Look, I'm sorry for snapping at you, but as you can see, I'm not my normal self. I've been given the opportunity to learn everything about myself. You know Erin, right? Her grandfather got me out of my coma, but the curse still lingers within me. If you can just come with me, maybe all of this can be fixed and we can all move on." Aelita plead her case, with Melia mulling it over before coming to a conclusion.

"In that case, I'll be happy to help you out. But watch your tone next time, as you can tell I'm in no mood for any back sass today." She agreed, with Aelita letting out a sigh of relief.

"Oh thank goodness, I'll promise to control myself." The magenta-haired girl replied, turning to face Kanon. "As for you…well you can come with us, just as long as you keep quiet."

"O-Ok then…" He replied, the trio watching her make her leave for the train to Route 9. "You two were friends with her?"

"Yes, we were very close friends to her. But something happened that changed her personality, and I want to get to the bottom of it." Melia replied, holding the multi-color ribbon firmly in her hand. "And with this ribbon Venam gave me, I'm going to make a promise; I will save her and Aelita from their troubles!" She pledged, tying the ribbon into her lovely blonde hair.

"In that case, I'll make my way to the theater. See you there, you two!" Kanon smiled at them, making his way back to their temporary base of operations. But just as Melia was about to leave, Julius halted her once more.

"I know this may not be as good a gift as the ribbon, but I figured that I'd pick you up a quick snack to cheer you up." He told her, bringing out the small tub of Blue Moon ice cream from his bag and handed it to her.

"Thanks Julius; it's been a while since I last ate, so this should perk me up!" The blonde smiled, inspecting the small tub. "But isn't this stuff really expensive?"

"Nothing's too expensive for you, my love." The young teen shot her a warm smile. "Now then, let us make haste to the Rose Theater."

"Yes, let us make haste my love." Melia agreed, the duo beginning their trip towards their next destination, where they should finally get some answers to one of the many questions that have plagued them since the beginning.

 **Rose Theater**

Having arrived at the theater, the duo made their way to the back room where Souta was waiting for the group to assemble, with Melia promptly putting the empty tub in a nearby bin. The rich, creamy ice cream had done wonders for her morale; which in combination with her solemn promise made her ready to get things done today. Soon enough, the duo entered the room and saw their friends sitting on the ground before Souta and joined up with them, the old man calmly gazing at the duo before beginning his speech.

"Now that everyone is here, I shall now begin telling Aelita everything there is about her; no more lies or misdirection, just the honest truth. However, I won't be directly telling you everything; instead you will be learning who you really are. But you will live it, not learn it." He began, causing the group to murmur among themselves quietly.

"L-Live through it; what are you talking about?" Aelita inquired, a look of genuine confusion on her face as the older gentleman made his way to a closet on the back wall of the room.

"I was ordered by higher powers to present this to you all when the time came, something that would allow you all to live through the painful events that happened many years ago." He continued rummaging through it before taking out a large crystal and placed it on the floor before them.

"A Timesplicer stone!" Melia exclaimed in surprise, with Julius eyeing it up cautiously. Sure, he was no stranger to travelling back in time, but he recalled that each stone has a unique connection to another stone in a different period of time. Who knows where this exact stone will take the group; furthermore, how did Souta get his hands on one in the first place? He did mention something about higher powers ordering him around, so could he be a part of the same group that Melia and Kanon were in?

"Indeed, Melia. This Timesplicer stone can allow someone to travel back in time, right before the calamity known as Storm-9 tore the region apart." Souta informed everyone, with Aelita narrowing her eyes at the stone.

"You expect me to believe that something like that is possible?" She asked suspiciously.

"I'd like to agree with Aelita, the entire thing seems a bit too far-fetched." Erin agreed with her. "However, stranger things have happened, so there could be some truth to it after all."

"Well if you want the truth, I can safely say that it does work. Melia, Kanon and I all traveled through time with this stone. Trust me, I wouldn't lie to any of you." Julius reassured them, with Melia and Kanon backing him up on this.

"Well if you three are saying it's true, then I guess it does work after all…but I just don't understand what this has to do with anything." The magenta-haired girl called out.

"You will see the truth for yourself. Use the Timesplicer stone to go back and find Sheridan Village." Souta told her with a reassuring smile on his face.

"Sheridan Village in the past…? Very well, if the answer is there, then I will go with no questions asked." Aelita consented to the idea.

"I guess you want me to keep an eye on Aelita like always? I guess my job spans across multiple points of time." Erin assumed, a calm look from her grandfather giving her the answer she expected.

"Look on the plus side, it'll look good on your resume." Melia joked, managing to make Erin chuckle a little.

"Indeed, this journey will require you and Aelita, but it'll also require Melia and Julius as well. But I was surprised to see that Kanon has arrived in this period of time as well. Unfortunately, I cannot allow him to participate in this task." Souta confirmed Erin's suspicions, only for Kanon to be taken aback by this.

"Y-You mean I'm not even allowed to help out?!" The white-haired youth exclaimed in surprise.

"I mean no ill will by this, but—" The old man began.

"What does it matter? I'm not even from this time period! You're saying that you're not letting me go back home? Why can't I even come with them anyway?!" Kanon demanded an answer urgently.

"You've already served your purpose in the past. The events that unfold in Sheridan can only be done by your four friends. Should you interrupt this, the consequences will be disastrous." Souta explained his reason for excluding the young man.

"No, it's fine. I totally get it; no one wants me around…" Kanon sighed dejectedly.

"Look Kanon, it's not like that. We all care about you—" Aelita began.

"No! it's pretty damn clear how you all think of me. Lately you've all been interrupting me and I'm growing tire—" He began ranting.

"Look, you're not coming and that's that." Erin retorted bluntly, her tone not exactly helping out the situation. but instead of throwing a biting retort at her, the white-haired youth merely sighed to himself.

"Alexandra was right; I don't belong here at all. You all have fun without me, I'm leaving." Kanon said to the group, making his way to leave the room.

"Wait Kanon, where do you plan on going?" Melia asked him, causing him to turn briefly to face her.

"To find Alexandra, I know exactly where she is. Don't try and look for me." He answered, promptly leaving the room and slammed the door behind him.

"Kanon…" The blonde muttered sadly to herself.

"Let him be, the journey he will take to find Alexandra will change him. a much-needed change that will be beneficial to us later." Souta reassured the group of four.

"What's up with you lately, old man? You've been talking like you know a lot more than you put on." Erin eyed him up suspiciously.

"As much as I want to tell you, it's not important right now. At the moment, the four of you must travel through time." He replied, stepping back so that the group of four can move closer to the Timesplicer stone. Both Aelita and Erin touched the stone at first, their bodies glowing a vivid green as they soon disappeared from this time period.

"I hope Kanon will be alright on his own…" Melia expressed her worries over her friend, making her way to the stone alongside Julius.

"I'm a little worried about him as well, but I'm confident that whatever trial he must endure, he'll pass with flying colors." Julius chimed in, the duo touching the stone as they glowed with a vivid green aura as well, before promptly disappearing from this time period as well. However unbeknownst to the duo, their actions would soon cause them to encounter a place that only the worst of nightmares could produce, pushing them to the brink of insanity.

 **A bit of a slower chapter that the previous two, but that's just setting up the next couple of chapters for you all to enjoy. A Happy New Year to all my wonderful readers and may your year be blessed with wonderful luck!**


	45. Chapter 45

**Yagami Kuzuki: That is an interesting idea, but if I were to make Julius bisexual, then it'll most likely be with Ren instead of Huey. I have no problems with Yaoi myself, but since I have no experience with writing it save for a paragraph here and there, I don't feel that I can do the concept proper justice. Still, I do like the idea so when I do get better with writing about it, I'll see if I'm able to implement it into my story. Thank you for the suggestion.**

 **When we last left off, our heroes travelled back in time to discover the truth about the curse plaguing Aelita. In this chapter, they begin their quest to discover the truth only to get more than they bargained for.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Aevium: 30 years ago**

The group of four had just emerged from a small cave that housed the Timesplicer stone and surveyed their immediate surroundings, finding themselves on a rocky outcropping that was surrounded by thick woods that had a few small creeks running through it. Both Aelita and Erin were amazed at what they were seeing, given that this was their first trip back through time.

"So, this is Aevium in the past? Not gonna lie, it's kinda cool." Aelita chimed in.

"Indeed, the air has a different scent to the area I'm used to. Given my knowledge on Timesplicer stones and how they're linked to one another, I'd say that we're close to a place called Kugearen City." Melia told her, a realization forming in Erin's mind.

"So we're essentially near Gearen City, at least what it was before the catastrophe." The white-haired girl deduced, the blonde nodding in confirmation. "I guess that means we're supposed to find Sheridan Village without a guide of sorts."

"As much as I want to help you, I'm unable to do so. Sure, I may have lived here for a few years, but all I did was stay at the house I was given and work at Kugearen Café." The blonde replied, only for Aelita to wave at the trio.

"E-Everyone, look at the sky!" She called out urgently, attracting their attention as they turned to look up at the sky. What had caught the magenta-haired girls' attention was a solar eclipse, rooted firmly in the sky. An unusual occurrence sure, but nothing to get worked up about, or so they thought.

"A solar eclipse? That's pretty neat…wait, didn't you say something about an eclipse during the first time I came here?" Julius turned to face Melia.

"Yes; if there's an eclipse in the sky, then that means Spacea and Tiempa should be here." She told him, attracting the attention of the other two. "Spacea and Tiempa are two beings who have control over space and time; they can only appear in this time whenever there's an eclipse in the sky. Perhaps they might be willing to show us where Sheridan is and how we can get there."

"Sounds good to me. Do you know where they are?" Erin agreed to the plan.

"Amberette Town, north of Kugearen. It's where I lived during my time here. And if my calculations are right, this place should be Route 4 and there was a news story about an upcoming meteor shower—" Melia began to explain.

"So we're essentially standing in a place that's about to get showered on by falling meteorites?" Aelita cut her off.

"Well…yeah, I suppose that would be the jist of it." The blonde replied, chuckling uneasily while scratching the back of her head.

"Better get a move on then, I don't want to get struck on the head by some falling space rock, and I doubt any of you want that fate as well." Julius suggested that the group gets a move on.

"I don't know; if Aelita was crushed by one and turned into a human pancake, perhaps she'd be a little sweeter." Erin snarked, shooting a smug grin at the magenta-haired girl.

"H-Hey! They make savory pancakes as well!" She retorted quickly. "Forget about the pancakes, let's get moving already!"

On her cue, Melia began the quick trek to Kugearen City with Erin following right behind her. But just as Julius was about to get going, he noticed that Aelita has a somewhat nervous look in her eye, as if she was scared of something. "I-Is everything alright?" He inquired.

"Y-Yeah, I don't know what brought it up, but for some reason I'm kinda scared to visit Sheridan. Don't get me wrong, I'm more excited than scared, but for some reason I have this feeling that things would go downhill terribly fast. Almost as if the Earth itself is trying to warn me about something." She confided to him, the young teen mulling to himself.

"I understand your concerns 100%, but given how we've faced numerous adversities together, I'm confident that we can secure a victory this time as well." He began, only for the duo to get caught off-guard by what sounded like someone's cries for help.

"Anastasia, Anastasia! Where are you, darling?!" A voice called out, with the duo watching an older woman quickly make her way through the route. Julius immediately recognized her from his previous trip here as Katsu, the talented yet cold mother of Anastasia, Maria's childhood friend. Whatever thoughts he may have had of the young girl he doted on as his sister were quickly dashed aside; if Anastasia was on this route, then her life was in potential danger.

"Forgive me for this Aelita, but we'll have to catch up with the other two later!" Julius told her, quickly running off in the same direction as Katsu.

"H-Hey, wait for me!" She called out, quickly following after him. luckily for her, she didn't have to run for long as the other two were in a small clearing, beside a small crater that held a few small meteorites inside. "D-Do you know that this place is dangerous? T-There's a meteor shower scheduled to happen soon!" The magenta-haired girl panted lightly.

"I know that, young lady, but I can't leave yet. My daughter ran off this way and I can't find her for the life of me." Katsu answered back quickly.

"Don't worry ma'am; we'll find her. I'm sure of it." Julius pledged, causing the older woman to raise an eyebrow at him.

"Given your…rough attitude back then, I'd normally knock back your offer for help. But as you may know, now's not the time to be rejecting any form of help, no matter the source." She replied, causing Julius to raise an eyebrow back. Seems that she did remember the minor altercation between them right when Anastasia ran away.

"Understandable, it'll give me an opportunity to make it up to you for my actions back then. But you can't keep treating your daughter like that; otherwise things won't end up well for the two of you."

"I know; I shouldn't have yelled at her for something that wasn't even her fault. My mind was stressed from my workload and concern for her safety, but that still isn't an excuse for raising my voice at her. And now she's ran onto a route teeming with hostile Pokémon and incoming meteor showers, so you'll have to forgive me if I choose not to come back yet." Katsu replied quietly, promptly making her way deeper into the route as the two teens looked at each other.

"While I will admit that this isn't our problem, I don't think I can live with myself if our inaction leads to her daughter's death—W-Woah!" Aelita cried out, the ground beneath them quaking slightly. "W-Was that an earthquake?"

"F-Felt like it. In any case, we can't just leave those two out there on their own!" The young teen chimed in, the duo running further into the route, oblivious to the incoming meteor hurtling towards the route. Further in the route, Katsu was calling out to Anastasia to come back to her, unaware that her daughter was hiding behind a tree near the older woman.

"Anastasia, I'm sorry for yelling at you. I didn't mean to push your buttons…I was just worried about your future; about our future. All I wanted was for you to be successful; for you to live a life of comfort and luxury. But I was too hard on you…I can only ask you for your forgiveness. I know it's hard for you to talk to me because of how I acted, but this isn't the place to quarrel. Very soon, a meteor will hit this place, and I can't have you…my god." Katsu began her apology, only to quieten up over watching the incoming meteor hurtling towards the area, a massive explosion soon rocking the area as a large blanket of smoke billowed through the surrounding area.

"W-What just happened?!" The young teen called out, covering his mouth to ensure he didn't breathe in the smoke.

"I don't know, but we better check it out." Aelita called out, the duo running towards the source of the smoke and wound up in another small clearing, this one marked by a much larger crater that had a car-sized meteorite inside it, smoke emanating from the area surrounding the rock. But what caught them off-guard was the fact that a shaken Katsu had her arm around a second woman, this one with short purple hair and matching eyes. Her outfit consisted of a silver suit that had a few specks of dirt and dust that must've came from the impact site.

"Th-Thank you for saving me, I thought I was a goner." Katsu panted lightly in a mixture of shock and weariness, the second woman helping her to her feet.

"No need to thank me; the name's Vivian. But hold your thanks for now; the worst is yet to come." The purple-haired woman told her, a startled expression forming on Aelita's face. she had heard that name from somewhere, but where exactly was something that was nestled firmly on the tip of her tongue. "After all, this meteorite brought a friend with it…"

Just as she said that, a mysterious light shone from within the meteorite, a multi-color orb emerging from it before it began to warp and transform into the air. With an otherworldly groan, the orb materialized into its original form, taking on a form that sent shivers down the backs of the two teens. It was a Deoxys; not a clone produced by Team Xen, but an actual Deoxys, and this one looked hostile.

"W-What is that horrid thing?!" Katsu recoiled in shock at the sight of the Deoxys.

"I understand that you're terrified, but I don't exactly appreciate your choice of words directed at it. No matter where it came from, it's still a living creature. That said, it looks like it's willing to harm us; I don't exactly like the idea of attacking it back, but at the very least I know I'm not alone should I have to resort to such a tactic." Vivian commented, turning to face Aelita and Julius. "Hey, you two. Do you think you can handle this thing? I'd appreciate it greatly."

"As much as I want to help, I feel that Julius would be best suited for this battle." Aelita replied back. "Sorry for dumping this problem onto your lap, pal."

"No worries, I've got the perfect plan to deal with such a thing." Julius replied, a plan formulating in his mind. Quickly reaching for a Pokéball, he promptly sent out his Gellin and requested that it use Thunderbolt, the Amoeba Pokémon letting out a cheerful gurgle as it emitted a bolt of lightning from the "horns" on its head, striking the Deoxys head on as it let out a low groan of pain. The DNA Pokémon opted to retaliate by charging up a beam of energy from its core before firing it at the Gellin, who was able to dodge it effortlessly before retaliating with a weak bolt of electricity that paralyzed the Deoxys, rendering it unable to move. "Perfect…now for the finishing touch."

With a confident smirk on his face, the young teen got an empty Pokéball from his bag and threw it at the Deoxys, hoping to capture it easily. The device snagged the DNA Pokémon and sucked it up, before closing and began shaking violently. With a Deoxys on his side, he'll have a powerful companion that can effortlessly deal Team Xen a sufficient amount of karmatic justice. It may even be able to contribute to finding a cure for Ve—

'POP!' The Pokéball broke open, with Deoxys emerging out of it, outstretching its tentacles and let out an invigorated groan as it broke free of the paralysis before retreating into its orb form, rendering it immune to any further capture attempts. "I'm sorry Deoxys, but I couldn't risk having you harm anyone." Vivian whispered an apology, gazing at the small orb lying in the crater as the young teen congratulated his Gellin before recalling it to its ball..

"Julius, Aelita!" A familiar voice called out, the young teens turning around and saw Melia and Erin running up towards them.

"Melia, Erin. I thought you two were at—" Julius began, only for the blonde to deliver him a harsh slap across the cheek. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Y-You fool! Why were you and Aelita still here when I just told you two about the incoming meteor shower?! Erin and I saw the incoming meteor and found out that you weren't following us; f-for a moment I thought the worst had happened upon hearing that explosion. I-I already failed to keep Venam safe and I was worried that I failed to keep you safe as well." The blonde chewed him out, on the verge of tears before managing to regain composure. "At the very least, I want to know why you two were still here."

"My apologies, we were about to get going when we saw Katsu searching for her daughter. We couldn't just leave her to her plight, so we opted to help her in her search. That was when we saw Vivian rescue her from the incoming meteor; that's her over there." Julius began his explanation, gesturing to the purple-haired woman beside the duo. "Anyway, we were soon confronted by a Deoxys that emerged from the meteorite and I attempted to catch it. However, it broke out and retracted into its orb, which was just before you came here."

"Well…your cause was noble so I can't stay angry at you. Just don't go pulling a stunt like that again, not without me at least." Melia accepted his apology, turning to face Vivian. "Thanks for keeping an eye on our friends."

"No worries, but I can't help but wonder why Katsu's daughter ran away from her?" The purple-haired woman chimed in, turning her head to face the other woman for an explanation.

"I…I was a terrible mother; forcing my ideals upon her too much. I yelled at her for something that wasn't even her fault, which caused her to run away. I know you might think lowly of me upon hearing this, but I do plan to atone for my transgressions." She admitted, with Vivian thinking to herself.

"I may not be a parent but forcing your ideals upon them is one of the most surefire ways to get a child to hate you; they aren't simple pawns to control. They are living beings of this universe. True, it is bust to guide them onto the right path as a parent, but you must let them make their own decisions." The purple-haired woman scolded her, thought not as harshly as one might've expected.

"I-I understand. All I wanted was for Anastasia to take over Rejuvenation Co. when she was older, ensuring her a lifetime of comfort and luxury." Katsu admitted, looks of confusion appearing on the faces of the four teenagers. "I am the president of Rejuvenation Co. and our main goal is to restore the Miera Region to its former glory. Once the region has been restored, then all of us could repopulate it and rebuild its economy, bolstering Aevium's international power to unimaginable levels."

"The Miera region? What is that place exactly?" Erin inquired, a look of surprise appearing on Katsu's face.

"Wh-What, you don't know of the Miera region? Did you recently emigrate to Aevium?" She inquired back.

"While it would be good to educate her on Aevium's history, now isn't the time to do so. We all have to get out of here right now." Vivian broke up the conversation.

"I'm sorry, but I can't just leave here. I still need to find Anastasia—" Katsu began, only for the purple-haired woman to rest her hands on her shoulders.

"Relax; your daughter will come home when she's ready." Vivian replied, turning to face Erin. "Do you have a problem returning this woman home?"

"I have no problem with it, it gives me a chance to learn about my surroundings a little more." The white-haired girl agreed, gesturing Katsu to follow her back to Kugearen City, the older woman following her lead albeit it hesitantly.

"Forgive me for not introducing ourselves earlier, but I'm Melia. The one who just left was Erin, Aelita's the one with Magenta hair, and the one who I just slapped was Julius." The blonde introduced herself and her friends to Vivian.

"I see…it was nice to meet you all. I must say that Julius battled incredibly well, even going so far as to try and capture Deoxys. Of course, it didn't work, but you can't fault him for trying." The older woman complimented his skills. "Many meteorites have been falling into this area lately, each one containing a Deoxys. It shames me to admit this, but I had to destroy each one before they got out of hand. It's barbaric, but it was the only choice I had…"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, but you said your name was Vivian, right?" Aelita called out.

"Yes, that is my name. why do you ask?" Vivian replied.

"I knew it…you must be the Sensei of Sheridan Village! I…heard about you from travelers that came from the area." The magenta-haired girl formed a quick lie, not wanting to reveal that she came from the future to the older woman.

"So you've heard of me? Most impressive I'll admit; yes, I am the Sensei of Sheridan Village. thought to be honest, I'm not much of a Sensei anymore…" She mumbled the last part to herself, before getting back on track. "In case you want to visit it, it's to the east of Kugearen Woods it's not that difficult to find. But why would you want to go there anyway? It's not exactly a tourist hotspot."

"I heard about the peaceful culture of the village from those travelers and it interested me. So I told my friends about it and they were all interested in visiting it as well." Aelita told her, with Melia and Julius nodding in confirmation.

"If that's the case, then you're more than welcome to visit us. But I've got other duties to attend to, so I have to go now. See you soon!" Vivian told them, waving farewell at them before making her way back to Kugearen City.

"Quick question Aelita; how did you know she was the Sensei of Sheridan Village?" Melia inquired.

"As a citizen of the village, I was taught that fact at a very young age. She's the very first Sensei in fact. Given that this was the past, I just made an assumption that she was the Vivian and it payed off this time." Aelita answered.

"Well that was very convenient of us that the first Vivian we met was the one who founded Sheridan Village?" Julius commented lightly, turning to face Melia. "Shall we go there right now, Melia?"

"Not quite, there's still one place I have to visit before we make our way to Sheridan Village. it's recommended that you come along as well, given their interest in you…" The blonde informed him,

"Interest…ah, I get it. You wish to meet up with Spacea and Tiempa." He managed to deduce correctly.

"Correct. The solar eclipse is about to end, so we better make our way there as soon as possible." Melia replied, the trio quickly making their way towards Amberette Town, unaware of the rustling bush nearby. Once the coast was clear, a terrified Anastasia stepped out of the bush and stepped closer towards the crater, where the Deoxys orb laid still. Slowly climbing down the crater, she made her way towards the orb and crouched beside it as if tending to the injured Pokémon.

"Are…are you okay?" She asked, a light twinkling inside the orb upon hearing her question. "I'm not scary, I'll be your friend if you want. Do you know what a friend is?"

A low groan came from within the orb, the Deoxys rematerializing into is original form as it gazed at her, not out of anger, but of curiosity and even…friendliness. A small smile formed on Anastasia's face upon seeing her new friend emerge, knowing that the two of them have a bright future ahead of them.

 **Amberette Town**

Having arrived at Amberette Town, a small wave of nostalgia overcame the young teen; the place hasn't changed all that much since he last visited the place. Though given that this was the past, it was to be expected in some way. However, he was at a loss as to where Spacea and Tiempa could be; the solar eclipse wasn't over yet so he knew they hadn't left this world yet, but he didn't know where to begin looking. It wasn't until Melia whispered into Aelita's ear and pointed to a small, two-story house in the south that Julius was able to connect the dots. Opting to follow the duo, he stepped into the small house, only to be taken aback by how lavish it was. Instead of the simple design he had anticipated, the carpet was a regal purple that felt soft to the touch, a series of tall candelabrums lined up on either side of the red carpet. Additionally, there were a pair of thrones at the back of the room, one pink and one blue. Though Spacea and Tiempa may not come here all that often, at the very least they're treated to a most comfortable stay…or they would be if they were there.

"I don't get it…why aren't they here?" Melia asked out loud, observing the empty thrones as Aelita quickly poked her head out one of the windows.

"The eclipse had just ended, Melia. Perhaps we're simply too late—" She informed the blonde.

"It is true that they can only appear during an eclipse, but I remember Tiempa saying that they can linger around for at least a few more days after it ends." The blonde rebutted, only for the trio to get caught off-guard by the arrival of an all-too familiar fog, the chilling air causing them to shiver slightly.

"Correct you are, Melia. But have you heard of the term, fashionably late?" A mysterious voice echoed throughout the room, with Julius now on high alert.

"Well they've been waiting to see me for who knows how long. Let's just hope that I don't disappoint them…" He muttered to himself, the trio watching a pair of twinkling lights descend onto the thrones before quickly forming into the beings known as Spacea and Tiempa.

"We're not on time, yes, but to us time is a simple social construct anyway." Tiempa concluded her earlier statement, with Melia breathing a sigh of relief.

"Phew…for a moment I thought you two weren't going to be here." The blonde sighed in relief, the omniscient duo surveying the trio before them.

"Well my, my, Melia. You look a lot different from the last time we saw you…and I see you were kind enough to bring Julius and Aelita with you." The silver-haired deity chimed in. "I guess that means your mission at Blacksteeple Castle was a success, in some degree."

"Yeah, it was successful…" Julius replied quietly, his mind flashing back to that horrid day once more. "Anyway, I've heard stories about you two wishing to see me, so what is it you wanted?"

"As eager as we are to tell you of your role in this, that can be discussed at a later time." Spacea told him, turning her head to face Melia. "I assume a lot has happened since that day?"

"Yes, we've been through a whole lot since the escape at Blacksteeple. However, I didn't come here to bring up the past…" Melia began, slowly approaching the duo. "Is there anything you two can do for my friend, Venam?"

"As we expected you to ask; there is a way we can revive your friend and everyone else affected by the petrification…but we won't." Tiempa replied curtly, shocking the trio to their core.

"E-Excuse me?!" The young teen called out, a hint of aggressiveness in his tone of voice. "In case you didn't realize, Melia has gone through a living hell these last few weeks, and she sure as hell don't need either of you to toy with her like that!"

"Normally we'd punish you for your attitude, but we'll let it slide…for now. Besides, given your role in the grand scheme of things, a bit of feistiness would be highly recommended." Spacea told him firmly.

"I don't understand…why won't you revive her?" The blonde asked, begging for an answer.

"Truth be told, that's not really our job, nor our problem. We were simply told to save the world from Storm-9, and that was it." The pink-haired deity answered. "We don't interfere with the lives of mortals."

"Yet you decided to interfere with mine…" Melia retorted snidely, shooting a glare at the duo. "I know it was you who teleported us to Terajuma Shore after we escaped the castle. You two saved me from Team Xen in Amethyst Cave all that time ago!"

"You must understand one thing, Melia. We don't interfere with the lives of mortals unless we are directly told otherwise." Spacea told her, as a look of confusion appeared on Aelita's face.

"C-Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this little organization of yours lead by you two?" The magenta-haired girl inquired.

"To some degree, yes. But think of us as admins of the organization. We simply do what Her Majesty tells us to do." Tiempa answered the question.

"H-Her Majesty?" Melia asked. "Who is Her Majesty?"

"You will all learn soon enough." The silver-haired deity replied, with Aelita narrowing her gaze at the duo.

"Forgive me for saying this, but this is starting to become a complete waste of time…" She commented, with Tiempa opting to ignore her comment before turning to face Melia.

"Can I ask you a question? What's more important; the fate of a single life, or the fate of the majority?" She asked.

"W-What…?" The blonde began, not even knowing where to even begin with such a question.

"What if the fate of the world is decided on two outcomes; Veronica dies but the world is saved, and Veronica lives but there are millions of casualties." Spacea chimed in, joining in on the question. "What would you do in a situation like this?"

"What kind of question is that?! Y-You can't make her answer that!" Julius rebutted.

"Exactly; I refuse to answer your question!" Melia rebutted as well, the eldritch gazing calmly at her.

"But what if you must answer it? What if everything is up to you in the end?" The pink-haired deity pressed her further.

"This isn't a fair question to ask; would anyone be able to answer it in the heat of the moment?" Aelita chimed in to support her friends.

"It may be hard for you, but it's a no-brainer for us. If it were up to us, Veronica would die in an instant for the lives of the majority." Tiempa answered casually, as the duo soon received a most vicious glare from Melia.

"Such anger…this is something new indeed." Spacea commented, amused at the sight before her. "Melia, you can't save everyone. People are destined to perish in this world. Whether it be for themselves, or for the greater good…it's something that cannot be avoided."

"You know what? I'm done listening. You two can ramble on about your ideals, but I'm done listening. We have somewhere the three of us want to be; thanks for wasting our time—" Melia began, on the verge of storming out of the house.

"Wait, before you go. There's something we have for you three…" Tiempa called out, outstretching her hand and channeled her power as a small amulet appeared in the hands of the three teenagers, the amulet resembling a blue Time Gear. "This is no ordinary amulet; it was crafted with one of my Time Gears. Time gears are objects that allow the flow of time to be controlled, but they have many other side effects, some of which you'll discover very soon."

"Thanks…I appreciate it, I guess. Goodbye." The blonde replied halfheartedly, making her way out of the building with Julius and Aelita following right behind her.

"One day you'll learn, Melia…one day." Spacea spoke softly to the retreating figure, the fog in the room intensifying as the two deities soon disappeared from the room. Outside the house, Melia was frantically pacing in front of the building, a low cry of frustration escaping her mouth as she soon kicked the sign beside it.

"I thought I could trust those two, but after hearing that…from the way they put it, they would throw us three under the bus if it meant their success." She commented bitterly, with Julius resting his hand on her shoulder to ease her spirits.

"Forget about them; they can dance their morsel of hope right in front of our eyes only to take it away from us, but we'll find another way to save Venam. I'm sure we will." He reassured her.

"Besides, it's not worth going crazy over. They have that moral ambiguity to them. That's just the way they see things, and I don't think we can change it at all." Aelita chimed in, only for the trio to get caught off by an abrupt "hey!". Turning to face the source, they saw an annoyed Erin making her way towards them.

"Thanks for forgetting about me, I really appreciate that." Erin replied sarcastically. "You're lucky the path to Amberette Town is pretty straightforward."

"Sorry about that Erin, but as you can see, we were in the middle of an important meeting." The magenta-haired girl defended herself.

"Don't sorry me, just don't pull a stunt like that again." The white-haired teen replied, sighing quickly to herself. "So did you talk to those two you mentioned earlier?"

"Yeah, and it was a waste of time, to be honest." Melia replied, locking eyes with her. "May I ask you a question? What would you do if you were put into a situation that required you to choose between the greater good and the one you loved?"

"…that's a pretty deep question. Anyway, I'd sacrifice the one I loved." Erin answered, catching the trio off-guard.

"Y-You would sacrifice them?!" The blonde exclaimed in surprise.

"Truth be told, both options suck, but I think it would be better for me if I didn't have the blood of millions of my hands. But if you think about it, the blood of one can stain your hands just as bad as the blood of many. Is there any clear answer for a question like that? Probably not." The white-haired girl explained her reasoning for her decision.

"Somehow, I figured you'd answer the question with a long explanation. But enough about that, we better head to Sheridan Village; it's to the east of Kugearen Woods." Aelita began, promptly making her way to her destination with Erin opting to whisper something into Julius' ear.

"Melia's naivety is cute, but her sense of heroism isn't realistic and will bite her one of this days. But who are we to judge? It wouldn't hurt to use your imagination at least once in a while. Anyway, it's best if you keep this between us, okay?" She told him, promptly making her way out of the town as Melia walked up to the young teen.

"What was that about?" She inquired.

"She wanted me to keep it a secret, so I apologize for not being able to tell you." Julius replied, an understanding expression forming on the blonde's face.

"I see…anyway, I'll ask you the same question I asked her; who would you be willing to sacrifice in that situation, the life of one you loved, or the lives of millions?" Melia asked him, with the young teen mulling it over to himself. On one hand, it seemed like a no-brainer to save the lives of millions, but could he really handle the loss of another loved one? He had already been through to much pain and misery for one to endure, and he don't think he could do it again.

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't think I can answer that right now; I don't want to ever be in a situation where I'm forced to make that decision." He admitted.

"It's okay…I feel the same way as well. Anyway, let's not keep the other two waiting." The blonde shot him a small smile as the duo began to catch up to the others, the question still racing in Julius' mind. Surely, there was a third way to answer that question; one that wouldn't be as painful to him or to Melia. It may take a bit of time, but he was confident that he will find the answer he is looking for.

 **Sheridan Village: 1 hour later**

The trek was fairly long and arduous, the group having had to go through the vast Kugearen Woods in order to find their way to Sheridan Village. But their efforts were not in vain as Aelita quickly ran off ahead of the group and stopped abruptly at a small sign standing firmly in the clearing, taking the time to read it to herself.

"At last…we've arrived at Sheridan Village." She spoke to the trio, who were barely able to catch up to her.

"I get that you're eager…but mind slowing down for us? We weren't born with your infinite endurance…" Julius panted in exhaustion, resting his hands on his knees.

"The Village looks a lot different than I had expected it to be…has Sheridan really changed this much throughout the years." The magenta-haired girl mused to herself, with Erin slowly making her way towards her to see what she was talking about.

"The calamity ripped Aevium apart, Aelita. It doesn't surprise me that this place looks entirely different." The white-haired girl chimed in, looking around the place briefly. "So what do we do now? The Old Man said that the answer would be here somewhere, so I guess the best thing to do is to look around."

"And when the world quakes, the land shall reshape. When one chooses to defy their fate, they may find themselves with a destiny too great. A prison of ice, should that suffice? If one should wait, it may be too late~…" A woman's voice sang out loud, attracting the groups' attention as they began searching for the source. Eventually, they made their way to the small waterfall nestled in the center of town, where they saw a woman with long blue hair singing to herself, her outfit consisting of a black dress with an ice-blue apron over it. A slight chill went down Julius spine; this woman atop the waterfall was none other than Angie; the crazed woman who attempted to imprison him and his friends in her twisted dimension. However, she seemed far less hostile than her future incarnation, for now at least.

"Oh…so the poor old village finally sees some newcomers?" The woman spotted the group, a look of intrigue on her face as she slowly floated down towards the four teens who stepped back in surprise.

"Y-You're Angie, aren't you?!" Melia exclaimed in fear, as she and Julius backed away from her, an amused chuckle escaping from the older woman.

"Close, but not quite. My name is Anju, but I'm a little surprised that you know me by that name." She introduced herself, gazing calmly at the duo. "Angie isn't my real name, but the name that the people of Kristiline have given me. It means angel, or messenger of God; fitting because of my profession as a prophet of Arceus."

"I have heard tales of how devoted you are to spreading the word of Arceus." Julius jested uneasily, not wanting to invoke her wrath once more.

"Devoted or not, I'm not in the mood for a preacher right now." Erin shot a quick retort at him, causing the young teen to jump in fear of Anju's potential retribution…only she didn't seem fazed by Erin's comment at all.

"Skeptic or not, you are free to believe what you want to believe, just as how I'm free to spread Arceus' love throughout Aevium." Anju smiled at the white-haired girl.

"This peaceful attitude; you're nothing like…" Melia began, attracting the older woman's attention.

"Hmmm? Who is this other person I remind you of?" She inquired, with the blonde promptly shaking her head in response.

"I-It's nothing, I was just talking to myself." She quickly replied, a second voice calling out to Anju.

"Hey, I see you made some new friends, Anju!" Vivian called out to her, walking up towards the group alongside a young woman with short black hair, her outfit consisting of a grey long-sleeve shirt, and matching trousers. "Wow…I didn't expect you four to be here so quickly."

"You know these people, Vivian?" The woman inquired.

"Yes, they were the ones who helped me out on Route 4. But before I go on, allow me to introduce you to my assistant, Cella." She introduced her friend to the group, with Cella waving politely at them. "Now that you're here, did you find what you were looking for?"

"We're not exactly looking for something, we're just visiting." Aelita answered her query.

"I see…my apologies for assuming you wanted something. Will you be staying here for the night? If so, I can arrange a place for you all to stay. Now if you'll excuse me, I wish to get back to my run. Enjoy your stay here!" Vivian informed the group, before opting to job towards the entrance of Sheridan Village.

"Sigh…Vivian was never one to sit still for a moment. She invited me all the way down from Kristiline and she doesn't even take the time to talk to me." Anju sighed to herself.

"She's always been like that ever since we were kids; she just run off because that's what she loved." Cella replied, turning to face the group of four. "I'm sorry if this place isn't what you had expected; it's dwindled quite a bit in numbers. But that's a discussion for another time, for now let me show you where you'll be staying for the night." She called out, gesturing the four teens to follow her, which they did. Soon enough, they found a quaint house resting idly beside the rivers edge, with Cella quickly unlocking the front door. "This is where you'll be living for the night. The people who lived here moved away recently, so this place is completely empty."

"Vivian said that was plenty of room a few moments ago, was she referring to the fact that there's almost no one here?" Erin inquired, with the older woman staring blankly at her.

"Anyway, this is where you'll be sleeping and all that. I hope you enjoy your stay." The black-haired woman ignored the question, making her leave towards her own house. "May I ask you all a small favor? Once you get settled in and all, could you meet me at my place? There's something I need to talk to you about."

"Sure thing, Cella. We'll be there soon." Melia smiled at her, the older woman nodding in appreciation before continuing the walk to her home. "What was that about? She totally dodged the question before."

"Beats me, but she's definitely hiding something. But I'm sure she'll tell us when we visit the house; for now, let's just regroup inside for a moment." Erin replied, the group of four making their way inside the home and took a quick seat around the table. "A quaint little shack, but it's to be expected I suppose."

"Melia, I noticed that you and Julius freaked out at Anju, named her Angie before. Wasn't she the one who caused you so much grief in Kristiline Town before?" Aelita inquired.

"Yes, there's no doubt about it; she's definitely the Angie we encountered before. But she seemed…a lot more peaceful than before. Almost as if she was a completely different person than the Angie we met back then." Melia answered quickly.

"Believe it or not, but I've been through a similar situation the last time I was in the past. I'm sure I told this to Melia, but I'll fill you two in on the scoop." Julius chimed in, turning to face Aelita and Erin. "Early into my journey, I met a man named Indriad, and he was one of the least pleasant people I had ever met. Well it turns out that I met Indriad in the past after Venam and I saved his wife, only this time he went by the name, Vitus. He was a lot more amicable than the man I had met before and seemed like a genuinely nice guy. However, a series of unfortunate events had changed him, turning him into the twisted man I knew and feared. I believe that a similar series of events will turn Anju into the Angie that me and Melia know all to well, though when that'll happen is a complete mystery."

"I just hope that she doesn't drag us down with her once she falls from grace…" The blonde commented, shivering in fear with Julius wrapping his arm around her to comfort her.

"An interesting tale, Julius, but I wouldn't worry about it; this Anju seems like a very nice woman and I don't see her attacking you two over anything." Aelita attempted to lighten up the mood.

"Still, I can't judge Melia for acting so cautiously; whatever this Angie person did to her must've traumatized her greatly." Erin shot the blonde a sympathetic look.

"Everytime I think about Angie, I can't help but shiver at the thought. Those horrible memories of what happened; the pain that I, Venam and Julius went through will never leave me…" Melia spoke quietly, her eyes darting side-to-side. "I don't really want to stay here any longer…but I promised Aelita I'd help her so I'll tough it out for her."

"Thanks Melia…I know you're terrified of this Angie woman, but the fact that you'll stay here for my sake means the world to me." The magenta-haired girl shot her a warm smile.

"Besides, you're not alone. You've got me, you've got Aelita, and you've got Erin. Should Angie cause us any trouble, we'll ensure she doesn't harm you!" Julius pledged, noticing that Erin was thinking to herself. "Is everything alright?"

"Sorry, it's just that something Katsu told me earlier has been bothering me. She mentioned how as the President of the Rejuvenation Corporation, her duty was to restore the Miera Region that had been devastated by a large disaster. The problem? I've read many history books, and not one of them mentioned such an event happening. From what she told me, a nuclear power plant had exploded and forced everyone to leave the region."

"A nuclear power—wait, didn't you experience something like this, Julius?" Melia asked the young teen, who nodded firmly in response. "D-Do you think the incidents are connected?"

"Highly unlikely; The CURIE Incident was restricted to the three power plants in Tandor; besides, the timing of these events doesn't line up. This supposed incident in Miera happened over 30 years ago from our current time, while the CURIE Incident only happened a couple years ago. These two events are not connected, whatsoever." Julius answered, removing his arm from around the blonde as he sensed that she was feeling a bit better than before. "But my apologies for cutting you off Erin, do continue."

"Right, anyway the people of Miera found their way to Aevium, with Katsu and her corporation pledging themselves to restoring the Miera region to it's former glory. But have any of you three heard of the event ever happening?" The white-haired girl continued. The trio quickly talking it over to themselves before shaking their heads in unison, indicating that they hadn't heard of the incident before. "In that case, how is it that an event that catastrophic isn't widely know about in our present time. Doesn't that strike you as odd?"

"Yes, it does seem very odd indeed. I've read my fair share of books as well but haven't ever stumbled upon an incident like that in any of them." Melia replied.

"I see…I don't need an answer now, but it's something to think about while we're here." Erin told them, quietly looking outside the window. "Anyway, Cella wanted to see us at her house, so let's not keep her waiting any longer."

"Agreed, I think we've rested our legs for enough time." Aelita chimed in, the group of four hopping of their seats and exited the house, making the short trek to Cella's house. Upon entering it, the group were greeted by the black-haired woman, who gestured at them to take a seat. Soon enough, the door opened once more as Anju stepped inside, with Melia and Julius quickly shuffling their seats away from her as the blue-haired woman took a seat next to Cella.

"Good, you're all here now. Listen, there's something I need your help with. Specifically, I think there's something wrong with her." The black-haired woman began.

"Something wrong with Vivian? What could be troubling her?" Anju inquired, her friend growing quiet all of a sudden.

"…about four months ago, my fiancée died suddenly. But that's not the problem though, after my loss, Vivian contacted me and invited me to stay in Sheridan to be her assistant. Given that we were childhood friends and I was in a bad spot, I accepted her offer, even going so far as to quit my job as a lawyer. Things were fine for the first few months, but Vivian grew depressed all of a sudden. I asked her what was bothering her so I could help, but she wouldn't tell me, stating that she didn't want to scare me." The black-haired woman began.

"Vivian? Depressed? I'm not sure those two things could even be associated." The blue-haired woman commented.

"That's what I thought too, but now I'm not so sure that's the case." Cella continued, turning to face the four teenagers. "I'm sure you know this already, but nobody lives in Sheridan anymore. All of Vivian's followers left her because she started to neglect them, but I must confess something to Anju before I continue; Vivian wasn't the one who invited you to Sheridan, it was me who called you here."

Anju grew quiet all of a sudden, a little taken aback by this revelation, but didn't seem too phased by it. "Ah…well that makes sense considering Vivian hasn't really been paying attention to me at all."

"She told me you were part of some group, the Protectors of Aevium, I believe." Cella said, causing the teens to raise a few eyebrows.

"T-The Protectors of Aevium?" Melia asked a little hesitantly.

"Correct. It's a group of people native to Aevium who strive to keep the region safe from evil. It consists of me, Vivian, a woman named Hazuki, and our leader, Nymiera." Anju answered the question, causing Erin to think quietly to herself for a moment.

"I couldn't get in contact with Hazuki, and I was confident that Nymeria was busy, so I figured I'd get your help. I need you all to help me figure out what's wrong with Vivian before something bad happens." The black-haired woman requested.

"I'm not sure about the newcomers, but I'm more than willing to help in any way I can." Anju pledged her services.

"I wish to help as well!" Aelita joined in.

"Sure, why not?" Erin added.

"I'll be more than happy to help you out; after all you were kind enough to offer us a place to stay for the night." Julius agreed as well.

"Based on our answers, I'm sure you can tell that we're willing to help you out any way we can, Cella." Melia stated, a look of surprise appearing on the black-haired woman's face.

"R-Really?!" She double-checked, the four teenagers nodding firmly in response. "T-Thank you, that makes me so happy." The older woman replied gratefully.

"The four of you can go relax for the day, as for Cella and I, we'll be planning out where to begin." Anju told them, gesturing at the group to leave with Melia and Julius more than willing to do so.

 **0000**

The young teen found it a little tricky to fall asleep, his mind abuzz with various questions that needed answers. Given that he was the only male of the group, he opted to take the couch downstairs so that the girls can get some privacy. He began pondering about the various things he heard today, ranging from the moral question Spacea and Tiempa presented Melia, to the mystery surrounding the Miera region that Erin brought up, to even Cella's request for help regarding Vivian. Figuring a bit of fresh air would help him fall asleep, he put his jacket back on and quietly exited the house, only to catch glimpse of what looked like…Vivian?

"Wonder what she could be up to tonight." He pondered to himself, quietly following her throughout the village. Julius knew that such an action was not acceptable, but if it could shed some light on what was bothering her, then it would be beneficial in the end. Around a minute later, he saw Vivian enter her house and crept up to the door, where he saw her step on a small stone in the center of a raised platform, causing a stone door at the back to open slowly. Looking to her sides, the purple-haired woman stepped beyond the opening, with Julius quietly entering her house and making his way past the opening. The young teen soon found himself inside what appeared to be a small ruin that lead to a hidden spring, an all-too familiar Celebi statue standing in the center, with Vivian standing within the water as she began chanting a prayer to herself.

"…and on the 100th night, I purify my body for the 100th time. I give my body, I give my soul, I give my mind to you. my Arceus' guiding light shine upon me." Vivian chanted, a golden light glowing throughout the room briefly before fading away, the purple-haired woman growing quiet all of a sudden. "I've prayed here for 100 days and 100 nights. You have blessed me with this Spring of Purification, and you have given me the ability to hear the Earth. With that ability, I've heard the Earth warn me about the future; this planet…the Pokémon…and nature itself, something unspeakably terrible is about to unfold, and we all feel it. and we reach out to you, Lord Arceus…but you ignore our call? Everyone I could ever hope to love are in danger and there is no sign from you whatsoever. I can feel someone watching me, but…I know it's not you."

' _Uh-oh…'_ Julius thought to himself, fearing the worst should he get caught. However, whatever potential anger Vivian could hurl at him wouldn't be direct at him, but an entirely different target entirely.

"Damn you…" She whispered lowly to herself, a few tears falling down her cheeks. "I suppose there's no longer any point to my devotion to you. You've blessed me, Anju. Hazuki and Nymiera with all these gifts, but…we're in a world that God has abandoned. N-Not even my tears can ease the pain this time. Fine then, I know what I must do. What I must do to save this world."

Seeing this as an opportunity to leave, Julius quietly tip-toed from behind the pillar and towards the exit, only to hear the last words he had wanted to hear at this point in time.

"I know…that you were listening to me, Julius…please, come here for a moment." Vivian requested calmly, the young teen gulping to himself as he accepted his fate and made his way to the older woman, stopping on the stone stairs that lead down into the spring.

"I-I'm sorry for eavesdropping, b-but I only wanted to know if you were alright." He apologized profusely, only for the purple-haired woman to brush it aside.

"No need to apologize, I appreciate your concern. However, I would like to ask you a few questions. Tell me, what's the one thing that's the most important to you?" Vivian asked him, the young teen thinking to himself for a moment.

"What matters the most to me? Easy, my friends and the ones I love with all my heart." He answered honestly.

"Your friends…Friendship is important indeed, as are the ones you love. My friends, Cella, Anju, Hazuki and Nymeria…they're all I have in this life." The older woman responded to his answer, mulling it over in her head. "Next question; if you were forced to do so, would you sacrifice your life for the sake of the ones you love, or the lives of other people?"

"Yes, I would give up my life a thousand times over if it meant Melia and Venam can live in peace." Julius answered honestly once more.

"A most noble answer, Julius. There's something that I can't explain fully to you; I can sense the very presence of every living being around me. For a couple of years now, I've felt new presences pop up suddenly around Kugearen and Amberette Town. And most recently, I felt the presence of four people appear suddenly on Route 4. When I went to investigate, what would I find but you and your friends? Which consists of four members…a strange coincidence, isn't it?" Vivian explained to him, a look of curiosity on her face as the young teen feared the worst

"A-About that, W-We…" Julius began, only for the older woman to hush him.

"It's late, you should head back to your friends and rest. A word of advice for you; once tomorrow comes, you and your friends should leave. Wherever you all came from…return to it. This region's days are numbered." She warned him, the young man nodding in confirmation as he made his way out of her house, a lone thought stuck in his mind.

' _Sacrificing myself for others…perhaps that dilemma isn't as hard to answer as I initially thought…'_ He pondered to himself, quietly entering the house he and his friends were borrowing to catch some much-needed sleep.

 **The next morning**

The bright sun shining through the window had woken Julius up, the young teen hopping off his bed and promptly got himself ready for the morning. However, he didn't hear any of the others getting themselves ready, so he assumed that they had already done so but opted to let him sleep in. Once he finished getting ready, he made his way into the main room where he saw his friends seated at the table alongside Cella and Anju, with Melia keeping her distance from the blue haired woman. Taking a seat next to the blonde, the older woman noticed his arrival and shot him a small smile.

"Ah, you're finally awake Julius. How was your night?" Cella inquired, with the young man remembering his conversation with Vivian.

"I-I couldn't get to sleep at the start, so I opted to go on a quick stroll, which was when I saw Vivian walking to her house. I followed her for a bit and overheard her talking to herself, but I wasn't able to make much sense of it." He informed her, the black-haired woman raising a hand to her chin.

"I see…in that case we'll have to find out for ourselves." She stated, with Erin promptly raising her hand.

"So what's your plan today? Weren't you and Anju thinking up one the other day?" Erin asked.

"As a matter of fact, we have. A long time ago, a boy with white hair visited the village, supposedly he was an acquaintance of Vivian." Cella began, with Melia raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"A white-haired boy…I'm sorry, but did you catch his name?" The blonde requested.

"I'm sorry, but though I did hear it, I don't remember it that well. I think it was something like Keith, or maybe Ken…" The older woman began.

"T-That's Kanon?! It has to be him." Melia exclaimed.

"Yes, that was it. His name was Kanon. Anyway, when Kanon visited Vivian, he gave her this cryptic book of sorts. Ever since she got that book, she's been acting very weird, I'm sure of it!" Cella continued, the pieces starting to fall together.

"I assume you want us to take this book away from her?" Aelita suspected, the two older women nodding in confirmation.

"We'll need someone to go into Vivian's house when she's not there and retrieve the book." Anju confirmed Aelita's statement, as a weird look grew on Erin's face.

"So you essentially want to break into her house and steal something?" The white-haired girl double-checked with them, but the duo stood firmly with their plan.

"On paper, it sounds like a terrible thing to do…but it's essentially what we must do." Cella told them, with Erin, Aelita and Julius growing a little uncomfortable over the plan.

"If Vivian is in trouble, then we have to do our best to help her. If it turns out that she's fine and we broke into her house for nothing, then I will take full responsibility for this." Melia pledged to her friends, catching them off-guard.

"I-I can't let you shoulder all the blame; I'll bear as much of it as you're willing to part with." Julius joined in, only for the older woman to stop them in their tracks.

"It's sweet that you two are willing to accept responsibility for the plan, but this idea is mine and Anju's alone. If things go south, we'll take the blame." Cella offered, only for a small chuckle to escape the blonde's mouth.

"Don't worry about it, you can count on me, Cella." She replied.

"Truth be told, I'm not overly keen on this plan, but if Vivian is indeed in danger than I'm willing to do anything to help her." Anju pledged to the group. "Anyway, we'll need to lure her out of her house and keep her occupied for a small amount of time."

"Luckily, I have the perfect way to do so. I'll make a stink bomb and smoke her out the house." The black-haired woman began, the group raising a few eyebrows at her idea. "Vivian and I used to make them when we were younger, usually for pranking people with. The main material we used to make them with are…Heracross droppings. They usually live in the woods east of Sheridan Village."

"Wonderful…" Erin commented sarcastically. "Talk about a really shitty job."

"I know it sounds foul, but it's really easy to gather; I'll even supply gloves and a jar to put it in." Cella offered, the four teens taking in a deep breath before accepting the task at hand.

"Fine, we'll do it. But I sure as hell am not handling the stuff, even with gloves on." Aelita chimed in.

"I suppose I'll do it then." Julius accepted what he assumed was an inevitability. "Just…don't tell Saki about this; who knows what wisecracks she'll lobby my way should word of this reach her ears."

"Then it's settled; Anju and I will construct the actual bomb while you four collect the materials. Don't dally, we don't exactly have that much time on our hands." The black-haired woman handed Julius the necessary tools, the two groups making their way to their respective destination so they can begin working on the plan.

 **0000**

"Ugh, what's with that smell? Don't tell me that it's mating season for them already…" Julius winced, holding his nose shut as the four teens explored the rough forest before them. If the smell of the male's musk was pungent enough to make him recoil in shock, then just how bad were the droppings going to smell like?

"The quicker we can get this done, the sooner we can get out of here, alright?" Melia reassured the young teen, the group soon arriving at a rocky outcropping, only for a small group of agitated Heracross to confront them. "I don't think they're happy with us for interrupting their mating season."

"Yeah, well they better get over it. We're here for something and we're going to get it, whether they like it or not." Aelita shot back, the angry Bug Pokémon letting out loud chirps in an attempt to scare them away.

"I think that one's looking at me funny…you think it's too shy to say hi?" Erin commented.

"Seriously you two, now's not the time for making jokes!" The blonde told them firmly.

*Sigh…* "Will it make you feel better if we knock them out?" Aelita asked her.

"I think that's what we're gonna have to do, so it's not like we have a choice now." Julius replied, the Heracross slowly advancing towards the trainers as they each got out a Pokéball and threw it to the ground, sending out their Hawlucha, Absol, Togekiss and Vilucard.

The first Heracross lowered its horn and lunged at the Hawlucha, the bipedal bird dodging the attack before grabbing it by its horn and used its strength to fling it towards another Heracross, sending the two crashing into a rocky wall. A third Heracross used its horn to lift up a large rock before hurling it towards the Absol, with the Disaster Pokémon using its sharp horn to break the rock before lunging at the Heracross and slashed at it, the Singlehorn Pokémon letting out a groan of pain as it crashed into a small rock. Meanwhile, a fourth Heracross flew into the air and attempted to knock Togekiss down, with the Jubilee Pokémon dodging the attack and flew back a bit, conjuring up sharp blades of wind with its wings before pushing them towards the Heracross, the attack knocking it out of the air as the Singlehorn Pokémon hurtled down into a nearby tree. The final Heracross was squaring off against Vilucard, the cat-bat making a mocking gesture towards it in order to infuriate the bug. This ploy worked as the infuriated Heracross lunged recklessly at the Vilucard, enabling the cat-bat to trip it off the nearby ledge and onto the hard rock floor beneath the edge. Once the Heracross realized they were outmatched, they promptly fled the area as the four teens sighed in relief, thanking their Pokémon before recalling them.

"Well look at that…they're no longer itching for a fight. Now we just have to collect the droppings; you know what to do, Julius." Melia commented lightly, the young teen sighing to himself as he promptly put the gloves on his hands.

"As you wish…" He replied, spending the next five minutes combing the area for the droppings and putting them inside the jar as the others shot him a small look of sympathy. But soon enough, he was able to complete the task, promptly closing the jar so he didn't have to smell the droppings any longer. "That was without a doubt, the least pleasant thing I had ever done. Half of them were still warm—"

"Please, don't talk about it. Let's just hope and pray that this sordid affair actually helps Vivian in the end." Aelita interrupted him, raising a hand to her chin. "And to think that Kanon might have been behind this entire disaster. That kid can be a troublemaker at times…"

"I don't know if I asked you this before, but what made you want to help out Vivian so badly?" Erin asked Melia.

"Is it so wrong of me that I want to help those around me?" The blonde replied.

"No, there's nothing wrong with that. But you seem…obsessive in helping her out. What did Spacea and Tiempa say to you anyway? What could they have possibly said that would—Urgh…" Erin began, only to fall on one knee before slowly picking herself up.

"E-Erin, are you okay?" Melia inquired, the white-haired girl raising a hand to her head.

"I-I don't feel well all of a sudden, how odd." She replied, wincing under her breath.

"Given how bad this place smells, I don't blame you for not feeling well. Let's just get out of here already—look out!" Julius began, attracting the groups' attention as a Heracross launched a surprise attack on the group, who all attempted to dodge only for Aelita to get struck on her side by the Heracross' horn, before it promptly flew away.

"Aelita!" Melia called out, running over to her friend's side to check up on her.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. It didn't scratch me or anything…H-Huh, where's my amulet?" The magenta-haired girl began, desperately searching her pockets for the Time Gear Amulet. "T-The Time Gear Amulet that Spacea and Tiempa gave me is gone!"

"What?!" The young teen called out, quickly getting back up on his feet to check up on her. "Why would it even take the amulet anyway?"

"Don't worry about it; if they're both still here, then we could always ask them for another." Melia told them, gesturing the group to follow her out of the wood, unaware that they were being watched by a mysterious figure.

"You've done well, Heracross. Thank you for snatching that amulet back for me~" Spacea cooed at the Singlehorn Pokémon, taking the amulet from it as she began petting its head. "And now we wait…"

 **0000**

Upon arriving back at the village, Erin promptly excused herself, saying that she wished to rest up at the house they were borrowing before making her way there. Melia asked if she had wanted anything, but the white-haired girl knocked the offer back, leaving the trio to themselves.

"I'm sure Erin will be fine. Anyway, let's deliver these dropping to Cella already." Aelita reassured the other two, the trio promptly making their way to Cella's house. Upon arriving inside, Julius quickly handed her the jar before making a mad dash to the kitchen sink, binning the gloves before spending a bit of time washing his hands, a few low winces escaping from his mouth.

"I see that your friend didn't enjoy the outing all that much?" Cella joked to Melia and Aelita, with Anju applying the finishing touches to the bomb itself.

"Obviously. Now, is this enough for you, because it better be enough." Aelita asked a little curtly, with the older woman eyeing up the jar carefully.

"Yes, this looks to be more than enough. I'll just take it and begin the process of constructing the bomb." The black-haired woman replied, taking the jar of dropping and began the process of constructing the bomb. It took around a couple or so minutes, with Julius having finished washing his hands to see Cella present the finished bomb to the group.

"Now that you have your bomb, what do we do now?" The young teen inquired.

"Right, allow me to go over the plan. I'll ignite this bomb and then throw it down Vivian's chimney. She'll come running out the house where Anju will be conveniently waiting, where you'll bring her back to my place where I'll be waiting to help her out. While that's happening, somebody will sneak into her house and take the book that's in her cabinet upstairs, which I'll leave to Julius. As for the others…your job is to act normally, understand?" She explained the plan to them, with Julius accepting his role in it.

"Very well…I'll do it. At the very least, I'm not gathering her droppings for another stink bomb." He replied in a snide manner.

"In that case, I'll be waiting outside Vivian's house. Speak to me when you're ready." Cella called out to Julius, as she and Anju exited her house with the young teen following them outside. Soon enough, the trio arrived at Vivian's house, with the black-haired woman gesturing Julius to hide behind a small rock. Finding the ideal location to throw the bomb from, Cella took aim and lit the fuse before throwing it into the chimney of Vivian's house. A few moments later, a loud _'crack!'_ could be heard from within the house, a pungent odor escaping from the building as the purple-haired woman abruptly exited her house, covering her face and eyes with her hands.

"Augh…oh my god, what was that smell?" Vivian complained, coughing slightly as Anju moved from her position towards her friend.

"Oh dear, what happened Vivian?" The blue-haired woman inquired.

"I-I don't know! Something fell down my chimney and exploded, releasing this horrible odor. It smells so bad they my eyes feel like a Beedrill stung them…" The purple-haired woman continued, rubbing her eyes frantically.

"Come on, let's see if Cella has anything in her house that can fix you up" Anju suggested, the duo quickly making their way to Cella's place. Once the coast was clear, the black-haired woman gestured at Julius to quickly dive in and grab the book. Entering her house, he made his way up the stairs into the second floor and found the cabinet the older woman mentioned, and immediately spotted a Garufan Spellbook. Tucking it into his bag, he arranged the scene so that it looked like nothing happened before closing the cabinet door. Afterwards, he quietly exited the house and made his way back to Cella's house, where he saw Anju wash Vivian's eyes out with a wet cloth.

"Hey Cella, how's it—what happened to Vivian?" The young teen asked, quickly forming his cover story.

"Some hooligan threw a bomb in her house that stunk up the place, irritating her eyes. Luckily, Anju was nearby to find her, so she brought her here to wash her eyes out." Cella began, as she and Julius made some distance away from the other do. "I assume you have 'something' to give me?"

"Yeah…here it is." He whispered back to her, discreetly handing the spellbook over to her.

"Thank you, now to—" The older woman began, her eyes widening in surprise upon taking a closer look at the book. "No…I knew it, I knew it!"

"Thanks for the help, Cella. I don't know—" Vivian began, entering the room where she was, only to see her friend holding the book. "Wha…What are you holding?"

"Vivian…explain this to me. Explain this to me right now!" Cella demanded, showing the spellbook to her as Julius back off a few feet. The last thing he wanted to happen was to get pinned to the crime, and the older woman's demands put him at great risk. "Why is this page about a Self-Sacrificial Protection Spell bookmarked?!"

"I don't…I don't know what you're talking about." The purple-haired woman tried to cover for herself.

"It says it right here; you've made notes. This is your handwriting!" The black-haired woman raised her voice in anger, pointing to a specific page that had a few scribbles down the side. "You were planning on killing yourself for some protection spell without telling me?!"

"It was better if you didn't know." Vivian retorted, turning to face Cella. "You were the one who used the stink bomb, didn't you? I remember how we used to make them when we were younger, remember?"

"I knew something was up with you. I knew you didn't want to tell me, but I had to find out what!" Cella shot back, as the purple-haired woman came to a realization.

"So…this was all a plan, and all of you were involved? To steal the book Kanon gave to me?" She spoke, a look of hurt and betrayal evident in her eyes.

"It was to protect you, Vivian. We care about your well-being more than anything." Anju replied, with Vivian shooting a glare at Cella before snatching the spellbook away from her hands and promptly running out of the house.

"Vivian, wait!" Cella called out to her, but she didn't listen. "W-We must chase her before she does something rash."

"She must've ran to the Spring of Purification. That's the only place she'd go!" Anju replied, the two women quickly following after her, leaving Julius to himself for a moment.

"This plan was doomed to fail from the beginning…" He muttered to himself before quickly exiting the house. Upon leaving the place, he saw Melia and Aelita quickly talking to each other, looks of confusion on their faces.

"Hey Jules, what happened back there?" Melia inquired.

"The plan got compromised; Vivian snatched the book from Cella and made a mad dash to the Spring of Purification located inside her home." Julius informed them.

"Guess that explains why everyone's in such a hurry. We can't just stand here and do nothing, we must help them in any way we can!" Aelita told them firmly, the magenta-haired girl making her way to Vivian's house.

"Agreed, let's go after—ow!" The blonde cried out, holding her head as she was struck by a small pebble that landed before her feet.

"Melia! Are you okay?!" Julius ran up to her, quickly scanning the area to see where it came from, only to find nothing.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little surprised, that's all. Anyway, we don't have time to stand here, let's get a move on!" Melia called out to him, the duo quickly making their way to Vivian's house and entered it. Upon entering it, they saw Aelita, Cella and Anju standing before an open hole in the middle of the floor that lead downstairs to some hidden basement.

"The normal entrance to the Spring is closed off, Vivian must've made her way down these stairs. Seems that this is the only way to go on, after all only Vivian and her bloodline can open the door." Cella told the two newcomers. "Seems she wants us to go down these stairs to follow her."

"Then that's what we're going to do…if we don't who knows what will happen." Melia said out loud, the group of five descending the staircase into the dark depths below. They soon found themselves in a linear corridor lined up by stone columns, the place illuminated by several candles. The group quickly made their way to the end of the corridor, where they saw Vivian standing atop a ledge which had what looked like a small teleport pad.

"I thought I could trust you, Cella. I thought I could trust all of you. But you all just don't understand…you haven't felt what I have. In a way, I can't hold you accountable for your ignorance; after all, you all just wanted to help me." The purple-haired woman discarded her animosity towards the group, lowering her gaze to the ground. "But I am beyond anyone's help now. And unfortunately, you all forced my hand. I won't hold back any longer I'll eliminate anyone who stands in my way! Rise, my golem! Fight for me!"

Channeling her inner power, Vivian merged the broken rocks lying around the place as they rose in the air and merged into one, causing a bright light to emanate throughout the area. Once the light died down, the group bear witness to the legendary Regirock standing before them, the large golem letting out a groan as it moved closer towards them. "Please Regirock, buy me just a few moments, okay?" The purple-haired woman requested, watching her companion approach the group before quietly hopping onto the portal and teleported away from the area.

"So…this is so important to you that you would summon your golem to stop us." Anju mused to herself, turning to face the others. "Leave this to me. All of you need to stop Vivian this instant!"

"A-Are you sure…?" Cella asked, with the blue-haired woman nodding firmly in response. "Thank you so much, Anju. We won't let you down!"

Anju watched as the group of four quickly made their way to the portal that Vivian stepped onto, before promptly approaching the Regirock. "You know, it's honestly a shame that you are being used for something like this, Regirock. To be blessed with such a gift from Lady Nymeria…for this purpose? It's just sad…do you even know what you're fighting for, Regirock? That, I truly wonder. However, I have a golem of my own; one that is equal to you in power!" She spoke softly to the tall golem.

Standing back a few feet, Anju used her power to conjure up a large chunk of ice in the air as it slowly began to take form. "An elegant shape. When one's soul and mind are unstable, it would produce an ugly shape. Blessed with the power of ice, I call to you, my golem!" She called out, the chunk of ice hurtling towards the blue-haired woman and pieced her chest, poking out from her back as she was able to endure the intense pain. Soon afterwards, it phased out of her chest and landed on the ground, quickly taking the form of the legendary Regice, as the two golems stared each other down.

 **0000**

While that was happening, Cella and the three teens arrived at the Spring of Purification and quickly followed after her, only for Aelita to collapse on one knee and clutch her stomach in pain.

"Ahhh…" She winced in pain. "I-I don't know why, but I feel very weak all of a sudden. J-Just go on without me you two, don't wait your time on me!"

"I-If you say so…" Julius replied hesitantly, as he and Melia followed Cella to the spring where she and Melia were standing a few feet before Vivian, who was in the midst of preparing the ritual.

"I-I don't understand…why are you still following me?!" The purple-haired woman demanded an answer from the trio.

"Because we don't want you to do anything crazy!" Melia answered out loud.

"We're here for you, Vivian! I don't want to lose you like I lost my fiancée! You're my best friend and you always will be! It hurts me to see you like this." Cella called out as well, only for Vivian to chuckle to herself.

"Well I'm not your friend! I never was your friend to begin with!" She retorted bitterly, glaring at the trio before her. "And like I said before, I WILL eliminate ANYONE who gets in my way. And if that means killing you three for the sake of the world, then so be it. if you plan on being the thorn in my side, then I'll be the knife in your back—"

"Wait!" Julius called out to her, halting her advance. "Before you do this, ask yourself; do you really want to do this?"

"I…I do." Vivian began slowly.

"Is that the honest truth? Are you 100% certain you want to give up your life like this?" Cella asked her firmly, the purple-haired woman backing away slowly before she fell to her knees and began crying.

"Why…why won't you just let me go? All I wanted to do was protect the ones I love from…from…" She sobbed, with Cella making her way to her and held her hands firmly.

"Nothing you say will ever make me let go of you, Vivian. No amount of natural disasters, or calamities will allow yourself to be alone. We're inseparable, Vivian. I'll always be there for you…no matter what trouble we may face." The black-haired woman reassured her friend.

"I-I'm sorry, Cella…to all of you…I didn't mean what I said. I didn't mean…" Vivian continued to sob, as her friend began to gently rub her shoulder.

"It's okay, Vivian. It's okay. Let's go back to my house, okay? This time we'll get you cleaned up for real." Cella suggested, with Vivian nodding slowly as the black-haired woman helped her friend get up off the ground and slowly make their way out of the springs, leaving Melia and Julius to themselves.

"It looks like…we were able to save Vivian after all." Melia smiled, a little touched by the scene between Cella and Vivian. "At last, we were able to save at least one person!"

"It was all thanks to your determination, Melia. I'm sure Venam would be most proud of you." Julius chimed in.

"Yeah…I'm sure she is." The blonde replied quietly. "Don't worry Venam, I will save you. no matter what I must go through."

"Forgive me for being a little rude, but will you confess your love to her once we save her?" The young teen inquired, with Melia nodding in confirmation.

"Yes, I will. And once that happens, we can hopefully begin the process of building a happy future for the three of—" The blonde began, only for a groan of pain to come from down the hall. "Aelita! Quick, we need to check up on her."

Quickly running down the hall, the duo soon found Aelita pacing up and down the area, holding her hands to her head as she began muttering to herself frantically. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. It wasn't supposed to be this way." She muttered, with Melia slowly approaching the magenta-haired girl, only for the latter to turn around abruptly. "No…you can't have me…no…you can't have me… no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no!"

All of a sudden, she was encased into a pitch-black stone statue, an eerie red glow emanating from it before promptly shattering into thousands of tiny pieces, a lock of shock plastered on the duo's faces.

"Wh-What did we just see…? What happened to Aelita?" Julius inquired, fear evident in his tone of voice. All of a sudden, the duo was encased by a mysterious blue aura that lifted them into the air, their Time Gear Amulet's glowing profusely before they disappeared from the area, getting teleported to a place that neither of them would've ever expected.

 **Talk about a way to end the chapter; I know some readers may be a little disappointed that I didn't write in the battle against Vivian, but I figured I'd save all my creative juices for the next chapter. As I plan on covering the entirety of the bad future in one chapter, it may come out a little later than usually, but I hope it will be worth the wait. Anyway, thank you all for reading, I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	46. Chapter 46

**Yagami Kuzuki: Thank you for understanding and while I do get your concerns over Huey's presence in the story decreasing over time, I'm fairly confident that the devs still have something in store for him and Lavender.**

 **Welcome everyone, to the bad future of Aevium. It'll be one of the darkest chapters in the entire fic, so you better prepare yourselves for it. Hopefully, I'd be able to do this amazing part of the game the justice it deserves.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **?**

"Ughhh…wh-where am I?" Melia groaned in pain, slowly getting up the rocky floor as she quickly looked around the area in horror; where on earth was she? The skies were blanketed in pitch-black clouds, the water was a deep red, and didn't even look like water to be honest, and all the life was drained from the grass and trees around her. But the part that worried her the most was that she was alone, or at least not for long. Just a few seconds later, a mysterious glow shone through the area, a familiar figure falling out of it as he soon crashed onto the ground.

"Gah!" Julius winced, getting up off the ground and dusted himself off, a look of fear growing rapidly on his face. "Wh-What happened here? Where did we go?!"

"Oh, thank heavens Julius, you're alright!" The blonde cried out in joy, running over to him and hugged him tightly, with the young teen returning the hug. "I have no idea what's going on right now, but I'm glad I'm not alone…"

"Same here, I don't know what I would've done if I wound up here without you." He replied, the duo breaking off the hug as they did another survey of the area. "This place looks…dead. as if all life was sucked dry from this planet. Melia, do you remember what had happened before we got here?"

"W-Well, we had finished talking Vivian out of sacrificing herself, only to here Aelita's groans of pain as she was petrified before our eyes. Oh god, poor Aelita…" Melia began, only for yet another glowing light to appear before them. Stepping back cautiously, the duo was soon horrified over realizing who it was that had stepped out of the ball of light.

"…What has happened? Where is this?" Madame X asked herself, promptly turning around to glare at the duo from behind her mask. "You two…what have you two done?"

"M-Madame X…" They both began, only for a mysterious giggle to echo throughout the area, a young girl approaching the two teens with the Xen Dictator taking this opportunity to quickly leave the area.

"W-What do you want…?" Julius asked wearily, the girl giggling once more as several more children emerged from the bushes and trees, surrounding the duo in a circle and pointed their makeshift spears at them.

"L-Look, we mean you all no harm. So if you can j-just…" Melia attempted to reason with the kids, her voice trembling with fear. But the kids didn't relent, opting to lunge at the duo and bind them tightly with rope before carting them to a different part of the island. After a few minutes, they arrived at a tall totem of sorts and tied the two teens to the totem, before backing away from them.

"Mama Mosely, come look! Come look! We found more people!" The girl from before called out, a startled expression forming on Julius' face. He remembered Mosely from his time in Goldenleaf Town, the two of them forming a quick but firm friendship. Perhaps he could reason with her so that he and Melia can be free from this madness.

"Keep it down, y'all. I'm coming as quick as I can." A familiar sounding voice called out, the young children turning in awe as Mosely arrived on scene…or at least they somewhat resembled Mosely. The hair and face were identical, but her attitude seemed a lot different from before, a lot more hostile than usual. "Hmph…these two look like good for nothing adults!"

"M-Mosely! Don't you remember? It's me, Julius! We met in Goldenleaf Town, where we took on that slimy Geara." The young teen attempted to reason with her, but the look she shot back at him was one that indicated that she had no idea who this stranger was before her.

"Y-You're the leader of these children, right?" Melia inquired.

"Maybe, maybe not. It doesn't matter; all I want is for you two to stay quiet! I don't wanna have to do anything terrible." Mosely retorted, stepping closer to Melia. "What are a pair of adults like you doing here? How'd you even get here anyway? There's no boats on this small chunk of rock! And please don't start rambling nonsense like that guy beside you…"

"We don't even know what's going on here, so how can we tell you anything?" The blonde retorted, with the kids booing at her in response.

"Seems the kids don't like that piss-poor response you gave, and I agree with 'em. Now tell us what you know, or we'll be forced to do something we really don't want to do!" The orange-haired girl demanded, with the children crying out for their blood.

"Look, I don't give a damn what you do to me. But, if you so much as harm a hair on Melia, I'll end your miserable lives myself!" Julius hissed back at the children, glaring at the now hostile group before them as they sensed the hostility and fear in his tone. "As we told you, we have no clue how we got here in the first place, nor do we know what's going on. Now if you could untie us right now, then I won't have to bury your face into the dirt!"

"Tch, guess I expected a pair of adults to be stupid. Fine, if you're gonna act like that, then you leave me with no choice…" Mosely growled, bringing out a knife and approached the duo. But in the nick of time, a few small knives were flung in her direction, breaking the ropes blinding the teens as Mosely stepped back in shock. "W-What's going on now?!"

"Aiiieeee! I-It's the Reaper!" The young girl from before cried out, with Melia and Julius turning to see a man in a hooded cloak standing atop the totem, staring down at the group before him.

"Mosely, I thought I told you and the others to stop calling me that. For the last time…" He began, lowering his hood to reveal a young man with short black hair, his face nearly identical to that of…Keta?! "…My name's Kenneth." He introduced himself.

"W-What do you want?" Mosely inquired, eyeing up the adult suspiciously.

"I've come to give you a warning…stop harassing people you don't know. It'll save trouble for all of us. I'll deal with these two myself." Kenneth told her, the orange-haired girl letting out a low growl before gesturing at her children to retreat from the area. With a quick leap, the young man hopped off the totem and landed before the terrified teens.

"T-Thank you for saving us…" Melia thanked the man profusely, with Julius giving the man a nod of respect for his actions.

"I'm terribly sorry for how Mosely and the children acted. You know what they're like in these trying times." The young man apologized for the kids' behavior, before eyeing up the two curiously. "Though I do wonder…what are you two doing here? As Mosely said to you, there's no boat on this place; it'll be impossible for you to reach this place without one. We've been here many times before, and there was no sign of either of you before."

"We don't know…this whole ordeal is confusing and terrifying for the both of us." Julius admitted, shuffling his foot into the dirt. "So…w-what are you going to do to us?"

"You two will be coming with me; there's no option, you either come with us or stay here and starve to death." Kenneth told them bluntly, catching the two off-guard. From the look of things, it seems that they were in-between a rock and a hard place, with the risk of death hanging over their heads. The duo quickly whispered to one another before reaching a conclusion.

"Alright…we'll go with you." The blonde replied, a small smile forming on the young man's face.

"Good. Meet me on the docks when you're ready to go." He told them, quickly making his way south of the area as the duo looked at each other wearily.

"M-Melia, did we make the right choice? H-How can we trust his word that he won't hurt us?" The young teen asked wearily, a sinking feeling welling up inside Melia as she wasn't used to seeing the confidant Julius trembling in fear this badly.

"I-It isn't a choice I would go for under normal circumstances, but it's preferable over starving to death. Besides, we might get some answers from him over what is going on her." Melia replied, holding the young teen's hand and squeezed it firmly, hoping to reassure him. They then began the quick trip south to where Kenneth was waiting, a fairly large yacht beside him as he waved at the duo.

"Ah, I suppose you two are ready to leave?" He called out, the duo nodding in confirmation. He then proceeded to hop onto the yacht with Melia and Julius hopping on as the duo took their seats beside Mosely and the other kids, with Kenneth making his way to the captain's seat. "We're setting off now, is everyone ready?"

"Yeah, we're ready. Just go for it already." Mosely began, with the young man switching on the ignition as the yacht began to move away from the island.

"So, if I may ask…what, or rather where is this place?" Melia asked the other passengers, as they raised an eyebrow at her and Julius in surprise.

"Are you seriously asking us that question, as if you didn't already know? Have you two literally lived under a rock for your entire life?" Kenneth asked them incredulously, before a small sigh escaped from his mouth. "But fine, I'll humor you two. We're on a place called Earth, have you ever heard of it?"

"Heh, nice one!" Mosely snickered under her breath.

"We're being serious, sir. We really do have no idea what's going on." Julius replied, as another small sigh escaped from Kenneth's mouth.

"There's no name for this world. It's just a barren, dying planet. Just call it the Earth if you want, if it can even be called that."

"I see…" Melia replied a little uneasily, a petrified expression plastered on Julius' face as he now realized where they were. This planet…was their very own home, devastated by some unspeakable apocalypse that had destroyed virtually anything and everything in its path.

*Yawn…* I'm bored, are we there yet?" Mosely inquired out of boredom.

"What do you mean by 'there'?" The blonde asked another question.

"A small hideout for refugees called Telia Hideout." Kenneth answered, with Melia raising an eyebrow in curiosity. That place…the name sounded so familiar to her for some reason, but what it was exactly had escaped her mind. "Anyway, we're nearly there so hold on tight, everyone!"

Upon those words, everyone held onto their seats firmly as the yacht ground to a screeching halt, stopping at a nearby beach as everyone soon hopped off the yacht. Melia and Julius were the last to get off, the young teen's face now deathly pale as he wearily eyed up the hideout, which on a surface level looked no better than that other island they were on.

"Well, we're here. This is Telia Hideout." The black-haired man informed the duo, turning to face Mosely. "Did you enjoy your time out, Mosely?"

"Yeah, I did. Thank you very much for taking me out!" Mosely replied, a lot more cheerful than she was back there.

"Good, because that's the last time I take you out for runs." Kenneth replied a little firmly.

"Hehe, is that a dare I hear?" The orange-haired girl smirked back at him, the young man turning to face the two teens.

"Anyway, I have something to do before I can allow you two to run around on the island. Forgive me for this…" He began, walking up to them and punched them hard in the back of their heads, causing them to crumple onto the sandy floor as Mosely whistled in awe.

"Woah, you punched the crap outta them!" She called out.

"It had to be done. Now go get your sister and bring these two to the shack." Kenneth ordered, with Mosely making her way deeper into the island as he kept an eye on the unconscious teens.

 **0000**

"Ugh…my head, it hurts…" Melia complained, slowly opening her eyes as she found herself in a prison cell alongside Julius, the young teen looking around the area erratically. "Julius…are you okay?"

"I-I don't know…my head hurts and I'm stuck inside some prison cell. I'm scared, Melia. I'm so, so scared for us both. We're stuck inside a timeline where the world is dead, and we have no way out of here; what do we do?!" He exclaimed, clenching onto the table tightly.

"Calm down, we'll figure a way out of this mess." The blonde tried to calm her lover down, before promptly thinking to herself. "From what I gathered; this isn't the future we came from…did we do something back in the past that horribly changed the fate of humanity?"

"The only thing I can think of was preventing Vivian from sacrificing herself. Were we…were we supposed to let her die?" Julius commented.

"Argh! This is all my fault! I meddled too much; all I wanted to do was help Vivian, and now the world's in complete disarray because of me." Melia cried out in frustration, punching the table as Julius promptly rested his hand on her shoulder.

"D-Don't blame yourself; you had no idea this would've happened. Besides, I share the blame for not telling you about the conversation I had with Vivian." He tried to soothe her, but it only caused the blonde to raise an eyebrow at his last comment. "That night I followed Vivian to her home, she spotted me and asked a few questions, mainly revolving around what matters the most to me, as well as whether I'd give my life up for the greater good. I should've pieced the puzzle together a lot quicker, but my inaction lead to a gross misunderstanding, I'm sorry!"

Just then, the door to the jail slammed opened, a redhead girl storming up to the cell before yanking the door open. Upon doing so, she walked right up to Melia and punched her firmly in the gut, causing Julius to lunge at the girl and grab her by the arms.

"Don't you dare hurt Melia like—" He began, only to receive a punch to the gut himself as he was flung towards the winded Melia, the duo crumpled up onto the ground.

"You bastards, you stupid crazy bastards!" The girl growled at them, only for Kenneth to storm into the jail to stop her.

"Amber!" He called out to her, catching Julius by surprise. Asides from the hair color, the girl looked nothing like the Amber he knew and respected.

"Y-You heard what these two were saying, right? They talked about how they travelled through time; they're a pair of lunatics! You brought crazy people to our place of residence, Kenneth!" Amber scolded the older man.

"All that concerns me is that they're not part of the Renegade." He attempted to calm her down, but it didn't seem to work.

"Does it matter? They're crazy and crazy people can hurt us just as much." The redhead shot back at him.

"Well what if they're telling the truth, and they're not crazy?" Kenneth asked her.

"Does that make a difference? If they are telling the truth, then they're the ones who brought us into this mess, especially the bitch! They're the reason why my mom was taken; it's all their fucking fault!" Amber ranted, as Melia slowly managed to get off the floor.

"Ugh…would killing me make you feel better?" The blonde inquired, causing Julius' eyes to widen in horror over her words. "…Would you find solace in knowing that you took out the one who put you in this mess? Th-Then just do it already…I'm waiting."

"M-Melia! D-Don't say such things!" Julius called out to her.

"S-Shut up, you!" Amber shot back, kicking Melia in the stomach as the blonde cried out in pain once more. Fear soon turned to anger, as Julius lunged up at Amber and pinned her to the table, holding her arm behind her back.

"You hurt her like that again and I'll break your fucking arms, you hear me?!" The young teen hissed at her, with the redhead spitting into his eye.

"Heh, you want a piece of me as well? I'm more than happy to kill you as well, given that you're just as guilty as her!" She shot back confidently, breaking free from his grip before opting to pin him on the table.

"Enough!" Kenneth shouted, breaking up the ensuing fight. "Damnit it Amber, get out of here, now!"

Shooting a most vicious glare at the duo, she shoved Julius onto the table before storming out of the jail, the young teen helping Melia up off the ground as the black-haired man approached the duo. "Please excuse my step-daughter. She's sort of a hot-head." He apologized.

"D-Don't worry, we've dealt with people just like her, actually." Melia replied weakly, her arm around Julius' shoulder for support.

"I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of searching the both of you while you were knocked out. I know both your names, Melia, Julius." Kenneth began, before taking a deep breath. "I also know that you're telling the truth. See, we left you two alone so that you would talk amongst yourselves. It's the best way to get information out of someone around here. You two mentioned something about time travel, and how you messed something up in the past, right?"

"B-But why believe us? For all you know, Amber could've been right about us." Julius inquired, wiping the spit off his face.

"I happened to find Pokéballs, items, equipment and badges while searching through your stuff. Things that only existed in times before this one. There are only 91 species of Pokémon left in the world, there are no need for badges. Yet it seems that you have quite a collection of badges, as well as a myriad of Pokémon that I've never seen before. Even if you two aren't time travelers, you certainly aren't from this world. Even your choice of clothes says otherwise; you don't exactly look like you've been surviving day by day." The black-haired man continued, handing the duo their stuff back as a weakened chuckle escaped from Melia's mouth.

"Haha…you're right, we're not crazy. We've just doomed millions of people, no big deal." The blonde commented weakly, with Julius taking the time to check his bag, a small sigh of relief upon seeing that all of his Pokémon were safe and sound in their balls.

"As truthful as that is, it's just reality. One that can no longer be changed. As such, you two are part of us now. If you stay and help me protect the people here from the Renegade, I will gladly help you both in any way I can." Kenneth offered them, as Julius raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"You mentioned that name earlier…who or what is this Renegade?" He inquired.

"We can talk about that later. But for now, I want you two to just survive. Dinner will be ready soon; now that we have two more mouths to feed, we'll have to cut rations even more." The black-haired man began, only for the young teen to raise his hand.

"In that case, don't worry about me. Just make something up for Melia; I can go without food." Julius told the young man.

"I see…" Kenneth began, before shooting a quick glance at Melia. "Unfortunately, you'll be given the bottom of the bin…you are the newcomers after all."

"I-I can live with that." Melia agreed, the black-haired man nodding in confirmation before making his way out of the jail cell as she sat beside the young teen at the table. "I guess this is it…all we can do is live."

"I-I'm so sorry Melia. M-My weakness back then cost us both, no, the entire world it's future. Had I told you what I learnt from Vivian; you would've made the right decision at that moment. Please…allow me to burden whatever punishment, whatever hostility they rest my hurl your way. I-I'm more than willing to starve if it means you get to live…" Julius replied weakly, only to break down sobbing in a mixture of misery and fear. "I'm so sorry, everyone…"

"Hey…it'll be alright, somehow." Melia began petting his back in an attempt to cheer him up, though even she had her doubts. "I greatly appreciate your kind offer, but I won't sit by while you suffer in silence. Come, we may get some additional information we can about this world by talking to everyone."

"A-Alright then…I-I won't let them harm you." The young teen replied, wiping his tears away as the duo began to make their way out of the jail. "W-What about Madame X?"

"I know this may sound very, very bad but I think we should look for her. She may be our sworn enemy, but she's from out time too…perhaps she may have a way to get us out of this." The blonde answered, with Julius raising a hand to his chin. Normally, he'd be appalled over working with the one who murdered his mother right before his very eyes, but in this doomed world, what choice did he have.

"In that case, I'm be willing to bury the hatchet for the moment, at least until we arrive back in our time." He conceded, the duo exiting out of the jail cell and were soon confronted by a small group of enraged survivors, with Julius clearing his throat as he approached the group. "Look, I know you're angry at us for essentially dooming you all, but the only person you should get angry at is me. I'm the one whose inaction doomed you all, Melia's just another unfortunate vic—"

The angered yells from the crowd echoed throughout the area as they lunged at him, assaulting the teen with various punches and kicks before leaving the two to themselves, with Melia helping the young teen back onto his feet.

"Thank you…things will be a little easier for me from here on out, though I don't think I can say the same about you." The blonde told him.

"It doesn't matter; as long as you're safe, then I'm willing to take any sort of punishment." He replied, the duo shooting a small smile at each other as they began exploring the hideout, desperate for some information. Just a short while into their trek, they happened to see Mosely looking around the area suspiciously, cradling something in her jumper before entering the caves that lead into the Hideouts interior. Curiosity filled the duo as the quickly followed after her, ending up in a small alcove as the saw Mosely bring out…a Pokémon egg?!

"Consider that my apology for being gone for so long, my friend." Mosely spoke to the egg affectionately, having taken it out for a walk of sorts. "I was trying to find something nice for you to lay in… H-Huh? Oh, it's just you two, 'sup?"

"Sorry for bothering you Mosely, but what's with the egg?" Melia inquired.

"Ah, I was just taking care of it, that's all. Tesla gave it to me a while ago…s-she said she found it on one of the runs her and Kenneth went on…I miss Tesla. She treated me like her real daughter…" The young girl sniffled, wiping a few tears away. "And it's all thanks to those stupid Renegade punks; they took her from us. Mark my word, I'll have my revenge on those creeps! As soon as this egg hatches, I'll wipe out the entire Renegade alongside whatever Pokémon hatches from it."

"I-In that case, would you like some time alone with your friend?" Julius inquired, the orange-haired girl nodding in confirmation.

"That'll be appreciated." She replied, the duo opting to leave her and her egg as they made their way through the cave and stepped back into the outside world. "Hey Julius, did you know that because of how dirty the water is, no aquatic Pokémon can live in it?"

"W-Where did you hear that, Melia?" The young teen inquired, taking a glance at the dirty red water surrounding the island.

"I-I must've overheard it when we were being taken to that jail cell before. And on a similar note, we'll have to talk to Amber again…" Melia told him, a look of unease etched on her face.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure that she doesn't hurt you, I promise." Julius pledged, the duo wandering the island for some time until they found Amber overlooking the crimson sea on a small ledge, the redhead turning to face the duo and shot a less vicious glare than before at them.

"Is there something in particular you wanted to talk to me about? Let me take a guess; Kenneth told you two to talk to everyone on this island." She sighed in annoyance.

"Y-Yeah, he did tell us to do so. Besides, it'll give us a chance to get to know everyone a little better." Melia answered, with the redhead letting out another sigh.

"Either way, don't get too comfortable…I don't think either of you will be staying here very long. At least, that's what I want to say, but there's no real place for you two to go. We may as well try and get along, yeah?" Amber conceded.

"Agreed. It'll do neither of us any good to continue these hostilities." Julius gave his two cents.

"Still, even if Melia isn't totally loco-, that means she's the reason behind all out suffering. And I won't forgive her—no, I can't forgive her." The redhead shot a glare at the blonde, before the young teen opted to step in.

"I-If you want someone to direct your anger at, then let me be that target. I was the one who failed to give her the information that could've prevented her from doing what she did. My weakness, my cowardice was the one that put you, Kenneth, Mosely and all the others into this mess!" He stated boldly, with Amber eying the duo up before delivering a powerful punch to Julius' stomach, causing him to crumple over as he gasped in pain.

"Consider yourself lucky, Melia. Now you won't have to suffer the brunt of my wrath." She told the blonde, who quickly helped her friend up off the ground. "Anyway, it's best that we head back inside; dinner's about to be served."

With that said, the redhead promptly made her way back to the caves with the duo soon following right behind her. Once they were inside, Kenneth gestured at the duo to follow him, the trio making their way to a small alcove away from the others as they proceeded to take a seat on the soft dirt floor. "So…you two want to know about the Renegade? But before I do, I guess I should go over what brought us all together."

"Sure, I'm more than happy to learn about the origins of your group." Melia smiled at the young man, only for Amber to roll her eyes as she and Mosely poked their heads through the opening.

"Oh brother, not this story again." She sighed quietly in annoyance.

"When the calamity happened, my mother passed away and my brother left me behind. Fortunately, my mother left me a boat I could use to escape the region. That region being Kanto, the place where I was born. For many years, I was a lone wolf of sorts, drifting around from island to island, which was when I met Amber's mother, Tesla. I decided to stay there for a while, and then eventually we were together, a sort of marriage if you will. I'm sure you know of this already, but this planet isn't in the best of shapes." Kenneth began telling the story to the two teens.

"Total understatement, the planet is dying!" Amber chimed in.

"Y-Yes, well the land on this planet is slowly being swallowed up by the Crimson Sea." The black-haired man continued. "Including this island and the one we picked you up from, there's only five more islands still standing. Two others are far too small to do anything of note on, and the final island is where the Princess lives."

"The Princess…who is she?" Julius inquired.

"After the calamity happened, the Princess took it as an opportunity to try and rule the world, and she was successful. Any who defied her was thrown into the Crimson Sea, or locked up in her castle, which is where the Renegade come in. the Renegade are a bunch of pirates that the royal family hired to capture people who ran away from the Princess' reign. We've been running away from them for quite some time, but the last time they able to capture five people, including Tesla." The black-haired man continued.

"F-For all I know, my mother could be sleeping at the bottom of the Crimson Sea. If her body didn't dissolve by the time it got there…" Amber commented weakly, fighting back the urge to cry. "After all it's what they do to the children of Nymiera. They take us and throw us into the Crimson Sea if they have no use for us. You fall in? you die, that's just it! I bet the Renegade doesn't even take people back to the castle anymore… I mean why would they? This world will be nothing but toxic waste in a matter of days."

"Please Amber, don't be so cynical. Have some hope…" Kenneth pleaded with her.

"Hope…there's no such thing as hope anymore. I'm just going to find a corner and sleep; it's been a long day…" The redhead commented dejectedly, making her way out of the alcove.

"Man…she can be such an edgelord at times." Mosely chimed in.

"Edgelord or not, I think it's time we all got some sleep. Unfortunately, there isn't any beds. You'll just have to find a piece of the floor that's the comfiest and made do." The black-haired man told them, as he and Mosely made their way to their respective "beds" as the duo tried to get as comfortable as they can.

"Here…you can use this as a pillow." Julius took off his jacket and handed it to Melia, the blonde accepting it gratefully as she rested her head on it. But as Julius was about to find his own place to lie down, the blonde tugged on him lightly to sleep beside her, wrapping her arm around him and brought him closer. Realizing that huddling together was a decent way to keep each other warm, he opted to cuddle her back as the duo soon drifted off to sleep somehow. But an hour later, the two lovers were abruptly awoken by a familiar voice calling out to them.

"Hey, you two! Wake up! Wake up!" Amber called out, promptly alerting the duo as they got up off the floor.

"A-Amber, what's going on?" Melia inquired, as Julius took the time to put his jacket back on.

"It's the Renegade! They've finally found our island!" The redhead called out, the trio attempting to run through the cave only for a group of pirates to halt them in their tracks. "C-Crap! They're here already?! Does that mean…"

"That's right, we already got all of the other rebels running around here!" One of the grunts sneered at her.

"T-This can't be happening…" Julius began wearily.

"It is happening; in that case I'll come along quietly." Amber yielded, the blonde stepping back in surprise.

"B-But we can help! The both of us have—" Melia began.

"Shut the fuck up, just shut the fuck up! Haven't you two "helped" enough?! Just stop acting like a hero, already! God, you two are so goddamn annoying. Shit happens and that's just it. What are you going to do anyway, fight them? They have my family on their ship! You want to risk their lives just to "help"?!" Amber ranted at them; the duo rendered silent by her raw anger at display. "Tch, pathetic. Let's go already, we don't have all day."

"Amber…" The blonde spoke sadly, the trio soon escorted out of the caves by the victorious Renegades, who were hooting in hollering to each other.

 **The S.S Paradise**

Melia, Julius, Kenneth, Mosely and Amber were forced to stand before a high-ranking grunt of the Renegade on the main deck, with several more grunts continuing to holler over their victory. Grim looks were plastered on the faces of the five heroes as the grunt before them cleared her throat to begin her indoctrination speech to them.

"You five are now under the custody of the Renegade! We will be shipping you directly you Blacksteeple Castle as soon as possible. However, further details will be told to you by our most magnificent boss. Everyone, I want you all to look your most presentable for our Pirate Queen, Valarie!" The grunt called out, causing the other pirates to cease their hollering as they quickly tidied themselves up for their leader's arrival.

"V-Valarie?!" Melia exclaimed to herself, the group of five watching a middle-aged woman with medium length brown hair approach them. She most definitely looked the part of a Pirate Queen, with the fancy brown coat, the black captain's hat and even what looked like an eyepatch over her right eye. All she was missing was a hook for her hand and she was set. The older woman took a quick glance at the heroes before sneering at them.

"At last…I finally caught you scalawags; as you may know, I'm Captain Valarie, though Pirate Queen Valarie is also acceptable. I'm sure you're all very anxious right now, but I'm here to tell you that it'll all be okay…IF you behave during your time here. If you behave terribly, well my babies won't be happy about that…" She began, gesturing her hands towards the other pirates who all cheered loudly for their master.

"Pffft, babies? What kind of—" Amber began, only for Kenneth to nudge her lightly, causing her to cease talking.

"Thank you. Now as you may have gathered, the entirety of my crew are my babies. Each and every one of them is considered to me as my very own child. I look after them, feed them and even give them some work to do. *sigh…* I don't know what I'd do without them…" Valarie sighed, showing affection towards her loyal crew before gazing at them. "My children, how do you think we should punish these hooligans should they misbehave?"

"Crimson Sea! Crimson Sea!" They all hollered, jumping up and down on the spot as the heroes looked nervously at them.

"I figured you'd chose that; it IS your favorite after all." The pirate captain stated, turning once more to face the prisoners. "Then it's settled; we'll throw you brutes into the Crimson Sea if you misbehave too often. But for now, you can all go to the hold, at least until we arrive at Blacksteeple Castle."

The pirates cheered once more, watching their leader make her way to her personal quarters as they grabbed the heroes and escorted them to the hold, shoving them in roughly before closing the iron gate and locked them up. As one might expect, the atmosphere in the room was miserable; who knows what punishment the Princess has in store for them.

"I can't believe it…this may very well be the worst day of my entire life, and that's saying something." Julius sighed, sitting on the floor beside Melia.

"What else can go wrong today…? I-I just can't believe this is happening." Melia sighed sadly to herself.

"You might not want to jinx it, Melia. So we got captured? Big whoop, it was gonna happen anyway!" Mosely chimed in, taking the situation surprisingly well.

"You're taking things a lot better than I anticipated." The young teen chimed in. "As a matter of fact, you're just like the Mosely I know and remember fondly."

"Heh, again with that story? Ah whatever, I'm too lazy to worry about what's gonna happen, so I don't." The orange-haired girl replied, with Amber approaching the trio.

"For once, I'm gonna have to agree with Mosely. At first, I was pissed off about getting caught, but I've already accepted it. besides, they got everything on this stupid hunk of metal." The redhead commented, gesturing at the dozens upon dozens of crates stacked up in the hold alongside them.

"Now that's the fiery sister I know and love!" Mosely cheered, taking something out of her jacket as the other four stepped back in surprise. "Besides, I've got my buddy with me should things get too rough!"

"M-Mosely! How on earth did you manage to smuggle this egg?!" Kenneth exclaimed in surprise.

"Those pirates were smart enough to take our Pokémon away from us, but not smart enough to find an egg a nine-year-old hid? What sense does that make?" Amber pondered, with Mosely flashing a smile at them.

"I just hid it under my shirt, so it looked like I was really fat. Hahahaha! Those losers got outsmarted by a nine-year-old!" She chuckled to herself.

"As impressive as your ploy was to keep the egg safe, I suggest keeping quiet about it. The last thing I want is for the guards to find out and snatch the egg from us." Julius suggested, carefully watching the entrance to the hold just in case the guards came.

"Everyone, this egg is our opportunity to escape! When it hatches, we'll use whatever Pokémon it is to escape this cell, retrieve our own Pokémon and take over this ship! Even though it may be an infant, I'm sure it'll be strong enough to break those steel beams." Melia proposed, with Amber promptly raising her hand to ask a question.

"And then what, Melia? Suppose we manage to take over this ship, somehow, what do we do next?" The redhead inquired.

"Well…as you said before. All the islands in the world are starting to crumble into the Crimson Sea. But you don't have to worry about that if we have this ship. After all, there should be more than enough supplies here to sustain us for quite a long time." The blonde continued.

"I've heard from some of the pirates that they grow their own produce on the ship itself; it could be everything we need to survive." Kenneth added, a small glimmer of hope in his voice.

"Alright, I'll entertain the idea for a little longer. Say the egg hatches and we break out. Do you really expect us all to take on an entire frigate with a Pokémon that just hatched out of an egg? Not only will that not work, but it'll be extremely cruel to the baby Pokémon." Amber continued to question her, still in disbelief over the plan.

"It'll only be until we find our Pokémon, as Melia said earlier. Besides, if I'm left with no choice, I can take on the pirates myself in hand-to-hand combat, despite the fact that I'm no master at it…" Julius chuckled lightly, the group of four staring at him oddly, as if he had promptly grown a second head.

"In that case, we better hope that our Pokémon aren't too far away from this cell. I know I can put in some good work with my Lucario by my side." Kenneth commented, changing the subject from the young teen's absurd idea.

"Yeah, my Charizard is strong enough to deal with a few flimsy pirates." The redhead added, her gaze shifting back to the egg. "So how long have you had this egg for, Mosely?"

"Around a couple weeks; it started to make some noise this morning, so maybe it'll hatch sooner than I expected." Mosely answered.

"Then it's settled; we'll wait for this egg to hatch. For now, we should get some sleep. We'll need all the energy we can for our plan to work." Melia told the rest, the heroes all going off to their respective corners to sleep for the night, hoping that their plan would succeed.

 **One week later**

"Rise and shine, everyone!" Mosely chimed loudly, the other four heroes getting up off the ground as they all rubbed their eyes before turning to face Mosely. "Did you all have a good sleep?"

"You'd think one would get used to these sleeping conditions after a while, but in my case, I didn't get much sleep. As for Julius…" Melia began, helping the young teen up on his feet as he struggled to stand up straight. "…He been getting even less sleep than me. Between that and the fact that he kept giving me his food for the week, he can barely stand up, let alone walk."

"I-It's fine, Melia…I-I can go witho—" Julius began, only to fall on the floor beside the heroes as he slowly managed to get back up. "S-See…?"

"Please Julius, you don't need to put yourself through all this for my sake. Why don't you go fix yourself up something from one of these boxes? I'm sure there's plenty of food for you to eat in them." The blonde pleaded, only for the young teen to shake his head in response.

"N-Not until…not until the plan succeeds. I'll…I'll manage just fine, d-don't you worry…" He replied, supporting himself on one of the crates as he gazed at the egg. The four heroes were able to see that he had grown thinner from a lack of food, his clothes now hanging a little loosely around his frame. "S-So how's the egg?"

"It'll be fine, don't be so impatient." Amber commented, with Melia turning to face the redhead.

"Hey Amber, remember what you said a few days ago, about people being thrown into the Crimson Sea. You said that it was the fate of, and I quote, "Us children of Nymeria". What do you mean by that? Who are the children of Nymeria?" The blonde asked, a look of curiosity on her face as the redhead let out a quick sigh.

"Well if you're a female, you're considered a child of Nymeria. Nymeria was said to be a goddess in ancient times, though not much is known other than that. History isn't exactly a big topic in this godforsaken planet." Amber began.

"But why females specifically? What makes us so special?" The blonde pressed further.

"W-We don't know, okay? They just find us unclean or something. And by they, I mean the royal family, even though it's ruled by a female. What a damn joke." The redhead hissed the last line under her breath.

"P-Perhaps this Princess…considers other woman to be a threat t-to her power…" Julius proposed, reclining by a wooden crate.

"That doesn't matter right now, we need to—" Kenneth began, only for a light cracking sound to echo throughout the hold. Turning to the source, they saw Mosely sitting before the egg, an overjoyed look on her face as a few cracks were starting to form.

"T-The egg! It's starting to hatch!" Mosely called out, the heroes crowing near it to see what could possibly be hatching from it they waited patiently, a few more cracks forming on it as the egg was soon enveloped by a wondrous glow that filled the room. Once the glow died down, it showed that a Mimikyu had hatched from the egg…and it was a shiny one to boot!

"Heh, even in this timeline…" Melia mused quietly to herself in slight amusement, an overjoyed expression on Mosely's face at the sight of the Pokémon.

"Hell yeah! I've always wanted a Pikachu; it's so cute!" She cheered, the Mimikyu shooting a small glare at the young girl as it attempted to scratch her. "H-Hey, don't scratch me like that!"

"It got mad at you since you insulted it by calling it a Pikachu." The blonde told her, crouching down and began petting the Mimikyu's head, causing it to purr affectionately. "Mimikyu are a pretty cute species, truth be told."

"I know it's been years, but I thought I remembered Mimikyu being an unsaturated yellow, not a light blue." Kenneth chimed in, eying up the baby Pokémon. "This must mean that it's a shiny Pokémon, just like my Lucario."

"On top of being a shiny Pokémon, Mimikyu are known to be pretty strong in battle, so we lucked out this ti—" Julius began, only to cough harshly into his jacket, clutching onto the crate as firmly as he can.

"Julius, once our plan has succeeded, I want you to eat something, anything okay?" Melia demanded, the young teen nodding weakly as he ceased his coughing as she shot a smile at the Mimikyu. "Hey…do you want to help us out?"

"K-Kyu!" The Mimikyu chirped harshly, showing no interest in helping out the heroes.

"Please Mimikyu, I know this is sudden, but we desperately need your help to escape. Please help us, help me break out of this hold." The blonde pleaded, the Mimikyu mulling it over before chirping happily at her.

"Hey…why does it like her and not me?" Mosely asked in annoyance.

"Perhaps because she acknowledged it as a Mimikyu, not a Pikachu as well as calling it cute. Mimikyu are known for being insecure Pokémon." Kenneth offered an explanation. "In any case, this is excellent news for us. Let us begin immediately!"

The heroes spent the next few minutes searching for a weakness in the steel bars, with Melia soon finding a couple that had some signs of rust on them. Pointing at the rusted bars, the blonde asked the Mimikyu to shatter them, the small Pokémon extending a shadowy claw from beneath its disguise and swiped at the bars, shattering them rather easily. "I knew you could do it, thank you very much!" She thanked the Mimikyu, who let out a happy chirp in response.

"So…what's the plan?" Julius inquired.

"I remember a few pirates shuffling in the room next to us when they took our Pokémon. They must've stashed them somewhere in that room; you need to sneak in there without getting caught." Melia told him the plan, the young teen agreeing to it instantly.

"For you Melia…I'd do anything for your sake, even if it means giving up my own life." He replied, shooting her a weak smile as he crept out of the steel cage.

"You already are, Julius…" The blonde commented sadly, watching her friend quietly make his way through the hold. The young teen saw that the shortcut to the room she was talking about was blocked by steel bars, and these one looked to be in mint condition. A sigh of annoyance escaping from his mouth, Julius walked away from the bars and exited the hold into the corridors, which were teeming with pirates. Had he been in better condition, he could've been able to knock them out quietly and hide the bodies, but in his current state they could finish him off easily. So, the only option left was to quietly sneak around them, hiding inside containers if he had to. He managed to climb atop a few crates to avoid a patrolling pirate, sliding down the other side and crept down a second hallway. From there, he managed to sneak by another pirate who was busy writing in their journal and found the second entrance to the hold, quietly entering it and soon found everyone's Pokémon, including his lying inside a pair of crates at the back.

"Hey…it's so good to have you back…" Julius smiled, a small tear trailing down his cheek as he saw that none of his, or anyone else's Pokémon were missing. Quickly sorting them out, the young teen took out one of his Pokéballs from his bag and sent it out, his imposing Beliaddon stretching its arms in triumph. Pointing at the bars separating the two room, the young teen requested his friend to destroy them, with the Demon Pokémon conjuring up a sword made of fire and slashed at it, the bits of steel falling to the ground as the heroes were alerted by the noise and ran over to him.

"Y-You did it Julius!" Melia smiled at him, the young teen handing the heroes their respective Pokémon as they all congratulated him.

"I-I'm glad I was able to—Argh!" He began, only to collapse to his knees as the hunger pains gnawed at him, rendering him too weak to continue walking as the Beliaddon cried out to him in concern.

"Don't worry, once we take over this ship, I'll ensure that your friend get the sustenance that he needs. But for now, you may need to carry him in your arm." The blonde reassured it, the Demon Pokémon sensing the kindness in her eyes as it gently lifted its trainer up into its arms.

"Now that we have our Pokémon, we can really begin to dish out the pain. Come out Charizard, it's time to get things cooking!" Amber smirked, sending out her Charizard as it roared triumphantly.

"Lucario, let us fight side-by-side once more!" Kenneth joined in, sending out his Pokémon who let out a growl of confidence.

"That's nice and all, but I don't have any Pokémon to fight with…" Mosely commented sadly, an idea forming in Melia's mind.

"Why don't you take Mimikyu?" She offered, with the orange-haired girl looking at her briefly before shrugging her shoulders.

"Eh, forget about it. I can just give them the ol' one-two. They won't even see it coming!" She cheered, quickly running out of the room with Amber and Kenneth calling out for her to slow down, before they opted to follow after her with their Pokémon in tow.

"I guess it's just you and me, Mimikyu." The blonde chimed in, with Mimikyu chirping happily as the duo exited the hold, with Julius and Beliaddon following suit.

 **0000**

"I-I just don't know, sis. I don't think anyone here cares about how I feel." A pirate spoke to his sister, the duo patrolling on the main deck.

"And what exactly was your first guess?" The female pirate sighed, turning to face him. However, they would soon get the surprise of a lifetime as a familiar masked woman landed on the ground before them, her sword plunged into the wooden surface. Before they could even react, Madame X swung her sword at them, decapitating the duo as several more pirates were alerted to what was going on. Another pair tried to run at her, only for the Xen Dictator to cut them down easily before making her way across the deck, a fifth grunt hurling a rock at her and was promptly bisected for his trouble. Another pirate who saw this happen tried to run for her life, only for Madame X to lunge at her, impaling the poor soul before tossing her corpse aside. Three more pirates ran up to her, hoping that their numbers would grant them an advantage. Their smirks grew even more as they saw three more pirates approached the masked woman from behind, the six of them now surrounding her.

"Give it up, intruder. We have you—" A pirate began, only for Madame X to easily work her way around the circle, slaughtering the pirates with ease until none were left standing. After sating her bloodlust, the Xen Dictator made her way to what she assumed was the main cabin and quietly entered it.

 **0000**

Julius and his Beliaddon continued to run through the halls of the ship, the Demon Pokémon conjuring up another Infernal Blade and wielded it in its free hand to scare off any pirates who would dare harm its weakened comrade. They soon walked up a flight of stairs and reunited with the other heroes, only for the young teen to be taken aback by what he was seeing. There were dozens upon dozens of green trees standing inside this room, fuller of life than he had expected. For a moment, he thought that he wasn't in an apocalyptic future, but then the cold reality soon set back in. As he expected, the others were just as surprised by this as he was.

"What is this place…?" Amber stared at the trees in awe.

"I-I've never seen so many colors in one spot." Mosely gushed in awe as Kenneth gazed at the trees fervently.

"Indeed…it's been a very, very long time since I've seen plant life this vibrant. This must be that garden that those pirates mentioned earlier." The black-haired man stated, with Amber turning to face him.

"You mean the place where they grow their own produce?" The redhead inquired, with the young man nodding in response.

"Truth be told, I'm surprised this ship can maintain an environment suitable for all these types of trees. What could be the secret behind this ship?" He commented.

"I-I don't care what secret it's hiding. Th-This is so beautiful…" Mosely sniffled, shedding a few tears of joy.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don't think we can go any further…" Melia called out, gesturing at the group to a set of four laser barriers that blocked the way through; one blue, one green, one yellow and one red. "Valarie must be keeping us all from reaching the deck."

"No worries…I-I'll disable the generators for these lasers…they must be somewhere down here." Julius offered.

"Sounds like a plan; we'll keep this place safe while you go find the generators and destroy them." The blonde rallied the heroes, the remaining heroes fortifying the surrounding area while the young teen went to work. Within a few minutes, Julius was able to find the red generator inside a small storage room, with Beliaddon piercing it with its sword to destroy it, a few tiny sparks of electricity cracking from the damaged generator. Afterwards, the duo made their way through the halls and into another room full of trees and grass, where the blue generator was tucked into a corner, the Demon Pokémon destroying it carefully so as to not start an unwanted fire on the ship.

"That's it…w-we're halfway there." Julius chimed in, coughing into his jacket as the Beliaddon glanced sadly at the young teen before a newfound vigor coursed through its body. Continuing to stomp through the halls, the Demon Pokémon entered another room and passed by a peculiar machine and towards a small room where the green generator was hiding. The Beliaddon stomped on it a few times, destroying it quickly before leaving the room to search for the last generator. After a few more minutes of searching, it found a third room in what looked like a cafeteria, the yellow generator sitting firmly in the center with the Demon Pokémon bisecting the machine with its sword. "G-Good work, my friend…Now let's meet up with th-the others…" The young teen thanked his comrade, the duo beginning the trek back to the room where the heroes had set up base. Upon meeting up with them, the group went up the stairs and onto the deck…where they all began to gaze at the dark sky above them.

"Look Julius, the sky is just as dark as it was a week ago. It almost feels like no time has passed." Melia commented sadly, with Mimikyu looking up the sky in curiosity.

"Eh, you two will get used to it eventually. This is all we've ever known." Mosely replied, a low chuckle causing the heroes' hair to stand on edge. "Wh-Who's there?!"

"Such is the fate of a doomed world…" A familiar voice called out, the group of five turning to see Madame X walking out of the captain's cabin.

"Wh-Who are you?! I don't remember seeing anyone like you when we boarded this ship." Kenneth demanded, eyeing up the masked woman suspiciously.

"I stowed away on this putrid ship, much like how Melia and Julius did on this timeline." Madame X commented uncaringly, the blonde glaring at her.

"What are you doing here anyway? Why are you following us?!" She demanded, as she and Julius stepped closer to the Xen Dictator.

"Following? I've only been trying to correct the mistake that YOU TWO made. To make such a decision that plagued this timeline with nothing but disaster is an act I'd never thought you'd commit. Perhaps I was foolish enough to believe that you wouldn't be so naïve. Regardless, I believe a temporary truce is in order until we figure out how to get back to our time." She explained her reasoning, with Amber shooting a suspicious gaze at her.

"And why should they trust you? Considering how you mentioned a temporary truce, I don't think I should trust you." The redhead called out.

"You are of no importance to me, so shut your mouth." Madame X retorted, catching Amber off-guard as the older woman glanced at the various corpses that littered the deck. "As you may see, I've done my part by dealing with all the crew on the deck. I expect Melia and Julius to do their part by dealing with Valarie and reclaiming this ship. If you wish to go back to your timeline and see those you love again, I recommend that you follow my orders."

"Very well…you have yourself a d-deal." Julius yielded, with Melia nodding in confirmation as the trio made their way to the captains' quarters, only to have a voice call out to them.

"What are you two doing?! Are you seriously going to trust her?!" Amber asked incredulously.

"Yes, we are. If she really does know of a way to send me and Julius back in time to prevent this from happening, then there's no other option than to follow her." Melia told her firmly.

"Y-You can't be this stupid; she'll only stab you in the back!" The redhead protested.

"Madame X wants to leave this place just as much as we do. I don't think she can do it by herself, so that's why she's asking for our assistance." The blonde continued, with Amber letting out a huff of defeat.

"Fine, you two do what you want. But don't come crying to me when you find out she's been lying to you." She retorted, turning her head to the side in annoyance.

"That's fine, if it gets to that point then I may just accept my fate at this point." Melia replied, gesturing Julius to follow her as the duo soon entered the cabin.

"So, you two decided to follow me after all." Madame X replied, reading over the computer built inside the captain's desk.

"Yeah…I-I'd do anything for M-Melia's sake…" Julius replied weakly, holding onto Beliaddon firmly as the bipedal Pokémon maintained its grip.

"Neither of us had much of a choice; if you know of a way we can get back to our time…then we'll gladly accept your truce." The blonde added.

"I see that you two are on a short timer if someone's health is to be believed." The Xen Dictator shot a quick glance at the young teen. "But we can discuss solutions later, for now we have to catch Valarie before she escapes. Call it a hunch, but she may not care about her "children" as much as she claims. Realizing that she was fighting a losing battle, she opted to hit the road while she can…"

Pointing towards a ladder in the back of the cabin, the trio made their way towards it and climbed down it, with both Melia and Julius showing discomfort at the idea of working alongside their sworn nemesis but opted to put them aside for the sake of fixing their mistake.

"I-I don't know if I told you this…b-but I feel like I can do anything if I-I'm by your side." Julius confided to Melia.

"Indeed…I'm confident that we can take her down, if we're together." The blonde smiled at him, the trio hopping off the ladder and saw Valarie preparing what looked like a small submarine.

"Going somewhere?" Madame X inquired, catching the pirate captain off-guard as she turned to face the heroes.

"W-What the…?! Man, you're all so fast. Don't worry about me, I'll just be leaving…temporarily." Valarie stammered, making up excuses and lies on the spot.

"Are you sure? Because from the look of things, you're ready to drop everything and leave this place behind. I wonder how your "babies" will think about you abandoning them." Melia retorted smugly, causing the older woman to pause for a moment.

"Th-They would understand of course…we're losing this fight, so I'm going out to get some help." The Pirate Queen continued to lie.

"And where exactly do you think you'll find help? Do you really expect to walk back to Blacksteeple to tell your boss that you lost custody of the S.S Paradise? I'm so sure that'll go down really well." The Xen Dictator retorted as well, a low chuckle escaping from Julius' mouth.

"A true c-captain would go down with t-their ship…this person before us is a c-coward." He chimed in, angering the older woman.

"So you want to mouth off at me? Fine, I'll be more than happy to crush you in battle. Besides, if I win here then I don't have to go to Blacksteeple Castle. In fact, they'll reward me greatly when I emerge victorious! I'll have a lavish lifestyle at the castle without worrying about a thing!" Valarie channeled her anger into determination, with Julius hopping off of Beliaddon as he got out a second Pokéball.

"In that case…let's see you take on t-two Pokémon at once." The young teen stated, throwing his Pokéball to the ground as his Yatagaryu emerged, before collapsing to the floor as Melia helped him back to his feet with the Stormbringer Pokémon gazing at its friend in concern. The Beliaddon explained the situation via a series of chirps and cries, promptly the two pseudo-legendaries to glare viciously at the pirate captain.

"Y-You think you can scare me? W-Well you're wrong!" Valarie called out, sending out her Toxicroak and Dragalge, the two Tandor Pokémon unimpressed by their foe's strength. Within an instant, the Toxicroak lunged at the Yatagaryu in an attempt to punch it. only for the draconic Pokémon to dodge nimbly to the side and flick it aside with its slender tail into a wall. Meanwhile the Beliaddon yanked the Dragalge by its tail and slammed it on the floor a few times before tossing it towards the Toxicroak, with Yatagaryu following up with a devastating Thunderbolt. The attack struck the injured Pokémon, sending electricity coursing through their body as they cried out in pain before fainting from the relentless barrage.

"Woah…they must be really pissed at her." Melia whispered to herself, with Valarie quickly recalling her Pokémon.

"Alright…you got lucky. But these two will put an end to your mischief!" The Pirate Queen boasted, sending out her Vaporeon and Jellicent. Opting to that the offense this time, the two Tandor Pokémon lunged at their foes, with Beliaddon swiping at the Jellicent with its claws, knocking the Ghost type to the ground as the Yatagaryu sent a weak bolt of lightning to paralyze the Vaporeon, causing the Water type to become paralyzed and unable to counter as effectively. Giving each other a firm nod, the Yatagaryu picked up the enemy Pokémon in its grip, raising them into the air before dropping them, giving Beliaddon ample opportunity to smack them down into the ground with Infernal Blade, a sizable amount of dust getting kicked up as Valarie's strongest Pokémon were knocked up by the combination attack.

"H-How can trainers this strong still exist…?" Valarie called out weakly, recalling her Pokémon before falling to her knees. "A-Are my dreams not meant to become reality?"

"Julius, you may want to recall your Pokémon. They really seem to want her blood…" The blonde told him.

"R-Right. Thank you for helping me out, you two." Julius called out, quickly recalling his Pokémon before they could maul the defeated captain.

"I-I lost to the weakest of you three? What chance did I have of winning against you three if I couldn't even defeat some trainer starving himself for the sake of his friend?!" The pirate captain called out in anguish, before turning to face Madame X. "So what are you going to do now, slaughter me like you did to my babies? I saw what you did to all of them…if that's my fate, then so be it. I'd rather be with them than any of you in this room."

"Unfortunately for you, I'm feeling merciful. You're too valuable to just kill, I need you for something." The Xen Dictator replied, yanking the former captain off her sub before escorting her elsewhere.

 **0000**

"So this is what you've all resorted to, huh? Tying up my hands and throwing me in jail, all while allowing Mr. Skin-and-Bones to go to town on our food supplies. Is this how things are going down now?" Valarie seethed at Madame X, who stared at her coldly from behind her mask.

"What Julius does right now is of no concern; there's more than enough supplies to last us all. Besides, you had no problem doing this to countless others." Madame X retorted.

"At least I allowed them to walk about their cell without being tied up!" Valarie defended herself fervently.

"And so that justifies everything? You're absolutely pathetic, you know that?" The Xen Dictator shot back.

"I-I don't have to justify anything! Soon…Soon my babies will come and rescue me. Their undying loyalty to me will motivate them to take down each and every one of you!" She ranted, a low chuckle escaping from the masked woman. "W-What's so funny?!"

"I'm no so sure about that one, Valarie. You see, I told them about your cowardly plan to abandon them. Their "undying loyalty" as you put it, seems to have died. No one's coming to save you, Valarie; loyalty is a two-way street. Besides, you were a fool to have faith in them anyway. Loyalty is nothing but business, it can be bought for the right price. They were only that way because you provided them with a safe haven, and because they thought you were strong. But in reality, you were no stronger than all of them combined. The moment someone stronger showed up, they flocked to them. There will always be someone above you, and they will eventually take what's yours. And I happened to be that someone, and I've already taken everything. You reap what you sow, Valarie Kersey." Madame X annihilated her with a speech so devastating it reduced the once proud Pirate Queen to a shivering wreck, barely holding back the urge to cry.

"I-If that's all true then, let me ask you something." Valarie replied, catching the masked woman's attention. "If there's someone above you and is waiting to take everything you love…then who exactly is above you, Madame X? Who will be the one that takes every single thing you love? Who will be the one that knocks you off the pedestal that you stand so high on?"

"A fairly simple question, so I'll give you a simple answer; no one." The Xen Dictator replied, walking out of the prison cell and allowed Valarie to wallow in her own misery. While they were waiting for her, Julius and Melia opted to hang out by the stern, the young teen looking a lot more vibrant than he was before.

"Ahh…I'm glad I took your advice and got a quick bite to eat. I really needed that." He smiled, his body looking slightly healthy than it was before. However, it would take some time to heal from a week without any food, which would serve as a reminder to never pull something like this again.

"I'm glad that you're feeling better. Anyway, we better see what Madame X wants with us; who knows what she wants us to do next." Melia replied, the duo holding each other's hand firmly in support as they waited for their nemesis/ally to arrive. Soon enough, the masked woman noticed the duo and approached them, making sure that it was just the three of them in the area.

"Good to see that you two are capable of following basic instructions." Madame X told them.

"Yeah…we can. Anyway, you said you'd explain your plan to us. What is it you want to do?" The blonde asked her.

"There's something you need to know. Before you two made your mistake in the past, I was in possession of a gem called a Time Diamond. It's an item that allows the user to manipulate and travel through time as they see fit. With it, you could rewind, fast forward or even stop time for a brief moment. Julius had a taste of its power when I used it to save Kugearen City from Indriad's bomb. I'm sure you can remember it?" The Xen Dictator began going over her plan, shooting a glance at the young teen.

"Yeah, I remember it. Pretty hard to forget someone giving you a second chance like that." Julius replied.

"You were in the past with us? For what purpose?" Melia asked her.

"I'm sure you'd like to know. Regardless, the Time Diamond I had was destroyed in my initial attempt to revert the mistake you two made by allowing Vivian to live. The severity of the change was too much for the Diamond and it shattered. As it shattered, it sent me to the future with you two." The older woman continued.

"So we were sent to this time because of you?" The blonde pressed her further.

"I directly sent all of us to this time unintentionally, but don't get things twisted…the moment you all would try to go back to the future with the power of the Timesplicer stone, you would meet the same fate." Madame X continued once more, as a thought soon formed in Julius' mind.

"If what you're saying is true, then you must've seen what had happened to Aelita." The young teen chimed in.

"I did. It's just as you may have suspected; she was present in a timeline where she didn't belong, so the universe corrected itself. As for why you two were spared that same fate, it was because you were protected from deletion. Those Time Gear Amulets that Spacea and Tiempa gave you acted as your guard against time." The Xen Dictator answered, the two teens caught off-guard by her last statement.

"Our Amulets saved us from being erased from history?!" Melia exclaimed.

"Correct. While in possession of this amulet, you are protected from time manipulation. And you were both given it at such a convenient time…what does that tell the both of you?" Madame X asked them, the duo spending a few moments thinking to themselves.

"They must've known this was gonna happen; Spacea and Tiempa saw that this was inevitable, so they gifted us the Amulets." Julius answered, with Melia reaching the very same conclusion.

"That's correct; those two damned all of us to this place. they knew exactly what you were going to do…but the fact that they gave you those Amulets…" The Xen Dictator began, only for Melia to chime in once more.

"Even if they gave us these Amulets on purpose, what does this have to do with the Time Diamond?" She inquired.

"There's one Time Diamond in the world at each time. When one is destroyed, another will appear at another location. Spacea and Tiempa gave you these amulets to protect you from erasure. They wanted you both to live through this hell, which can only mean two things. One, if you chose incorrectly, they wanted you to live with your decision forever. Or two, they knew that there would be a way to escape this place once we were sent here. If the latter is correct, then that can only mean that a Time Diamond is somewhere in this world. Considering out limited options in places to visit, I can only assume it's being held by the Princess at Blacksteeple Castle. If I get my hands on the Time Diamond, I can rewind time all the way back to before you stopped Vivian from sacrificing herself." Madame X continued, only for Melia to step back in shock.

"So you expect us to let Vivian die?!" The blonde exclaimed.

"There's no other choice but to let her do just that! It was her sacrifice that saved the world from becoming what it is right now in this moment! Stop focusing on the one and start thinking about the millions of people who died!" The older woman shot back, causing the two teens to clam up momentarily. This was the exact same moral dilemma that Spacea and Tiempa presented to Melia back then, the one that had upset her greatly.

"…Very well. We'll follow you around for now. But after this, we're back to being enemies." The blonde yielded, with Julius nodding in confirmation.

"Of course. Now that we have that settled, I'm going to put this plan into motion. Meet me in the Captain's Quarters when you're ready. Oh and one more thing…when we meet the Princess of Blacksteeple Castle, refrain from getting too close. Avoid physical contact with her at all costs, or the results will put us in even more peril than before." Madame X told Melia firmly, indicating that she was being deadly serious, more so than usual.

"Why? What would happen should they make physical contact?" Julius inquired.

"The consequences of that happening are a topic that I'd rather not discuss." The older woman brushed him off, walking to the Captain's Quarters as the two teens were no left on their own.

"Even if it is as she says, and that Time Diamond is the only thing that can save us…the power of that diamond., it sounds too great for someone like her to have it. when we find the Time Diamond, we have to steal it for ourselves, Julius. We're the only ones who would be able to oppose her if she chooses to use the Time Diamond for malicious purposes. I don't want it to come to that, so when the time comes, we may have to fight her." Melia warned the young teen.

"Agreed. I'll make sure to prepare for such an occurrence should it happen." He pledged, the duo going their separate ways to make some last-minute preparations.

 **Blacksteeple Island**

The preparations took longer than Julius had expected, but he was confident that he was now ready to take on Madame X should such a thing happen. During his preparations, Amber wanted to show him something, claiming it to be the key to fixing all of this. Opting to find out what she was talking about, the redhead took him to a small room inside the ship where a strange machine was standing atop a podium of sorts, with a few computer terminals connected to it.

Amber then went on to explain that it housed the DNA for thousands of various species of Pokémon and plant life, including ones previously thought extinct. She gushed for a moment about the various possibilities that a machine like that could provide for the survivors, including a chance of rebuilding this world and detoxifying the Crimson Sea. Once their conversation was done, Julius excused himself and made his way back to the deck, where he saw Melia talking to the Mimikyu.

"Please forgive me Mimikyu, but I'm going to have to leave you here for a little while." She apologized to the baby Pokémon, the latter letting out a chirp of sadness as if begging to come with her. "I know you want to come with me, but I can't guarantee your safety from here on out. Besides, you're Mosely's Pokémon, not mine. I just don't want to see you get hurt, okay?"

The Mimikyu let out another cry of sadness before wandering away to a different part of the deck, with Melia letting out a quick sigh as Julius approached her.

"So have we arrived at the island yet?" He inquired.

"Yes, we have. Let's meet up with the others, we shouldn't keep them waiting." She answered, the duo hopping off the boat and met up with the others, with Madame X following behind alongside Valarie, who was still tied up tightly with rope. "W-Wait, why are you bringing Valarie with us?"

"She's needed to get inside Blacksteeple Castle, but that can be explained later. Right now, we must proceed with the plan. There's a small town we'll have to walk through before we can reach the castle." Madame X explained, dragging the former captain with her as the latter continued to struggle against her bindings in vain. Exchanging a cautionary glance with each other, the heroes opted to follow her down the path and through a set of trees, only to wind up in what looked like a quaint little village. Everyone with the exception of Madame X and Valarie were surprised at the sight of this town, gazing at it as if they had never seen anything like it before.

"My word…what is this place?" Julius wondered, his eyes looking over the surprisingly well-made houses.

"It's strange to believe that there's a village in a place like this." Kenneth commented in awe.

"It's where we take people after we kidnap them." Valarie answered, attracting everyone's attention. "Our job was to find people and bring them to this island. This village goes on for miles, same layout and all. It's like a never-ending maze."

"And you just collect humans to bring them here like they're some sort of livestock?!" Amber shot back, glaring at the former captain.

"I don't think about it that much, I was just doing what I was told." The brown-haired woman replied bluntly, a sense of hope welling inside the redhead.

"T-That must mean my mother's somewhere in this village!" She exclaimed in joy, only for Valarie to raise her hands in the air.

"Woah, woah, woah. I dunno about that one; she may have been taken to the castle for some reason—" She began.

"Quiet, the castle is just up ahead. Save the chatter for later and don't lag behind." Madame X abruptly cut her off, dragging Valarie once more as the heroes opted to follow her towards the path and towards the castle, the massive steel doors blocking their progress as the Xen Dictator pushed the prisoner towards a small password lock beside the doors. "You know what to do. You've been here before, haven't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." The former captain retorted, before letting out a quick sigh. "Honestly, I don't see why I should bother opening this door. You'll kill me the moment I do so; I'd rather you not have the satisfaction, sorry."

"This is hopeless, I was wrong to bring you with us. If death is what you want, then so be it." The masked woman retorted back, attempting to draw her sword only for Melia to quickly walk up to the duo to break it off.

"Stop! No more of this meaningless violence. Valarie, please open this door. We'll let you go once you do this." The blonde pleaded with her.

"Absolutely not. The moment we release her, she'll just run to the S.S Paradise and escape." Madame X argued, and her point seemed pretty plausible.

"Well how about we keep her with us after she's entered the code? Will that suffice?" Julius proposed to the group.

"That was my original plan, given that the device takes fingerprints into account." The Xen Dictator replied, directing her gaze to her prisoner once more. "Now then, open the door Valarie."

"…fine." Valarie huffed, making her way to the lock and entered in the code, stepping back as the doors promptly opened. "I've done my end of the bargain, now let me go. I don't have anything else I could possibly do."

"We already decided that you're following us, and that's final. And if you keep complaining, I'll kick you right in the gut!" Amber threatened, with Valarie growling at them before walking into the castle walls with a huff.

"S-Shouldn't we go after her?" The young teen inquired cautiously.

"As long as she's in out sights, she's no threat to us. Now come on, we don't have the time to stand around here." Madame X told the heroes, the group following her into the castle as Julius cast his eyes upon the imposing fortress that was permanently etched into his memory. Despite being in ruins, it still looked like it could weather a major storm that would come its way. But the time for sightseeing was over and the young teen quickly followed behind his allies, winding up inside the main foyer that had a large painting hanging up on the back wall. It depicted what appeared to be an adult woman with brown skin and flowing brown hair, her outfit consisting of a reddish pink robe. She was kneeling before some light that was floating just above her hands, a mystical power seemingly emanating from the orb.

"W-Who is being depicted in this painting?" Melia inquired, gazing at the painting in awe.

"The woman depicted in this painting is none other than Nymiera." The Xen Dictator answered, catching the others off-guard.

"B-But why would a painting of her be shown here at Blacksteeple Castle? From what Amber said, the Princess has a strong hatred for her and her children. Unless, she could be…" Julius began.

"Before you finish your sentence, let me answer it for you. No, Nymiera is not the Princess of the castle. At least, not anymore." The masked woman answered the teen's inquiry for him.

"W-Wait, so Blacksteeple Castle originally belonged to Nymiera?" The blonde asked quickly, still taken aback by this revelation.

"Yes, but she lost the castle many years ago to Team Xen many years ago, hence why we had control over it in our time." Madame X answered. "But regardless, she's no longer alive. But even if she were alive, the castle couldn't be hers."

"H-Hey Kenneth, do you know anything about Nymeria?" Amber asked her elder.

"Only a small bit about her personality, but that's all. It was said that she had a very loving, caring nature. A mother figure to all those around her." He answered, as Mosely began to tear up upon hearing his comment.

*Sniff…* "I-I miss my mother, s-so very much…" She sniffled, with the redhead scoffing at her comment.

"Tch, your mother never loved you, you know that?" She retorted.

"Yeesh, that's harsh." Valarie winced upon hearing that, even though the comment wasn't directed at her.

"Amber, I don't think that was a necessary thing to say." Kenneth scolded her.

"But it's the truth; don't miss someone who doesn't miss you. neither your father or your mother cared about you. the only reason they had you was to use you. they would intentionally starve you so that they can persuade travelers into giving food to a poor hungry child. It's funny though, I bet you never got to see any of that food those generous people gave. They kept it for themselves so that they can go to bed feeling full. That's when you met us, remember? You were starving, so my mom gave you all of her food." Amber laid out the harsh truth to Mosely, who momentarily ceased her sniffling. "My mother went to bed hungry because she was already full of happiness when she saw you being fed. My mother can be a little too kind, in my opinion. But that's just the person she is, and I wouldn't have it any other way. So screw your old mother and father. They may be your parents, but they aren't your family. You're with us for now on, you hear? We're your family now. My mother's in this castle somewhere, wouldn't the best way to repay her for saving you that night is to rescue her?"

"Y-Yeah!" Mosely cheered. "I won't let anyone lay a finger on her!

"That's the spirit, let's go get mom out of here first." The redhead shot her a small smile, the duo making their way up the stairs as the other heard a quiet sniffling from Valarie.

*Sniff…Sniff* "Th-That was beautiful…" She sniffled, a few tears forming in her eyes. "My own mother never loved me!"

"You can tell us about it later, we need to get a move on." Kenneth told her, the duo proceeding to follow the other two up the stairs, with Madame X about to make her leave when Melia called out to her.

"Madame X…what was your mother like?" The blonde inquired.

"What an insignificant question, it's almost laughable. She was a weak-hearted person who gave her life to protect me, something Julius and I have in common. The only difference is that his mother's sacrifice meant absolutely nothing. It'll all be the same in the end." She retorted coldly.

"Y-You didn't have to word it like that!" Julius shot back, tears welling up in his eyes over the fateful incident.

"Nancy's sacrifice meant everything. Without her, Julius wouldn't be standing here today, no thanks to you." Melia retorted, resting a hand on his shoulder to soothe him.

"That may be the case, but the only provided a temporary solution." Madame X replied, turning to face the stairs. "We can argue about this later, for now we must continue forth."

Watching their nemesis turned ally walk up the stairs, Melia redirected her attention to the painting on the wall. "…This is something I don't really like thinking about, but I can't help it sometimes. I wonder what my mother was like…if she loved or hated me. I don't even know what she looks like, or if she's even alive at this point. And if she isn't alive, I hope that she's proud of me wherever she is. I don't know if this is the same for you, but ever since Terajuma Island, I've always felt…I've always felt like Tesla was my mother. The one I didn't have."

"I-I feel you; Tesla was kind enough to take me in when I had nowhere else to got to. I don't think I can ever repay her for her kindness, no matter how hard I work." The young teen replied, turning away from the painting. "Come, we shouldn't keep the others waiting."

Agreeing to his statement, the duo made their way up the stairs and into the next room, unaware of the shadow following right behind them. The door to the castle slowly creaked open, the Mimikyu sticking its head inside before entering the castle, beginning its search for the human it loves the most. Meanwhile, the heroes had climbed up several flights of stairs before approaching a set of double doors decorated in a variety of fancy colors.

"This is it; the Princess resides behind these doors. If any of you wish to turn back, this would be the time to do so. I don't know what'll happen once we pass these doors, but I cannot guarantee your safety, nor do I really care to." Madame X warned the group.

"Yeah, let me at 'em I'm ready to—" Mosely began.

"You're staying here, where it's safe." Amber ordered, the optimistic look in the orange-haired girls' eyes falling like a ton of bricks.

"Bu-But why…? What about that talk of saving Tesla together?" She protested.

"I didn't want you crying in front of everyone! Besides, if something happened to you in there, mom would absolutely lacerate me. So do me a favor and please stay here. I don't mean to be rude, but you're small and weak. You'll get in the way." The redhead told her.

"I must agree with Amber on this one. Let the adults settle these problems; a child shouldn't have to do things like this." Kenneth admitted as well, agreeing with Amber's statement.

"B-But I'm 10 years old, I'm practically an adult! Didn't you say that 10-year-olds used to take down huge criminal organizations way back when?!" Mosely retorted.

"Those 10-year-olds also happened to be prodigies for their time. If I recall correctly, you don't have a single Pokémon with you." The black-haired man continued, with the young girl growling under her breath before letting out a huff.

"Fine, I'll stay here. I'll stay right here while you all have the fun of your life!" Mosely pouted, storming off from the area as Kenneth let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew…that's one concern out of the way." He sighed in relief.

"Good, now we can proceed." Madame X told them, the group making their way beyond the doors leaving Melia and Julius behind.

"I guess this is it…it all ends the moment we walk into this room. I-I'm trembling with fear over the thought that things can go terribly wrong after this point if we mess up." Melia confided to him.

"I-I'm scared as well, more so than you realize. But I have faith that we'll pull through in the end." Julius admitted, the duo giving each other a quick, good-luck kiss before stepping beyond the doors. The duo entered a lavish throne room, decorated with various paintings and other valuable relics as the group began searching for the Time Diamond.

"So, this is where we need to be? The Time Diamond should be here somewhere." The blonde asked Madame X.

"Correct, it should be in this vicinity. If not…then I don't have to explain to you what happens in that case." The Xen Dictator replied.

"Yes, we get the picture. We know it'll be a complete disaster for us all." The young teen chimed in, only for a familiar voice to call out to the heroes. They turned to the source only to see a middle-aged woman with striking red hair approach them, with Amber's eyes widening with joy as she ran over to hug the woman.

"M-Mom!" She sobbed into her shoulder, with Tesla petting her daughter's back in an attempt to soothe her. "W-We've been looking all over for you, mom!"

"Y-You were all looking for me?" Tesla inquired, with Amber and Kenneth nodding firmly in confirmation. "But why would you do that?"

"Simple, you were taken from us and we wanted to find you." The redhead replied.

"I see…but what is that woman doing over here?" The red-haired woman shot a glance at the bound-up Valarie.

"Oh, her? Don't worry about her, we already took care of her and her crew." Amber smiled.

"Indeed; we were able to take over the S.S paradise and found our way here to rescue you." Kenneth joined in.

"T-That's nice, but where's little Mosely?" Tesla inquired.

"She's waiting right outside this room. Don't worry, she's perfectly fine." The redhead answered casually.

"Then we should leave this place immediately; let's get out of here." The older woman suggested, only for the Xen Dictator to clear her throat audibly.

"I'm not leaving here without my Time Diamond. You all may leave if you wish, but I'm not leaving until I get what I came here for." Madame X told her sternly.

"Well whatever it is, you better get it quickly before—" Tesla began, only for another voice to echo throughout the room.

"Mother, who is it you're speaking to?" The voice called out, as a young girl with bright blonde hair that was done up into twin pigtails walked up to the group, a look of curiosity in her eyes. "Who are these people, mother?"

"M-Melanie…" The red-haired woman spoke lowly, as Melia stepped back in surprise.

"N-No…it's you!" She spoke lowly as well, her gaze fixated on the young girl.

"Just who are these dullards you're talking to?" The now named Melanie demanded, with Tesla walking up to her.

"T-These people are no one special…" She bluffed, hoping the young girl would buy it.

"If that's so, then why don't we all play together? Yes, I'll grant you all the esteemed opportunity to play with the princess of this castle." The young girl proclaimed, with nobody aware that Mosely had managed to sneak into the room, hiding behind a concrete pillar.

"Don't play games with us, you know exactly who we are." Madame X scoffed at the child. "Now tell me, where is the Time Diamond? I know you know where it is."

With a sigh of annoyance, Melanie chose to drop her act. "Fine, I'll cut to the chase. B-But all I wanted to do was play with Miss Melly and the others!"

"A-Are you talking about me?" Melia inquired, the young girl nodding in confirmation.

"Duh, of course I'm talking about you, you bimbo!" Melanie retorted.

"You watch your mouth, or else I'm gonna teach you a lesson!" Julius threatened, shooting a glare as the young girl wasn't fazed by his threat.

"Next time put a muzzle on your dog, Melly. His incessant barking is of no use to me." The young girl yawned in contempt. "Now then, it is possible that I have this Time Diamond you speak of. but now that I think about it…why should I hand over something so valuable to dullards like you all? After all, you aren't even from the same time as me."

"Y-You know about that?!" Melia exclaimed in surprise.

"Obviously; you really aren't the sharpest tool in the shed, are you? I created the S.S Paradise; of course I'd add surveillance cameras around to keep an eye on my loyal subjects. Speaking of which, the captain I hired to steer that ship has marvelously failed at every corner. Come now Valarie, you're better than that aren't you?" The young girl droned on and on.

"I-I just…" The former captain could barely form any words in her mouth.

"Were you conked on the head when you were born, eh? Why would you wait for the last moment to try and escape? I suppose that makes me equally as stupid to believe that you were capable of doing anything that required the least amount of thinking." Melanie retorted cruelly.

"I won't ask you again, where is the Time Diamond?!" Madame X demanded, lowering her hand to reach her sword.

"Keep your head on, no need to throw a paddy for no reason." She brushed the question aside, taking out a multi-color crystal from her pocket. "Is this what you're looking for? I bet it is; your hands are trembling ever so slightly at the sight. But sorry, I refuse to hand over something so important."

"In that case, you leave me with no choice." The Xen Dictator drew her sword and stepped forward, only to step onto a trapdoor, the masked woman falling down before she could even react.

"Wh-What just happened…?" Julius commented, amazed at how this young child was able to outwit the menacing tyrant of Team Xen.

"How predictable…that's the problem with you simpletons. You get worked up over the smallest of things, and then you go smashing through your problems. Well, you can settle your problems in the cellar! Now, let's proceed with business, shall we?" Melanie chimed at them condescendingly.

"Look, can't you just let us go? Who needs a stupid diamond anyway?" Valarie requested.

"Correct! You all don't need this Time Diamond, not in my world." She replied, turning to face Melia and Julius. "If you two go back to your own time, what would I do without you? Specifically you, Melia."

"Y-You need me?" Melia exclaimed, with the young girl approaching the duo.

"I didn't believe it at first, but after closer examination, I've come to the conclusion that we must be related somehow." Melanie told her bluntly.

"Related? I-I don't think that's possible." The blonde continued.

"Be it by blood or some other connection, we're bound together by this world." The young girl replied, outstretching her hand. "Here, take my hand and we can figure it out together."

"I-I refuse to do that!" Melia told her bluntly, known full well about the consequences should they touch each other. With a quick sigh, Melanie retracted her hand back to her side.

"A shame, well if that's how it's going to be, then I guess that's just it. Listen, I know you two are anxious to leave this time, but what exactly is waiting for you on the other side? I've heard everything that happened to you through the cameras on the S.S Paradise. Everything that happened between you and Vivian…you two sure know how to ruin other people's lives." The Princess droned on once more, with Amber shooting her a vicious glare.

"Screw you! What do you know? For all we know, you're just as terrible!" The redhead growled at her. "If you're the one who created the S.S Paradise, then maybe you'll be able to answer a few questions."

"Fine…I'll entertain you. what do you want to know?" Meanie chimed back, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"What is the purpose of having all that plant life on the ship? How is it even possible?" Amber began.

"Because it was grown on the ship, you idiot. That one's easy to figure out. And it was possible to grow because we have the structures of all life on Earth located in the ships' database." The young girl answered.

"Y-You mean to tell us that you have the molecular structure of all life on the ship?" Kenneth exclaimed.

"How is that even possible? Where would you even get the resource to sustain something so huge?" Tesla exclaimed as well, a low chuckle escaping from Melanie's mouth.

"Let's just say I have some…connections." She chuckled, turning to face Amber. "You and Julius saw it, remember? I saw you go through the machine's database and stumbled upon all that information. You may have only delved into the DNA we had of Pokémon, but we have all that we need in that machine. With that machine, it would be possible to restore this world back to what it was before the calamity."

"I-It would be possible to restore the world?!" Kenneth gasped in surprise. "B-But even if that was possible, how would we do that? The ground is being swallowed by the Crimson Sea by the minute. Soon there will be nothing TO restore!"

"Hahahaha…no, the Crimson Sea does nothing but destroy anything that falls into it. The land being crushed and destroyed is my doing, silly!" Melanie bragged, catching everyone off-guard.

"Y-You're destroying the remaining bits of land on this planet? Why would you do that?!" Tesla demanded an answer.

"Hehehe…you know what they say…first you have to break someone down to build them up even better." The young girl chuckled once more.

"So that's why you created the S.S Paradise. I finally get it now…you created the S.S Paradise to kidnap people and deliver them to Blacksteeple Island. But when you heard that people kept escaping their kidnap, you decided to give them no choice…by destroying the remaining bits of land around the world, you constructed a plan that would eventually lead everyone into your grasp. If no one can live on your island, then no one can live at all!" Amber realized Melanie's grand plan, opting to expose her for her wicked scheme.

"…Oh my, and they said Melia was the brains of the group. Clearly, they were mistaken." She mused to herself, turning to face the redhead. "You are undoubtedly correct, Amber!"

"B-But why? Why go through all those hoops just to do all of that?" Tesla inquired once more.

"It's because she wants to play the part of a princess. She wants a kingdom to call her own…no, she only wants to use us as dolls! She doesn't want a kingdom to care for, she wants a kingdom to dictate!" Kenneth answered, shooting a glare at the young girl.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that? Considering the circumstances, you all need someone to tell you what to do. I have everything I need to make this world habitable, it's only right that I have complete control in what happens." Melanie replied nonchalantly.

"We're not going to let you get away with this, Melanie! If we kill you right here, then we'll be the ones who have complete control. And then we'll restore this world to how it was before so we can all live in harmony." Amber chimed in, the young girl stepping back a few feet.

"Oh, a revolt is it then? What of the Time Diamond? If I shattered this hunk of rock, what would Melia and Julius do then? They'll be trapped here and will never have a chance to return back to their time. All the people they loved, never to be seen again. Just admit it, I have you two backed into a corner with no way out!" She taunted the duo, edging closer to the Time Diamond, only for Mosely to leap out from behind the pillar and snatch the crystal. Running quickly to Melia, the orange-haired girl handed her the diamond, a satisfied look in her eyes.

"Here you go, Melia!" She smiled.

"Mosely, you are amazing! You saved our lives when we needed it the most." Julius complimented her.

"I told you to wait outside, Mosely!" Amber scolded her.

"And look where that got you." She smirked, running up to hug Tesla. "And momma Tesla is here too! I missed you a lot."

"Hehehehe…Melanie chuckled lowly, attracting the attention of the heroes. "This is exactly how I wanted this to go down. Thank you, Mosely, for helping me with this."

"Pfft, what are you talking about, you stupid gremlin?" Mosely retorted, the young girl taking something out of her pocket and held it in the air.

"In the event of something like this happening, I've constructed a nice present for humanity's hope. What I have here is a detonator!" She smirked.

"A detonator?! W-What for?!" Kenneth exclaimed, with Melanie letting out another chuckle.

"It's pretty obvious; when I press this button, it activates explosives hidden throughout the S.S Paradise." She answered.

"B-But without the S.S Paradise, there will be no hope for this world…it's all we have that can save everyone from the calamity's aftermath!" Melia protested.

"If the S.S Paradise explodes, everything would be for nothing…" Amber chimed in.

"Melanie, sweetie, give mommy the detonator…it doesn't have to be like this." Tesla tried to persuade her, but it didn't work.

"Oh give it up, Tesla. I know you're not my real mother. Playing pretend only makes me happy for so long, but now I've hit my limit. Now, the S.S paradise can be saved; however, I want the Time Diamond back in return." Melanie made her offer, but the heroes weren't interested in it.

"We'll get back that detonator, and keep the Time Diamond, no matter what the cost!" Kenneth shot back at her, the young girl shrugging her shoulders.

"Why are you giving me that look? If anything, you should be with me, not against me. Just think about it…you say that you'll get back this thin no matter what the cost, but do you really understand what that cost is? Say my finger slips, and I accidentally destroy the S.S Paradise, but Melia and Julius successfully go back in time and fix that they've wronged, what would than mean for us all? Going back and fixing what they did won't erase us; our timeline will live on no matter what. The damage has been done. Melia and Julius will be put back on the right track and live their lives happily ever after." The young girl rambled on once more.

"Just get to the point already!" Amber demanded.

"I'm saying helping out those two won't benefit you at all. With the S.S Paradise destroyed; they'll leave you behind in this time to rot away. Perhaps, in that time the Crimson Sea truly WILL engulf the land with its toxic waters. You won't ever get a happy ending. You'll live in fear for the rest of your sorry lives. Or…you can get that Time Diamond back for me and we'll all live happily ever after in our restored world, together…now, doesn't that sound a little better?" Melanie concluded, with the five heroes mulling it over before turning to face Melia and Julius, glaring threateningly at them.

"D-Don't listen to her, she's trying to pit us all against each other." Melia called out, hoping they would see reason and cease their aggressive actions.

"I've done nothing but simply state the facts; everything else has been put together by you." The young girl replied.

"D-Don't fall for her schemes; this is exactly what she wants!" Julius called out to them as well, only for Amber to lunge at Melia, pinning her to the ground.

"Don't take this personally, just give me the diamond and this will all be ov—G-Gaahh!" The redhead began, only to cry out in surprise as Julius pushed her to the ground, helping Melia back up to her feet.

"Unhand her, Julius! Otherwise, I'll be forced to do something I don't want to do…" Kenneth growled at him, the young teen glaring back at him.

"To hell with you all! I will not throw Melia to the wolves for the sake of Melanie's lies." Julius shot back, taking out a pain of Pokéballs and threw them, sending out his Beliaddon and Yatagaryu once more.

"Bad move Julius, bad move." The black-haired man shot back, sending out his Banette and Krookodile, the two Pokémon snarling and hissing at their foes. Yet the two Tandor Pokémon were ready to dish out a punishment to their foes, with the serpentine dragon lunging at the ghost and slashed at it with its talons, picking it up in the air and dropping it to the ground before following up with a wicked thunderbolt, striking the Banette dead-on as a sizable cloud of dust was kicked up into the air. Meanwhile, the Krookodile lunged at the Beliaddon and attempted to clamp down on its arm with its jaws, only for the Demon Pokémon to dodge the attack and snatch it up by its tail, swinging it in the air before slamming it down on the ground, following up by breathing a stream of fire at it, sending the crocodile flying into its comrade as the two crashed into a wall, unable to continue fighting.

"How's that? Why don't you bring out your best if you're that desperate to win?!" The young teen retorted, with Kenneth recalling his Pokémon before opting to send out his ace.

"Very well, it is more than capable of defeating you on its own!" Kenneth accepted the challenge, sending out his Lucario and brought out his Mega-Ring, pressing on the key stone as the Lucario was surrounded by a wondrous orb of light. Soon enough, it emerged from its orb in its Mega form, letting out an almighty howl as it glared at its enemies.

Lunging at the Beliaddon, it opened up with a flurry of fists that sent the Demon Pokémon back a few feet, with Yatagaryu attempting to strike it down only for the Mega-Pokémon to knock it down with a swift punch. The Lucario leapt back a few feet and charged up several Aura Spheres, launching them at the two Pokémon as they were assaulted by the barrage flying back a few feet and crumpled onto the ground. But amazingly, they weren't out for the count yet; the duo slowly getting back up as a second wind coursed through them. Giving each other a look of determination, the duo charged at the Lucario who opted to fire some more Aura Spheres at them. The Yatagaryu charged up its Dragon Pulse multiple times and fired it to destroy the incoming attacks, granting Beliaddon ample opportunity to charge at the Lucario, an Infernal Blade in its hand as it slashed at the Mega-Pokémon multiple times, causing it to fly back into the same wall as before and left a sizable imprint, the Lucario devolving back into its non-mega form as it was unable to continue battling.

"B-But how…?" Kenneth replied, weakly, recalling his Pokémon as the two Tandor Pokémon celebrated their victory.

"You two did an amazing job out there; now it's time for a well-earned rest." Julius thanked them, recalling his Pokémon before shooting his former friends a smirk. "See? That's what happens when you attack my friends; you get obliterated."

"Hahahahahaha! Looking at you all struggle for your lives is priceless! But seriously, I don't want you all to get the Time Diamond back for me. I want Melia to give it to me personally." Melanie chuckled.

"W-What…?" Melia replied, standing close to Julius as Amber got back up and made her way to the others.

"When I said that I heard everything while you were on the S.S Paradise, I meant it. I heard absolutely everything. You were given the choice of saving one person, or millions. Now let us see if you'll make the same decision this time…" The young girl told her, waving the detonator in the air. "Like I said, I hold a detonator in my hand at this very moment. With a single press of this button, I can doom this world forever. But if you have me back the Time Diamond, I'll destroy the detonator. Humanity in this time will be saved, and things can go back to how it used to be. Or you can refuse my offer and use the Time Diamond to return to your time and destroy the little hope this world has left."

"I…I have to choose…again?" The blonde said weakly.

"Teehee, that's correct. Will you choose the one, or the million? But before you make your decision, I want you to take a look at this…" Melanie sneered, gesturing to a series of cameras that showed various crowds of people watching the entire exchange go one, with the terrified Melia standing in the center. "Can you see them? They're all gathered around, just for you, Melia. While we were talking, my loyal subjects took the liberty of placing these screens here for all to view. Keep your eyes wide open, Melia…for these are all the people left in this world, each and every one of them stands before you here. And each and every single one prays that you make the right decision. A decision that only you can make, Melia. A decision that will decide their, and our future."

"Turn those off, right now! This is the most inhumane thing you've done so far; forcing her to answer before the crowd in a situation like this!" Julius roared at her in anger, the young girl chuckling under her breath.

"You really are a dog, aren't you? Mindlessly barking at anyone that looks funny at her." She retorted, turning to face Melia once more. "Back in your time, you didn't know the consequences of your actions. But this time, I wanted to make it abundantly clear just what exactly you're doing. Will you look into the poor eyes of the people of this world and save them? Or will you turn your back on them to save you and Julius, condemning them to a cruel fate. Now…do you understand your position, Melia? You've got a decision to make now; will you choose you two, or the thousands before you?"

I-I can't make that decision…I can't…" Melia replied weakly, her heart racing at a mile a minute.

"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to help everyone? And here I was, being so kind, presenting the perfect scenario for you to help all life on Earth. I guess it's just as they say; be careful what you wish for?" Melanie sneered at here, clapping her hands together. "Now, for that decision? Don't think about doing nothing, either. You either hand over the Time Diamond or make your way out of this time."

The blonde was at an impasse, unsure of what she wanted to do. On one hand, she desperately wanted to help all those people outside, clinging onto whatever shred of hope they may have had. But on the other hand, staying here meant never seeing Venam again, and that was something she couldn't live with. Just what on earth was she to do in this situation?

"Melia…remember, whatever you choose, know that I will support you and be by your side." Julius whispered quietly, showing his full, undying support for her. Seeing the smile on the face of her closest ally in this time, Melia was soon able to make her decision, taking a deep breath to steady her nerves.

"Well? We're all waiting…" Melanie urged her to make a decision, only to frown at the blonde's lack of a response. "Remember when I said that doing nothing was not allowed? Don't let me pick for you, Melia, because if I do…I don't think you'll like that outcome very much. Let us try this ONE. MORE. TIME."

Nothing…neither the blonde nor the young teen chose to respond, causing the young girl to glare at them. "A-Are you stupid? Didn't you hear what I said?! Do you want me to pick for you? Fine, then I will pick for you!"

"There's just something not right about this, that's all." Melia began to speak up

"I-I will blow up the S.S Paradise right now!" Melanie threatened, waving the detonator frantically.

"Go ahead then…blow up the damn ship, I don't care." The blonde retorted, catching the Princess off-guard.

"What are you going on about? Have you gone bonkers?! If I destroy this ship, the future of this world is done for!" She snarled.

"Well if that's true, then why are you so eager on destroying it?" Melia asked back, as she and Julius approached the young girl. "Whether you like it or not, this world is your own too. If you destroy the S.S Paradise, then you'll submit yourself to the end of the world as we know it."

"I-If you really think I care what happens to this hunk of acidic rock, then you must be mad!" Melanie stuttered, her arrogant façade starting to break down.

"Perhaps you truly don't care, but I don't think that's true. I think you're eager to blow up the S.S Paradise because you know something we don't. I believe that you must have some sort of backup located somewhere here in this castle." The blonde replied smugly, catching the heroes off-guard as the young girl staggered back a few feet. Julius was happy that Melia was now in charge of the situation and he will let her have every last bit of glory that she deserves.

"T-That would make sense. If she had backups, then losing the S.S Paradise wouldn't mean that much, would it?" Tesla chimed in.

"Correct. She simply used our ignorance to our advantage, isn't that right Melanie?" The blonde replied, shooting a glance at the young girl who was now fuming at her.

"Well no, that's where you're wrong, Melia. As much as you want to be right, there is no backup." She hissed at her.

"And how can we be sure of that? You tried to make us believe that there aren't any, but you haven't really proved it yourself." Kenneth retorted.

"You can say what you want, but that doesn't change reality. There are no backups located anywhere in this castle at this time. So, if I were to destroy the ship right now, it's over. You get it? The S.S Paradise is the only thing that holds the keys to this world's prosperous future, and I can end it all with one click of a button. That is EVERYONE'S reality; not just yours but mine too." Melanie insisted firmly.

"T-There aren't any backups?" Melia double-checked with her.

"Not at this time, no!" The young girl hissed viciously, glaring at her with hate in her eyes.

' _But why? Why wouldn't there be? It doesn't make sense…Is she truly this insane? Insane enough to throw herself under the bus? Not…at this time? Not…Wait! What did Madame X say again?'_ Melia thought to herself, recalling the conversation Madame X had with her and Julius on the stern of the S.S Paradise. And then…it hit her; she found the answer to this riddle before her.

"Y-You're telling the truth, there is no backup." Melia began, with Melanie letting out another condescending chuckle.

"Hahahaha, you see? This was all just a huge waste of time then!" She sneered.

"You didn't let me finish; it may be true that there isn't a backup anywhere… _in this time_." The blonde smirked, causing the young girl to jump back in surprise. "Just think about it. why need a backup if you could always just use the Time Diamond to go back to any point you want? If you were to destroy the S.S Paradise here, it would mean nothing to you because you can just go back."

"If that were true, then why would she risk her life like that when you have the diamond in your hand?" Valarie inquired. "Would she be in such position to blackmail you if you had the upper hand on her?"

"Y-Yeah, it's just as she said! I was just trying to get the diamond back to secure myself, that's all. I-It's why I gave you a second chance to hand it over! It's just as you said, Melia! I don't want this world to be in ruins like this forever! Hence why I went through great lengths to get that diamond back from you, as well as why I can't just let you have the diamond and return to your time in the first place! if you took that diamond away, you would take the only hope of humanity. Th-That is, if anything were to happen to the S.S Paradise of course!" Melanie blurted urgently, hoping to regain some ground, but the immaculate blonde before her wasn't ready to back down yet.

"A cute attempt at saving yourself, but there's a hole in the theory. If it mattered to you that much, then why didn't you just order the others to beat us up when you had the chance? If this jewel meant that much to you, you would've let Amber beat us up, all while Kenneth and the others distracted Julius. But you specifically asked for me to bring it to you." Melia began, slowly approaching the young girl, with Julius following behind her, thoroughly enjoying the snotty brat being put in her place. "There was something Madame X told me and Julius on the S.S Paradise; you said you were eavesdropping on us, so this should sound familiar. 'Don't let the Princess come into physical contact with you. the consequences would be dire.'"

"Grrrrrrrr!" Melanie seethed under her breath, on the verge of having a meltdown.

"That's why you wanted "me" to bring over the jewel to you personally. But if you wanted to get to me that badly, you would've just done so immediately. I don't know what it is, but you had to do something before you tried anything. You couldn't just attempt to do whatever it was that you were planning." The blonde continued, before opting to deal the coup de grace. "This isn't even the real Time Diamond, correct? It's a fake you created to piece together this grand scheme of yours. It's nothing but a distraction!" She continued, dropping it to the ground and stomped on it until it was naught but tiny little pieces.

"H-Have you gone mad?!" Kenneth cried out in surprise. "We don't even know if what you're saying is correct!"

"Melanie's face is all the confirmation my lady needs." Julius replied, smirking at the sight of the young girls' flustered expression. Within an instant, she brought out her remote and showed it to the heroes once more.

"Don't do it, Melanie. It's not worth it." Melia tried to calm her down, the young girl growling at her before tossing the remote aside, enabling Amber to scoop it up quickly. "You've lost Melanie, it's over."

"M-Me…lose? I don't think it'll go down that way. I never lose, I'm the Princess after all! Whatever I say, goes! Whatever I want to happen, will happen! If things don't work here, they will somewhere else! THIS WORLD IS POINTLESS! I'LL SEE TO IT THAT I SEE IT CRUMBLE BEFORE ME!" She screamed at the top of her lungs in defiance, snapping her fingers as a giant beam of light tore through the throne room sending the heroes flying back a few feet. Once the dust settled, it showed that everyone was knocked out, except for Melia and Julius who slowly approached the massive hole separating the two halves of the room.

"What on earth did she do…?" Julius exclaimed, eyeing up the hole wearily.

"I-I don't know…something just cut this whole castle in to, a very clean cut." Melia answered, turning briefly towards the others. "The blast knocked them out, but they seem to be doing okay. What a relief…"

"I'll say; that was a phenomenal performance you did back there, exposing that little weasel's plan." The young teen complimented her, only to step back in surprise as she saw Madame X leapt out of the hole and onto the other side. "Why am I not surprised you lived through that?"

"Stay alert, this isn't over yet. We still have her to deal with." Madame X warned them, the recognizable screech of a Yveltal echoing throughout the area. Stepping back in surprise, the duo saw Melanie rise up from the abyss on her steed, glaring at the two heroes.

"Melia…I must admit that you're far too smart for me. But it's just like you said, as long as the Time Diamond exists, I can start over. I'll keep trying my best to accomplish what needs to be done, and I won't stop until I do! As for you and your friends…I'll see to it that they're taken care of permanently, you stupid dullards! Yveltal, Decimation!" The young girl ordered, her Pokémon charging up a powerful ball of dark energy.

"M-MELIA!" Julius cried out, running in front of her as the Destruction Pokémon fired its attack, the young teen crying out in pain as it struck him dead on. The attack soon exploded, sending Melia flying back several feet as she clung onto the edge of a tower for dear life.

"I-Is this it? I c-can't hold on for much longer…" She winced, attempting to pull herself up as the last few moments dawned onto her. "Julius…did you protect me again, at the cost of your own life?"

Just then her grasp slipped, causing her to slide down the tower wall slowly with Melia struggling in vain. "No please…I-I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

' _But maybe I should do just that…'_ A stray thought wandered into her mind, causing the blonde to lose her grip as she crashed into the ground beneath her, or at least she thought it was the ground. Somehow, she ended up in what looked like a shadowy void of sorts. _'H-Have I reached the bottom? Or have I just forgotten that I've fallen in the first place? is this real life? After all we've done together, for it to end like this…it's a little insulting, isn't it? But I suppose that's the fate for a girl as selfish as me. To think that I could solve the world's problems without anyone else's help. I've solved it alright. I've solved it by destroying everything. But I'm done. I've submitted. I can do no more harm, now that I'm gone. Isn't that right? Maybe…that's for the best?'_

As the blonde was thinking to herself, a familiar multi-color ribbon slowly fell down to the ground beside her, the blonde weakly turning her head to look at it. _'Ah…it's the ribbon Venam got for me. Venam, I'm so sorry…I'm sorry for everything. I failed you, and I failed Julius. I'm the reason you're two are even in your situations. Everything that's happened to everyone has been because of me!'_ Melia thought to herself.

"Since when did you become such a whiny idiot, Melia?" A familiar voice called out, attracting the blonde's attention as what appeared to be the spirit of Venam approached her.

"V-Venam? How…did you find me?" Melia inquired.

"Man, did that fall knock out that brain of yours? I was here with you the whole time. That ribbon…that ribbon is what tied us together. It's what helped me find you here." The brown-haired girl answered, cracking a small smile at her.

"But…you're not really here. You're just…" The blonde continued.

"No…I'm not really here, but does it matter?" Venam replied casually.

"V-Venam, I'm so sorry…I'm sorry for what happened to you. If you never met me…If I were never born, you'd…you'd…" Melia began weakly, offering several apologies but the latter wouldn't hear them.

"Be bored as hell? Yeah, I would be. You're not, and never were a burden to me in any way. I know you blame yourself for everything, but this is one thing I just won't let slide. You've changed my life for the better. Sure, I may be a petrified piece of stone inside an incubator…but I'm lazy as hell so I'm always in that situation anyway! Please, don't beat yourself up, Melia!" The brown-haired girl supported her, only for the blonde to brush it aside.

"Ah…well, it doesn't matter anyway. It's all over for me. For all I know, I could already be dead." Melia replied weakly.

"S-Stop it! You're capable of so much, Melia. Don't give up now that I'm not around. You were always the one who got me up when I fell, and now it's my turn. There are still people waiting for you on top of this castle. You can't just let go of them now, they need you!" Venam began, tears streaming down her cheeks. "So, get the hell up, Melia! Because if you don't, then…then I'll never get to see my best friend ever again. And that fact alone would make this hell on earth!"

"Y-You're absolutely right, Venam! I can't give up here. Not now when you, Julius and the others need me; especially after all we've been through." Melia replied, slowly getting back up as a wondrous power started to form within her. "I can't give up on you…you gave me the strength I needed to be myself. You gave me the strength to help others when I needed help the most. After all you've given me, I think it's time to give myself strength. To reunite with you and thank you for all you've done for me."

"Yeah, that's the Melia I know!" The brown-haired girl cheered in support for her friend.

"Oh and Venam, there's something I've been wanting to tell you for a long time now…" The blonde was ready to confess her love, only for Venam to hush her.

"No…you can tell me when you come to wake me up, okay?" Venam smiled, having a faint idea what Melia was going to say. "I'd prefer to hear it then."

"Yeah…that'll be perfect." Melia smiled, a wondrous light filling up the entire area.

Meanwhile, Melanie was looking over the ruined castle, figuring out who to kill next after disposing of Melia and Julius. However, the young girl would receive the shock of a lifetime as she saw Melia walking up to her, her gorgeous blonde hair now reaching her legs as she now wore a billowing white dress, with Venam's spirit floating beside her in support. Before the Princess could even speak, the duo began glowing brightly as they soon merged into one, with Melia soon channeling her hidden power as the entire island, no…the world was bathed by the light. The once blood-red sea was now transformed into a crystal blue ocean, the lifeless trees were revived as patches of grass grew all over the island. And it wasn't just the island; the entire world was bathed by her light, restoring it to its once pristine beauty. It was a miracle, a miracle only made possible by the unbreakable bond between Melia and Venam.

"I don't understand…how could this happen? This power…it's possible to do something like this all along? P-Perhaps…things could've gone another way…I could've done better? Ah…but this light is so warm…I guess those dullards aren't so bad after all. You win…Melia…" Melanie accepted defeat, slowly fading away from existence due to the blonde's power.

The rest of the people woke up to see Melia standing there, using the last of her power to bring back Julius, the young teen's eyes slowly opening as he found that he was alive, with Melia panting lightly to herself.

"Wh-What happened?! The last thing I remember was that I was struck by an attack and—" Julius began, only for the blonde to hush him.

"Don't worry…I'll explain later Julius." Melia replied, only for Amber to quickly run up to her in joy.

"Wow, who knew you were this fucking incredible! Just look around us…is this for real?!" The redhead exclaimed, eyeing up the lush vegetation that now populated the island.

"I-It feels too good to be true…everything is as it was before." Kenneth commented in awe.

"G-Guys, take a look over there!" Mosely called out pointing towards a ledge as the heroes saw what she was talking about. "I-Incredible! Whatever Melia did, it restored the world back to its former glory!"

"Everything is so damn green! Is it even supposed to look like that?" Amber inquired.

"Yes…This is how the world should be, bright and colorful!" Tesla told her, an ecstatic look in her eyes.

"Even the air smells better…it's almost burning my throat." Valarie chimed in.

"I don't know what you did Melia, but whatever it is, it was undoubtedly the most amazing thing you've ever done." Julius complimented her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Let's get down there!" Mosely cheered, only for Amber to grab her arm firmly.

"Relax, we can go frolicking in the woods later. Right now, we need to find that Time Diamond that Melia and Julius need to get back to their own time." The redhead told her.

"Exactly, this is not their time, nor is it mine." A voice called out, the heroes turning around and saw Madame X walking up to Melia and Julius. "There's still a matter of our mission, right? Or are you going to forget about the original timeline you've forsaken?"

"You're right…there's no time to celebrate for Julius and I." The blonde admitted.

"Then we'll help you three look for it! it's the least we can do to repay you." Tesla began, only for Madame X to halt her in her spot.

"You're help isn't needed; I know where the diamond is." The Xen Dictator replied, catching the duo off-guard. "While you were off wasting time and having a nice look at the scenery…I did something productive and searched for it. it's in a few rooms behind the throne room we were just in."

"I see…" Melia replied, turning to face the others. "I guess this is goodbye. Thank you all for standing by our side, no matter what was thrown our way."

"Goodbye Melia, we'll never forget your act of kindness!" Mosely gave her goodbyes.

"I-I'm sorry for treating the both of you so terribly…it was fun, but you have your friends to look out for." Amber apologized to the duo for her previous hostility.

"I must thank you as well, Melia. If it wasn't for you, I'd be stuck in the castle with Melanie." Tesla thanked the blonde.

"I-I want to apologize as well for making your life on the S.S Paradise hell. T-Thanks for saving this planet, Melia." Valarie offered her apologies as well.

"I must bid you two farewell; despite the fact that it was you two that got us in this situation, the fact that you made things right is all that matters to me." Kenneth smiled, the group of five making their way downstairs leaving Melia and Julius alone with Madame X.

"Now that you've said your goodbyes, we can be on our way." The masked woman told them, the trio walking up the stairs, jumping over the gap to the other side as she made her way through the door, leaving the two teens to themselves.

"Now that we're alone…do you mind telling me what had happened?" Julius inquired, with Melia turning her head to the side as a smile graced her face.

"Venam saved me…she saved me when I needed her the most." Melia told him, turning to face the door again as she walked through it, with the young teen quickly following right behind her. However, the blonde soon called out to Madame X, attracting the older woman's attention. "Hey, are you just going to ignore what happened to me?"

"That's a hard thing to ignore." She replied firmly.

"I may have heard what you say when it happened, you said I awakened? What exactly do you mean by that?" The blonde demanded an answer.

"Melia, many people claim that you have the power to create Shiny Pokémon, correct? But did you think that "power" was solely for changing the DNA structure of Pokémon? That light that emanated from your body is far deeper than any Shiny Pokémon." Madame X began to explain the situation regarding her awakening.

"But this light is also responsible for that, right?" Melia continued.

"To some extent, yes." The masked woman confirmed.

"Then why did Melanie disappear when I did all of that?" The blonde pressed further.

"You did what Melanie tried to do to you. You figured it out, didn't you? Back when Melanie made you decide. Although I fell through the floor, I could still hear what was happening in this room, as could anyone who lived on this island. It was publicly broadcasted, after all." The Xen Dictator stated.

"Y-Yeah, she tried to bait me into giving her the Time Diamond. I only figured it out because you told me to avoid making physical contact with her. What would've happened if Melanie had successfully tricked me?" Melia inquired.

"You wouldn't be standing here now. That's all I have to say about that." Madame X answered.

"But what about Julius? You saw him shield me from Yveltal's attack. It was so powerful that it knocked me right off the castle. Yet here he is, in one piece. Not a single scratch on him either." The blonde continued.

"You used the last of your power to revive him, before transforming back into your normal form. This isn't the only brush with death he's had, but it was the one that made me finally understand what he is; the Interceptor." The Xen Dictator told her.

"Interceptor…wasn't that what the Puppet Master called you back then?" Melia asked Julius.

"Yes, it was. I don't think I could ever forget something like that." Julius answered, turning to face Madame X. "Do you know what an Interceptor is? Because I sure as hell would like to know."

"Hah…I'm sure you would like to know." Madame X replied, walking away from them as the teens were stumped once again.

"You get one answer, only to get 200 questions in return. Guess that's just how the cookie crumbles—Eh?" The blonde began, only for the young teen to hug her out of the blue.

"Th-Thank you for saving me back there…I owe you my life." He smiled at her, realizing his mistake and backed off slightly. "E-Er, sorry about that."

"No need to apologize to me. We're lovebirds, remember?" Melia giggled, recalled back to the promise she made to Venam before her awakening. The moment she wakes up, she will confess her love to her. "Anyway, we shouldn't keep her waiting any longer."

"R-Right!" Julius exclaimed, the duo continuing to follow her into a small room in the back, where the Time Diamond laid quietly on the table in all its multicolor glory, with several bookcases alongside the walls. "Woah…that's the Time Diamond? It's so beautiful…"

"Madame X, I have a question for you. How exactly did I awaken myself?" The blonde inquired.

"Who knows…I saw Venam with you when you appeared before Melanie. Perhaps the unbreakable bond you had with her allowed you to have some sort of inner change." Madame X answered, her attention fixed on the Time Diamond. "As I'm sure you managed to deduce, this is the actual Time Diamond."

"I can see the difference for myself; this one changes color and everything." Melia chimed in, gazing at the Time Diamond. "But I'm a little surprised you fell for the fake one so easily. You said you had a Time Diamond before, so you should've seen the difference right there and then."

"Think of this diamond like weaponry. A sword on it's first day of creation is shiny and sharp. Over time though, it loses its shine and luster. It becomes dull and eventually breaks. The Time Diamond is no different, after many uses it becomes less beautiful. My Time Diamond was used so many times that it no longer sparkled like this gem." The Xen Dictator explained to the duo.

"Either way, let's just go back already." Julius requested, eager to get back to his own time as the Mimikyu from before was able to sneak into the room undetected.

"Before we do that, I must explain something. When we go back, there will be two versions of you and Melia. The universe doesn't allow for the same person to exist in the same time simultaneously. If this were to happen, eventually the universe would delete one of you to correct things. Your Time gear amulets will protect you from this, but if you were to ever lose them…I don't suppose you'd want to leave your existence up to the world, would you?" The masked woman informed them.

"Okay, so what can we do about that?" Melia inquired.

"We're going to have to force the universe to accept us through a process called overlapping. By coming into contact with yourself from a different time, you can merge with them. This will erase any risk of being deleted by the universe, but the process has its own risks. The main risk is being overtaken. The one with the strongest mind always comes out on top. If your past self has a better state of mind and force of will, they will become the dominant mind and you will be erased. Do you both understand?" Madame X told them, the duo quickly whispering to themselves for a moment.

"Yes, we do understand. If Melia and I were to fail the overlapping process, we risk our very existence." The young teen replied.

"Not your total existence, just the version of you that exists before me. If you were to lose your past self, you would end up being stuck in a time loop. You'd save Vivian from her fate yet again, and then repeat everything that happened here." The masked woman corrected him.

"I understand…but you mentioned contact with ourselves, right? Like physical contact? Don't tell me…" Melia began.

"You've already figured it out, and let's leave it at that. We're going to leave this wretched world once and for all." Madame X told her.

"Fine, but understand this, Madame X. once we're back to our time, and after we settle things…this little truce of ours will be over." The blonde stated firmly, with Julius nodding in support.

"Of course, but I also want you to understand something, Melia. That light that beamed from your body moments ago…one day that sacred light will be mine, then nothing would be able to stop me." The Xen Dictator warned her.

"As if I'd let that happen, we're not going down without a fight!" Melia retorted.

"Yeah, I've still got a bag full of payback to dish to you!" Julius chimed in, the older woman chuckling at them.

"And what a fight it will be…a fight to the finish!" Madame X replied, activating the Time Diamond as it hovered in the air, blanketing the room in an ethereal blue glow as the room's occupants, including the Mimikyu were transported from this timeline to their original timeline.

 **Whew…this takes the cake for the longest chapter I've ever done; I put in a lot of effort into making it as great as it is, so I hope it's satisfactory enough for you all. I know the battles were a little on the short side, but I'll make it up to you by writing up an amazing gym battle in the next chapter. Anyway, this was a major moment in the story for both our main protagonists, especially Melia. That personal moment between** **her and Venam before her awakening was one of my absolute favorites in the entire game, and I hope I was able to do that part, as well as the entirety of the bad future arc the justice it deserves. And on the topic of their conversation, I have a great idea on how to write the inevitable confession involving them and Julius, but that's for when the appropriate time comes. Don't worry, none of the future chapters will be this long, as I know that long chapters can be a bit overwhelming. Thank you all so much for reading and supporting my story, I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	47. Chapter 47

**Yagumi Kuzuki: I assume they're talking about no romance involving the player character? Because that lines up with what I saw in a FAQ post they made a few months ago. Either way, the fanfic will proceed as it has been since I started writing it.**

 **Welcome everyone, to the next chapter of Rise from the Ashes. In this chapter, we should be able to finish off the remainder of Episode 12 in this chapter, which means you get a nice gym battle to enjoy.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Outside of Sheridan Village: 30 years ago**

The glowing light that enveloped the duo had died down, with both of them eyeing up the surrounding area as they rubbed their eyes to see if the sight before them was genuine. "Ah…we're back! I can't believe we're back; I'm so happy to see the color green again!" Melia called out in joy, her luscious blonde hair blowing gracefully in the cool wind.

"As am I, Melia. It's a relief that the both of us were able to make it back to our own time period, and it's all thanks to you!" Julius shot her a smile.

"Ahahahahaha…it wasn't all my doing. Remember, I did have help from Venam when I needed her the most." The blonde chuckled lightly, before her tone grew more serious. "But we can't celebrate just yet; as we don't know how far behind in time we've been placed, we'll need to make our way to Vivian's place as quickly as we can. If we don't stop ourselves from interrupting the ritual, then we'll be forced to go through this entire ordeal all over again. I-I can't say that I like the idea of sacrificing someone to save ourselves, but we don't have a choice."

"I don't like it either, but if it's really for the greater good, then I suppose we'll have to let it happen. We will make this right, Melia. Even if it means doing something really terrible…" The young teen pledged, with Melia shooting a determined smile at him as the duo entered the village. they quickly made their way to the wooden bridge that lead to the back of the village when the blonde halted Julius in his spot, gesturing at him to crouch down beside her as they watched the scene before them…where they saw their past incarnations talking to each other and Aelita. "I-I know this was to be expected, but I still didn't expect to see my past self talking to your past self."

"Once you get a bit more experience with time travel, you'll get used to it." Melia whispered back to him, causing the young teen to raise an eyebrow at her. Has she seen her own past incarnation carrying about her business, unaware of her future self watching her? Perhaps Melia simply wanted to relive her dearest childhood memories, alongside Venam and Ren before Team Xen ruined it for her. Soon enough, the trio talking before them were done, with Aelita making her way to Vivian's house, leaving the two Melia's and Julius' on their own.

"There we go, now that we're alone I can get their attention, so they don't run off. And though I'm gonna hate myself, a pebble to the head is what the situation calls for!" Melia began, reaching for a pebble beside her feet only for Julius to gently grab her wrist. "Hmm? What's the matter?"

"The pebble won't work. Remember when you had a pebble thrown at you before we stopped the ritual? It didn't stop you then, just like how it wouldn't stop you now." He told her, the blonde recalling the memory as she slapped her forehead.

"Argh, of course! How could I have forgotten about that?! The plan didn't work back then because it was already attempted once, and I was the one who threw it!" The blonde scolded herself, before a new plan quickly formed in her mind. "You know what? The best plan we have right now is to catch them by surprise and merge with them, sometimes you gotta deal with things head on, literally."

"Agreed, with the element of surprise by our side, our wills should be able to overpower them easily." The young teen agreed, the duo getting themselves ready as they ran at their past incarnations, who promptly turned around and were surprised at what they're witnessing. Before either of them could speak, the duo were tackled by their future selves as a wondrous light shone throughout the area. A few seconds later, the light died down as the future duo were on the ground, slowly getting up as they rested their aching heads in their hands.

"A-Are you good…? Do you remember anything?" Melia inquired, with Julius rubbing his head.

"Y-Yeah…my head hurts like hell though. Hopefully we don't have to do this again." Julius replied with a wince, as Melia let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh, thank goodness…" She replied, turning to face Vivian's house. "Let's go Julius, we have some work to do!"

Nodding in confirmation, the young teen followed the blonde towards the large house, stepping inside and saw Cella, Anju and Aelita discussing something among themselves, the pair quietly slipping into the group as they heard what they were talking about. As they had expected, it was the exact same thing they had talked about before, however Melia decided that she will take charge at this crucial point in time

"Should we be following the group like this?" Melia inquired, causing Cella to raise an eyebrow at her.

"Huh? What do you mean, of course we have to!" The black-haired woman replied.

"Yeah Melia, what's your deal—" Aelita began, only to get taken aback by the blonde's gorgeous hair. "Y-Your hair! How did it grow so much within a short amount of time?!"

"That's not important now. What's important is Vivian's behavior. I know this is going to sound ridiculous, but I need you all to listen for just a minute." The blonde began, taking in a deep breath to prepare herself. "Julius and I have been through all of this already. We were able to save Vivian, but it came with a price. Due to our act of heroism, our future was destroyed and replaced with a doomed timeline. Because of many people I hold dear to me, we were able to make it back here in one piece! But it isn't over for us yet…we must let Vivian do what she wants."

"So what you're saying is the world would be better off if Vivian killed herself. Is that it?!" Cella shot back, her eyes filled with a gripping sense of pain.

"I know it sounds absolutely terrible when worded like that, but it's the truth. For the sake of the future, we must—" Julius began.

"Save it! You might not care about Vivian, but I do! I refuse to humor your stories about time travel. If you don't want to help, fine, but don't bring me down with you!" The black-haired woman shouted at them, gesturing at Anju to follow her down the stairs with Aelita choosing to stay behind.

"I-Is it true, you two? You aren't lying to me, right?" The magenta-haired girl inquired.

"Yeah…I may even have proof of our adventures on my body somewhere…" The young teen replied, lifting his shirt slightly, only to wince at the sight. There was proof alright; a hideous, bruised scar that was no doubt a mark left behind by Yveltal when he took the attack for Melia. Aelita and Melia took a quick look at the scar and winced in sympathy as Julius pulled his shirt back down.

"Julius isn't the only one with proof of our claims; as you pointed out, my hair had grown significantly in length. The two of us have been through too much to simply lie to you. I know Vivian means so much to you, given that she's the original leader of your home, but there's so much at stake here; if she doesn't do this then it's all over." Melia pleaded her case, with Aelita mulling it over before coming to a conclusion.

"I-I believe you Melia, and you Julius. If this has to be done, then I'll help you in any way I can." Aelita pledged.

"Thank you Aelita, thank you so very much…" The blonde smiled at her, turning to face the staircase. "I don't think Cella is capable of stopping Vivian from doing what she wants, I'm more concerned about Ang—Anju. She's definitely strong enough to stop her."

"As Angie was an avid user of Ice-type Pokémon, it's safe to assume Anju is an Ice-type trainer as well. Therefore, we'll need to use Pokémon that are strong against Ice-types." Julius told them, a confident smile forming on Aelita's face.

"Leave her to me then, my Fighting-type Pokémon will make quick work of her!" The magenta-hair girl proclaimed. "You two do whatever you need to do."

"We will, now let's get going!" Melia rallied the duo, as they quickly ran down the stairs and through the hidden corridor. Soon enough, they saw Anju and her Regice engaging in battle against Vivian's Regirock, the blue haired woman raising an eyebrow at their presence.

"Hmmm? What are you three doing here? What's the meaning of this?!" She asked them firmly.

"I'm sorry, but whether or not you believe us or not…the reality is that this needs to happen." Melia told her, a small scowl forming on Anju's face as Aelita took a couple steps closer.

"You two go on ahead, I'll deal with her!" She told them, the duo giving her a quick nod as they quickly made their way to the Spring of Purification. Upon arriving there, they saw Vivian in the midst of preparing the ritual as the duo approached the purple-haired woman.

"Why…Why do you two persist so much? Have you not done enough?" Vivian asked them

"You have it all wrong, Vivian. We're here to help you." Melia told her, catching the woman off-guard.

"Help me…? Why would you ever want to do that?" The older woman inquired.

"This may sound crazy, but we've experienced what you're trying to protect us from. Well the aftermath of it." Julius explained, the purple-haired woman raising an eyebrow at him.

"What are you going on about?" Vivian asked another question, gazing at the duo as if they had lost their minds.

"Julius and I both stopped you from doing this in one timeline, but that caused a domino effect which led to a doomed world where there was no hope left. If it weren't for the people of that time, we wouldn't be here right now." The blonde told her, with the purple-haired woman taking it in slowly as she came to a realization.

"I see…that means you've seen it, right? You've seen what's about to transpire?" She replied, catching the blonde off-guard.

"Y-You believe us?!" Melia exclaimed in surprise.

"I've hinted this to Julius the other night, but I already know that you and your friends are from a different time. I was blessed with the power to feel everything the Earth does; I can feel the life force of every being that exists in this world. I felt when you and your friends suddenly appeared near Kugearen City and then Route 4 soon after." Vivian explained to her, the duo taking the time to digest the fact that their cover had been blown long ago.

"I guess you're really good at pretending." Julius commented, with Vivian letting out a light chuckle.

"Hahaha…that's how I got through most of my life, but no longer. Time is running out; I have to do this now. If you truly wish to join me, you may, but you must not disturb me while in the process. Should the ritual be interrupted in any way, it could lead to some interesting…side effects." The older woman told them, entering the spring and made her way through it as the duo shot an uneasy glance at each other.

"I truly hope this is the right thing to do." Melia said solemnly.

"I hope so too, Melia." The young teen replied, the duo making their way through the spring and into the chamber in the back room, where they were greeted with a large Garufan symbol on the pitch-black floor of the chamber. "Yeah, that's a Garufan symbol on the ground, alright."

"I'm surprised you know about it, young man." Vivian chimed in, approaching an open book that rested on a stone altar.

"I met someone who's quite knowledgeable in that area…" Julius chimed in, as Melia's gaze was fixated on the book.

"I've heard that a boy named Kanon gave you that book." The blonde commented.

"Indeed, Kanon is an old friend of mine. He's a loyal servant of the Protectors of Aevium and Lady Nymiera. I feel bad to have had to conspire with him in private; I'm sure he didn't appreciate helping me with something this…grotesque. Nevertheless, I have to do this." The purple-haired woman explained, lighting up all the candles in the room while talking.

"Do you, though? Are you sure this is the only way to save the world?" Melia inquired out of curiosity, and a small sliver of hope that Vivian can be saved alongside the world.

"I've researched alternate ways for months, but it isn't possible. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but sometimes life isn't so kind to us. I learned that the hard way." Vivian replied, as she lit up the final candle. "There! That's the preparations done. The ceremony can begin now."

Stepping back to give the woman her privacy, Melia and Julius watched from the sidelines as Vivian placed her hand over the book, the latter uttering a chant to herself as she soon began to glow a lustrous gold. "To prevent the world's devastation, I give to you, oh Earth, my body. My soul, my entire person. Everything I am, to the soil. For my loved ones are precious and forever perfect in my eyes. But they tread the path of adversity and tribulation. So thus, I leave them with this spell of protection. To guard them from the harsh ways of humanity."

It was then that the glow had completely overtaken Vivian's body, which was slowly rising up in the air as the room was completely enveloped by the glow, only for it to be abruptly halted all of a sudden, looks of confusion appearing on the trio's faces. "Wh-What? What's happening?" She inquired, only to get knocked down to the ground as a cry of pain escaped her mouth.

"Vivian!" Melia called out in concern, as she and Julius quickly ran up to her. "Vivian, what happened?!"

"Get out of the way!" A voice demanded, the two teens stepping aside as Cella quickly ran up to her. "Vivian, please speak to me! Don't leave me!"

"Ungh…" The purple-haired woman groaned in pain, as both Aelita and Anju joined the scene, the black-haired woman shooting a glare at the duo.

"You both killed Vivian…I'll never forgive you for this!" Cella shot at them, with Melia raising her hands in defense.

"Y-You don't understand, we had nothing to do with what just happened. There was this earthquake and then—" She began, only for a twisted voice to laugh at them from out of nowhere.

' _T-That voice! I-It can only be…'_ Julius thought to himself, as the voice began to speak to the heroes.

"I've been looking for you for a very long time, Vivian. Using Garufan magic to hide yourself from my radar, I must say I'm very impressed. To think that following these pesky trainers from another time would lead me right to you." The voice spoke smugly, as the familiar form of Indriad's twisted assistant, Gardevoir appeared before them. "It was a stroke of genius for sure."

"I should've known you would pull a stunt like this, Gardevoir." Julius hissed at her, the wicked Pokémon turning to face him.

"Ah, you again. It's been a while since you last meddled in my affairs. I'd suggest chatting over a cup of tea, but I'm not one for tea." She smirked back at him, with Melia stepping back in complete bafflement.

"W-Who on earth are you?!" She demanded, with Gardevoir letting out an eerie chuckle.

"I am Gardevoir, Master Indriad's loyal servant. As for why I did this to Vivian, well she tried to stop something that was destined to happen. If I allowed her to continue, this land would be saved from Master Indriad's gift to humanity." She explained.

"Indriad's…gift to humanity?" Cella inquired.

"Correct. I'm sure she told you all her premonition? That in fact, was no false premonition. It is an event that has already been set in motion." The twisted Embrace Pokémon answered, as both Cella and Anju came to a startling revelation.

"S-So that means Vivian was right? That means her sacrifice was…" Anju began.

"In vain." Gardevoir interrupted her. "Don't you all see? It's pointless to go against what's been set in stone before you all were even born. You all haven't even begun to fathom what's in store. But just like my master, I am a generous being. Indriad may have a gift for humanity, but I've left a small gift for you all as well! You see, Vivian doesn't have to die all alone…you can all die right with her! Oh and Julius…give my regards to Anathea when you meet her in hell!"

"Me…Me curse…you…" A voice whispered, catching Gardevoir off-guard as she looked around for the source. All of a sudden, a familiar looking Mimikyu leapt out from the shadows and attacked the wicked Pokémon, slowly beginning the process to remove it's cloak as Melia called out for everyone to look away for a few moments. But Gardevoir hadn't caught onto that simple fact, as she soon made a most grievous mistake; never look under the disguise of a Mimikyu. With a loud cry of pain, the wicked Pokémon was soon petrified in place, with Mimikyu putting it's disguise back on as it chirped at the heroes, letting them know that the coast was clear.

"Y-You saved us, saved me again?" Melia spoke softly, with Mimikyu slowly approaching her and nuzzled her leg.

"Y-You're all on borrowed time…this set back means nothing…Julius, I swear I will destroy you and your friends!" Gardevoir weakly hissed at him.

"Pffft, like I'm scared of you. If anything, I'm the one who will destroy YOU for all that you've done!" Julius retorted back at her.

"Master Indriad will succeed with his plans, and I want you all to be alive to see it. D-Do you understand me? I am sparing you…for now. Until next time, be on your guard!" She hissed at the group, retreating from the area as Cella gazed at the empty space where her enemy once stood.

"That monster…Vivian did all of this and now she'd died for nothing…" She sighed sadly, another groan escaping from Vivian as her eyes slowly opened. "Vivian! Thank goodness you're okay!"

"Heheh…if only that were the case. That wretched Pokémon thought she stopped me, but the spell was successful…she gave me too much time. I bet she was laughing while she watched, but now I'm the last one laughing…hahahahahahaha…" Vivian laughed weakly.

"Does this mean you're…" Cella began weakly, a few tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

"Yes, my time to leave this world approaches. I shall leave successful, however…the ritual was interrupted. What kind of consequences will arise because of that? I have an idea…"

"Consequences?" Anju inquired.

"You should know more than anyone Anju…Garufan magic has the tendency to be unforgiving. Speaking of which…Cella, make me a promise…Never let me do Garufan magic ever again. Don't even let me think about it." The purple-haired woman requested.

"I-I promise, Vivian! I…I promise." The black-haired woman pledged, with Vivian shooting a weak smile at her.

"Good…oh, and Cella? Thanks for being there for me." She replied, her body glowing a bright white as it soon faded from view, leaving nothing behind in its place.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't help you more…" Cella spoke softly to the spot Vivian once lay.

"There was nothing to be done. Vivian was determined to do this for a long time, it seems." Anju told her.

"I guess that makes me the last one in Sheridan Village, I can't just leave this place. there's just too much for me to leave behind if I don't stay." The black-haired woman commented.

"Then stay, this place is your home too."

"Yeah, you're right. I think—" Cella began, only for a mysterious pillar of light to catch the group off-guard, causing them to step back in shock. But as soon as it appeared, the light disappeared, leaving behind what looked like a young child, swaddled in a white blanket with familiar lilac-hair.

"Uhhh…what just happened?" Aelita inquired. "Who is this?"

"V-Vivian…?" Anju inquired, stepping closer to the child.

"That's not my name!" The child frowned at the blue-haired woman.

"Then what is your name, sweetheart?" Cella inquired gently.

"My n-name? My name is…My name is Taelia!" The child chimed happily, with Aelita stepping back in surprise.

"T-Taelia?!" She exclaimed.

"So, you're not Vivian, your name is Taelia?" Anju double-checked, the young child nodding in confirmation. "I think I'm beginning to understand now; this is the consequence of Vivian's ritual. Garufa magic is something that should not be toyed with. It's incredibly unstable and unpredictable. There is almost always a consequence for taking part in one of its rituals. I suppose it's something similar to the concept of equivalent exchange."

"Equivalent exchange?" The black-haired woman asked.

"It's a very risky process, but the concept is simple. You cannot gain something without giving something back in return of equal value. Vivian gave up her life to protect the lives of countless others. But her ritual was interrupted and resulted with this girl. My guess is that this girl, Taelia, is the reincarnation of Vivian." The blue-haired woman told everyone, who were stunned by this revelation.

"Vivian's reincarnation?! T-This all seems so unbelievable, but the proof is right there…" Julius mused to himself.

"Correct, but that's not all. I'd imagine that although Vivian was successful in her endeavors to create a protection spell…it will not be as strong as it could have been, due to the interruption." Anju continued from where she left off.

"Which means whatever catastrophe she predicted will still happen." Cella chimed in, the blue-haired woman tilting her hand slightly.

"It'll still happen, yes, but not to the extent that she feared would happen. The spell should've weakened it greatly. Unfortunately, there isn't much we can do about it, but I do have an idea." Anju began, closing her eyes as she formed what looked like a small capsule in her hands, before gifting it to Cella. "Here, take this. This capsule contains a portion of my power inside of it. When this jewel is smashed, its power will be released. When that happens, it will encase you in ice for 24 hours. When it becomes clear that this event is taking place, use this to protect yourself and Taelia."

"I-I see…Thank you, Anju." Cella accepted the gift. "There's actually something I want to do. Something for Vivian. Will you all help me?"

"Of course we will, Cella. Anything for Vivian!" Melia smiled at her, with the black-haired woman gesturing at the group to follow her. Soon enough, they arrived at what looked like a small shrine at the back of the village, where a shiny gold-colored bell rested. "There's a small tradition we used to do in Sheridan Village a long time ago. When someone in the village has died and passed on, we would ring the bell for safe passage to the heavens above. It's only right to revive this tradition with Vivian's passing."

With a quick flick of the wrist, Cella rang the bell, a soothing melody echoing through the area. However, she opted to ring the bell once more, to grant her fiancée safe passage as well. "Goodbye, Vivian. One day I will make this place the community you always wanted it to be." She spoke her goodbyes, vowing to make her friend's dream a reality.

"Vivian's sacrifice will not be in vain, Cella. I will make sure her name is known throughout the ages." Anju pledged, the black-haired woman nodding as she turned to face the other three.

"So…will you all be returning to your time then?" She asked them.

"Ah, so you believe we're from a different time then?" Melia chimed in.

"Yes, there's no doubt about that in my mind anymore. For the record, I no longer hold a grudge against any of you, anymore. Truth be told, I don't know what I'm feeling right now, but…" The older woman began.

"I'm sorry, Cella." The blonde apologized to her, but she brushed them off.

"No, it's really okay. Vivian isn't truly gone, is she? She's dormant within the soul of Taelia, and I will protect her this time. I will not fail, not again." Cella told them, shooting a small smile at Taelia.

"We believe in you, Cella! I know you're going to do just fine." Aelita offered her support.

"We're going to go back home now, I think all of us could use some rest after what we've been through. Thank you all for visiting, Anju, Aelita, Melia and Julius!" The black-haired woman thanked them, as she and Taelia made their way to the former's home with Anju bowing respectfully to the trio.

"My time here has also come to an end. Despite everything, I will remain positive and remember this day in a good light. Best wishes to you all, may our paths cross again!" Anju expressed her farewells, the blue-haired woman making her leave as the trio watched her go.

"Oh, our paths will cross again, but the less said about that, the better." Julius commented to himself.

"You know…I just had a huge realization back then, but it's best if I tell you all later. What I want to know is what you two went through; what on earth happened that caused you two to look…so dead inside?"

"Well truth be told; we are a little dead inside. But I think we should check up on Erin, after all I doubt she would want to be left out of this conversation. She's been in bed this whole time, hasn't she? It's been weeks since we last saw her." Melia chimed in.

"For you two, maybe, but Erin has only been sleeping for around an hour." The magenta-haired girl replied, causing the blonde to chuckle lightly.

"Heheh, I guess you're right. I lost track of time. Ah well, it could've been worse. You could explode into a million pieces and disappear into thin air, just like last time." She replied, causing Aelita to raise her eyebrow in curiosity as the trio made their way back to the place the four of them were sharing for the time.

 **0000**

"So let me get this straight…because Melia and Julius interrupted the ritual initially, they were sent to a doomed timeline and worked alongside the remaining people to get back to this time to prevent the ritual from being interrupted in the first place. Have I got it all correct?" Erin inquired, a look of surprise on her face as Melia nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, and now Vivian is gone, unfortunately." The blonde replied.

"So you really did choose the million, huh?" The white-haired girl mused to herself. "Based on the information I was given, the sudden growth of Melia's hair, and that nasty scar Julius picked up, it seems you're both telling the truth. I didn't believe time travel was possible until recently but look where we are. There are tons of things in this world that I don't understand, and that's perfectly fine with me."

"Didn't you say you had something else to show us?" Aelita asked Melia, with the latter raising her arms in the air to stretch them.

"Yeah, I did say that. But let's save it for later. We should return to the Rose Theatre now; our work here is done." The blonde replied.

"Makes sense, we had to go back eventually. Let's get out of here." Erin called out, the group of four packing up their things and tidied up the place before making their leave and exited the house. Upon exiting the village, they saw Anju packing up the last of her things onto what looked like her own yacht.

"So you're really leaving?" Melia asked the older woman.

"Unfortunately, I must. I know I don't look like it, but I have a family to look after. My son doesn't like it when I'm gone for too long, he starts to cry and…I think you get the picture. Babies will be the end of me one day, I swear." Anju replied, a small sigh escaping from her mouth.

"Have fun with that, I guess." Erin chimed in casually.

"Ah, I will. Plus, someone has to inform Nymiera on what happened here. And on what's going to happen…who knows, you may meet her one day. But until then, I must bid you all adieu." The blue-haired woman waved at them, about to step onto the yacht, only for a flash of light to shine throughout the area. The group of five turned around and saw what looked like a small seed land into the dirt before the entrance to the village, sprouting into a small tree with luscious pink leaves. "Hah…Vivian, you can be quite the funny person sometimes. Looks like you'll finally get your wish after all."

With a final bow, the older woman hopped onto the yacht, the group of four watching it slowly drive away from the dock before turning to face the small tree. "Hey Julius, what do you think she meant by Vivian getting her wish?" Melia asked him.

"If I would have to guess, I would say that Vivian wanted Sheridan Village to prosper for ages to come, with the tree marking a new beginning of sorts." Julius proposed his theory to her.

"Who knows what's even going on at this point? Let's just go home already, yeah?" Aelita suggested, only for the familiar cry of Mimikyu to call out to them, the group watching as the small Fairy-type Pokémon approached Melia.

"Mimikyu!" The blonde smiled at the Pokémon, crouching down to pet its head. "Poor thing…you aren't supposed to be here right now. Will you be alright in the wild all by yourself?"

"Honestly Melia, can't you take a hint? It wants to come with you, just catch it already!" Erin called out to her, with Melia gazing at the Mimikyu intently.

"Is that what you truly want, to come join me in my adventures?" She asked it, with Mimikyu jumping up and down in joy at the proposal. "Then it's settled, you're coming with me, my friend!"

With a quick throw of her ball, Melia throw it at the Mimikyu, who was more than eager to tap on the button and enter the ball, the device wiggling for a few seconds before the light died down, indicating a successful capture. Picking up the Pokéball, the blonde shot a small smile at it before tucking it into her pocket.

"Nothing feels as great as befriending a new Pokémon, does it?" Julius chimed in, with Melia giving him a quick nod.

"I want to visit Spacea and Tiempa one last time, alongside you of course. Those two put us through hell and I want answers." The blonde replied.

"Got it, we'll be waiting for you in the past. Just don't take too long." Erin agreed, as she and Aelita began the trek to their destination, as Melia and Julius went their own way to confront the duo over what they went through.

 **Amberette Town: Spacea and Tiempa's residence**

Melia slammed the door open in a fit of rage, the blonde entering the building quickly with Julius following behind her, the blonde ready to give the two a tongue-lashing of a lifetime. "You can stop hiding now, I'm back from Sheridan!" Melia called out with Spacea and Tiempa arriving on cue to welcome the duo.

"Ah, Welcome ba—" Tiempa began.

"Yeah, no, shut up. I'm talking now." The blonde silenced her, impressing the young teen with how she was taking charge of this situation, her words catching the two deities off-guard. "Do you know the absolute hell you put Julius and I through?! Just to prove a point? To teach me a damn lesson?!"

"Of course, we have, we watched the whole thing after all." Tiempa replied casually, as if the pain the duo went through was of no concern.

"I'm sure you did, Tiempa. I'm very happy you two had front row tickets. Listen, I didn't come to chat for long, I just came by to give you two a message." The blonde continued.

"Oh, and what would this message be?" Spacea inquired.

"If you ever put me and Julius in that sort of danger ever again, I swear to it that I will deal with you both personally. I will not hesitate to cut you down. I don't care what sort of power you two claim to have. I don't care about what higher power told you to do this, but don't fuck with me like that again!" Melia threatened the duo, catching them by surprise as she turned to face Julius. "Shall we leave?"

"Y-Yes my lady." Julius nodding in confirmation, the duo making their way out the building, only for Tiempa to call out to them.

"W-Wait! While what we did wouldn't be justifiable by human standards, without us, you never would have awakened the power that remained dormant within you. So we do not regret what we've done, sacrifices must be made." She told them, hoping her actions would've been excused.

"Yeah, yeah, sacrifices…next time you do something so drastic, I'll have to put aside my differences to make sacrifices myself. Two to be exact, it's for the greater good after all." Melia retorted back, gesturing Julius to follow her out, the young teen shooting a glare at the duo before they promptly left the building and began the trek to the Timesplicer stone. Upon arriving at the small cave, Melia took a deep breath to settle her nerves as a myriad of thoughts raced through Julius' mind.

"I don't mean to sound childish, but what you did back there was one of the most badass things I have ever seen. To openly chew out two deities and threaten to cut them down takes immense courage; I don't think I could've done that at all." He gushed her up, looking at her in awe.

"It was nothing; I got so tired of people trying to use me for their selfish desires. I thought I could trust those two, but now that I look at it, they're just as bad as Team Xen. They used a moment where I was scared and vulnerable for the sake of having me join their group, heck they do that to everyone in the group. That's what Crescent tried to tell me the day I arrived. They manipulate you at your lowest point, when you have no other option but to say yes. But I didn't listen to her, and now I paid the price. Now that I think about it, Crescent was the only one who truly looked out for me back then. Maybe I should get into contact with her again somehow." Melia mused to herself, letting out a sad sigh as Julius wished to help her.

"Melia, is there anything I can do to cheer you up? I'm willing to do anything." He offered with a smile on his face, the blonde shooting him a casual smirk as she pushed him up against the wall, before embracing him tightly and gave him a most passionate kiss. Julius was a little surprised by this but caved into her desires and made out with her, his arms embracing her as well. The duo continued kissing each other passionately, until Melia broke off the kiss half a minute later to quickly catch her breath.

"Phew…I really needed that. Now let's head home already, we shouldn't keep Erin and Aelita waiting." She smiled at her lover, the duo approaching the Timesplicer stone and touched it as they were soon taken back to their time.

 **Rose Theatre**

The duo soon found themselves back inside the luxurious Rose Theatre, with Julius taking in a deep breath to settle his nerves; oh, how he missed the fresh air of the present day. They soon exited the small room and found Aelita and Erin relaxing in the corridor, the duo shooting them a friendly smile.

"Ah, you're back quicker than I expected." Aelita told them, stretching her arms briefly. "Eh, it doesn't concern me. I'm just glad that we're back home!"

"So you four made it back safe and sound?" Souta called out from across the hallway, approaching the group of four as they turned to face him. "So Aelita, did you learn what you wanted to?"

"Uh, kinda? I need to talk to the Eldest immediately." The magenta-haired girl replied.

"In that case, she's in her room. It's the one right next to Erin's." The elderly gentleman informed her.

"Great! I think it'll be best for everyone else to come, I'll meet you there!" She proclaimed, quickly making her way to her destination as the other's watched her go in slight amusement.

"Huh, never thought I'd see the day where she's this excited over something." Erin chuckled, shooting a glance at Melia. "Is this the Aelita you and Julius are familiar with?"

"Yes, this is most definitely her. Perhaps the curse on her is going away?" The blonde suggested, with Souta raising a hand to his chin.

"No, that's not it. Regardless, we should go follow Aelita since she insists on us being there." He told them, the group of four quickly making their to their destination, only for the elderly man's eyes to widen at the sight of Melia's hair. "Y-You…"

"Hmmm? Is something the matter?" Melia inquired.

"N-Nothing, let's proceed." He replied, the group continuing their trek as his comment put Julius a little on edge. Why express surprise over it, if it meant nothing to him? Truth be told, it wasn't that important right now so he could put that question on hold for now. "Hey Julius, what happened to you all in the past?"

"…It's a long story sir, one I'm not ready to tell now." The young teen answered, the group making their way into the room where they saw Aelita conversing with the Eldest.

"Ah, Aelita, you've returned! Did you learn anything?" The Eldest inquired, a small smile on her face.

"Well I learned something. Not exactly what I wanted, but something nonetheless! I learned the origins of my mother!" Aelita chimed in, with Erin, Melia and Julius raising an eyebrow at her comment. "It all dawned on me the moment that little girl, Taelia, said her name. Taelia was my mother's name!"

"So that little girl was your mother when she was young?" Erin double-checked, the magenta-haired girl nodding in confirmation.

"She must've been; her name was Taelia and she was born in Sheridan. Isn't that right, Eldest? Or should I say…Cella?" She continued, the Eldest stepping back a little in surprise over Aelita's revelation.

"Wh-What? The Eldest was Cella all along?!" Melia exclaimed in surprise.

"Well now that I look at things differently…she does bear several similarities to the Cella we knew back then." Julius commented, having connected the pieces in his head.

"Hoohoo, it's been a long time since I was called that." The Eldest, or Cella as they now know chuckled lightly. "Yes, I am the very same Cella you met in Sheridan. I continued to live in Sheridan until the calamity happened. Taelia and I got out safe, and we rebuilt Sheridan together with Taelia's soon to be husband, Keta, but he was known as Kenneth back then.

"Kenneth…? Of course! I knew he looked familiar." The young teen exclaimed, as all eyes were soon set on him. "A-Ah, my apologies. Please continue…"

"Hahaha, I suppose the jig is up, eh Cella?" Souta commented.

"I suppose it is, Souta." Cella replied, the elderly woman soon noticing that his face was a little paler than before. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah…but I feel that time is running out." He replied.

"You're running out of time? What do you mean by that?" Erin asked, only for the old man to seemingly brush it aside.

"It would take too long to explain, I must ask Julius a favor." Souta told her, attracting the young teen's attention. "There is a room adjacent to the one that has the Timesplicer stone in it. I have unlocked the doors to the closet in that room. I'd like you to take a quick look, everything will make sense once you do. After that, meet me by the cliffside and we'll settle things there."

"S-Souta! A-Are you…" The elderly woman began.

"I know, Cella. I know." He said back, slowly making his way out as a feeling of unease welled up within the heroes.

"Something's wrong with him, and I intend to find out what." Erin stated quickly, making her way out of the room.

"It would be unwise to bother Souta at this time. He has…a lot going on…" Cella tried speaking to Erin, but the latter had already left the room before she could finish.

"W-What was that abo—are you crying?" Aelita inquired, noticing a few tears fall down the Eldest's cheeks.

"I-It's nothing…I'd like to be alone for a little while, though." She requested, the remaining trio accepting her request as they quickly made their way out of the room.

"I'm not so sure what that was about, but I think we should give her some space to cope with whatever's troubling her." Melia suggested.

"Agreed; if any of you two need me, I'll be searching that closet for whatever Souta wanted me to pick up." Julius informed the duo.

"Fine by me…I'll be taking a nice rest; I think I've more than earned it." The blonde smiled back, with the young teen making his way through the hallways once more and towards the closet the elderly man has mentioned. Upon entering the small room, Julius was taken aback by the sight of two small machines; one to heal his Pokémon and the other one was one of those gym panels that Jan had showed him right at the start of his Aevium League challenge. Was Souta a gym leader this entire time? And if so, what type was he proficient in? Either way, Julius saw this as an opportunity to heal up his Pokémon and prepare for what will undoubtedly be a hard battle ahead of him.

 **0000**

"Ah, you're here. I take it you understand the situation now?" Souta chimed in, noticing that Julius was approaching him.

"I do now. I'm not sure how you were able to become a gym leader without Jan's approval, but if it says so in the logbook, then it must be genuine." Julius chimed in, recalling Jan's odd reaction to Souta's sudden application; could Amanda have signed him up without Jan realizing it? Or was there more to it than meets the eye? The fact that he was the Flying-type substitute was a bonus considering how the current leader was unable to battle for…obvious reasons.

"Besides being a spiritual healer, I took up battling to get through some tough times. It seems as though young Talon isn't prepared for battle at the moment, but I guess that means I have to fill in for him. Let us do this quickly then." The elderly man continued, raising his staff in the air as the duo were suddenly flung up into the sky, causing Julius to cry out in surprise. Once the ascension was done, the young teen found himself on what looked like an arena made up of clouds; how it could hold his weight was a complete mystery to him.

"I-Is it safe up here?" He inquired, with Souta letting out a polite chuckle.

"Do not fret, young one. It's perfectly safe up here. This place…I guess you could say it's a frame of mind, literally…" Souta began, turning to face the young teen. "This may come to you as a surprise, but I was given the duty of healing Aelita AND making you stronger, Julius. Aelita's therapy is almost over, she requires one more piece of the puzzle to repair herself. Thus, I must turn myself to you and finish what I started. Defeat me in battle Julius or suffer the consequences!" He declared, throwing his first Pokéball and sent out a Skarmory, the metallic bird letting out a quick shriek to intimidate the young teen.

"I'll show you the real master of the skies; go, Pajay!" Julius called out, the large parrot exiting its ball and let out a large 'caw' at its foe, the war for aerial dominance about to begin. Skarmory opted to take the initiative by swooping towards the Pajay, its wings shining an illustrious silver as it crashed into the parrot, sending it flying back a couple feet. However, the Pajay was able to recover from the attack and took to the skies, a loud squawk escaping from its beak as its wings began to shine a bright red, causing the suns rays to intensify greatly, with Souta raising an eyebrow in intrigue. Now that it's attacks were powered up by the suns rays, the Pajay spread its wings and spewed a stream of superhot flames from its beak towards the Skarmory, the attack hitting it head on as it squawked in pain and crashed into the cloudy arena, unable to continue battling.

"Impressive, you seem to have a grasp on how to use the sky to your advantage…" The elderly man began, recalling his fainted Pokémon. "But I've used this field to my advantage before you were even born; allow my Unfezant to show you what I'm talking about!"

He threw his second ball to the ground, the regal bird emerging from within as it let out a high-pitched squawk at its foe before quickly taking flight. The Pajay attempted to strike it down with another high-powered Flamethrower, but its opponent was able to dodge it easily, the Unfezant's body glowing a harsh red as it tackled into the parrot, sending it hurtling down towards the arena. Just then it was able to gain a second wind, the Pajay quickly regaining control and swooped back up to confront its adversary, slashing its wings in the air to create a few blades of wind that struck Unfezant head-on, causing it to stagger in the air.

Managing to recover from the attack, the Unfezant flew up in the air and retaliated by conjuring up its own set of wind blades and flung them towards Pajay, a few of them striking its wings with its speed dropping considerably as a result. However, the Pajay had one last trick up its sleeve, its entire body glowing red as it was soon cloaked with intense flames. The Unfezant tried to avoid the attack, but a sudden gust of wind gave the parrot the edge it needed to land the attack, crashing into its foe as the duo were soon sent hurtling towards the arena, crashing into it as a few small clouds were kicked up from the impact. Once they died down, it showed that the both of them were knocked out from the last-ditch maneuver.

"Great work out there, Pajay. You've earned yourself a nice rest." Julius praised his companion, the two trainers recalling their Pokémon as the sun's rays continued to shine brightly. No doubt Souta will find a way to benefit from it now that he had his turn in the sunlight, however there was a way to get around this predicament. "Dunseraph, it's time for you to take flight once more!" He called out, the majestic snake emerging from its ball as Souta gazed at it in awe.

"To be able to lay witness to the sight of Dunsparce's legendary evolution…it is a once in a lifetime experience I never thought I'd get to see. Now to see if it is as strong as the legends say it is." The elderly man mused to himself, selecting a Pokéball and send out his Oricorio, the regal red bird flapping its wings calmly. The young teen gazed at his new opponent intensely, knowing that as it was in its Baile form, it gains the perk of boosted Fire attacks from the sun. Regardless, he had a way to deal with such a threat.

"Halt that Oricorio before it gets too strong!" Julius called out to Dunseraph, the God Snake Pokémon nodding as it shuffled its body in the air before glaring at the Dancing Pokémon, causing it to be rooted on the spot as it was temporarily paralyzed in fear. Using this brief window to secure the first hit, the Dunseraph took to the skies and charged up a ball of draconic energy, before firing the pulsating blast at its foe, sending the Oricorio skidding back a few feet as it let out a cry of surprise. Luckily, it was free from its paralysis and began to dance in a frantic, yet rhythmic method, sending a series of heat waves all over the place as the attack scorched the Dunseraphs' skin, leaving a few small burns all over its body.

But despite the pain, it wasn't ready to throw in the towel yet, the God Snake Pokémon swooping down and snatched up the Oricorio with its hands, holding it firmly so that it could fight back or escape its grasp. Flinging it up into the air, the Dunseraph began flapping its wings slowly, as the Dancing Pokémon was soon getting squeezed by the intensifying air pressure. A few seconds later, it relinquished its grip on the Oricorio, the small bird hurtling towards the arena as it crash-landed into the clouds, attempting to get back up only to fall down on its stomach.

"Oh my, this battle's bringing back some fond memories with its intensity. I'm sure my friends are enjoying themselves as well." Souta chimed in, recalling his fainted Pokémon as the sun's rays started to die down. "Ah…good. Now I can change the tides of this battle, literally. Dragonite, show them your real power!"

The Dragonite emerged from its ball and let out a quick grunt, eyeing up the Dunseraph as a slight shiver of excitement coursed through it's body. This was going to be a battle between two powerful dragons, but neither one knew who'll be left standing. The Dragonite opted to make the first move, flying into the air and used its wings to generate a powerful hurricane, the attack's power boosted by the strong wings in the air. This had caused Julius to hold onto the ground for dear life as his Dunseraph was flung back several feet by the attack, only to quickly recover and swoop towards the Dragonite, conjuring up a series of mysterious rocks using an ancient power. It flung the rocks towards its foe, but the Dragonite was able to block the attack with its arms, taking in a deep breath and retaliated by spewing draconic fire at its foe.

The God Snake Pokémon retaliated by charging up a ball of draconic energy, firing a pulsating beam towards is foe as both attacks clashed in the air, with Dunseraph soon winning out as it struck the Dragonite head on, pushing it back a few feet. But despite taking a super-effective attack, the Dragonite wasn't ready to back down yet, moaning loudly as it conjured up a sizable tidal wave that swamped the arena and caused a sizable rainstorm to form above them. With the rain at full bore, the Dragonite's antennae began crackling with electricity as it fired a wicked bolt of lightning at is foe, with Dunseraph tackling into its enemy as the attack struck it, causing both Pokémon to get electrocuted by the attack. Flapping back a few feet, the Dunseraph's body began to glow as it picked up the Dragonite and attempted to finish it off once more. However, the Dragonite was able to wiggle around a bit and loosened the grip, charging up one last draconic ball of energy in its mouth and fired it point-blank at the God Snake Pokémon. The resulting explosion sent the duo hurtling towards the ground, crashing into it as they slowly got back onto their feet. There, they gave each other a quick nod of respect before landing face first into the clouds, the both of them knocked out and unable to continue.

"Now this is what I'm looking for, a battle to get my mind off of things." Julius grinned, the duo recalling their Pokémon.

"Quite right, but with a rainstorm like this, I'll be able to regain the advantage. Swanna, time to take flight!" Souta called out, sending out his fifth Pokémon as the large swan let out a soothing squawk. The young teen began thinking to himself; with a rainstorm like this, Swanna's Water type attacks would be even stronger than before. However, it also served as a double-edged sword, one that will secure himself a victory.

"Your Swanna looks very impressive, but how can it hold up against my Yatagaryu?" He called out, throwing his Pokéball into the air as the serpentine dragon emerged from its ball, the Stormbringer Pokémon turning its head and let out a sigh of relief, thankful that its comrade was no longer suffering from starvation.

Almost immediately, the Swanna began flapping its wings furiously, conjuring up a large hurricane in the hopes of disorientating its foe. However, the Yatagaryu was able to remain calm, unfazed by the powerful storm given that it was the herald of such events. The Stormbringer Pokémon quickly charged up electricity within it's horns shooting a wicked bolt of lightning that struck the Swanna head on, causing it to squawk in pain as it was sent hurtling towards the wet clouds and crashed into them, knocked out from the super-effective attack.

"Looks like my duty's finally over, I just need you to overcome my last Pokémon…" Souta commented quietly, recalling his Swanna and sent out his Pidgeot, the head of his cane glowing as his Pidgeot was enveloped in a multi-colored orb. A few seconds later, it broke out and emitted an ear-piercing squawk as its body was empowered by Mega-Evolution.

Realizing that this was its last opponent, the Yatagaryu opted to give it is all, swooping up in the air to avoid the initial gust of winds blown its way by the Pidgeot. The Pidgeot opted to follow it in the skies, its entire body glowing a harsh red as it tackled into the Yatagaryu and sent it flying back a few feet, with the latter shooting a bolt of lightning its way in retaliation. For a few minutes, the two powerful Pokémon clashed with each other in the skies, trading blow for blow as neither one seemed to tire out.

However, it was the Pidgeot that opted to go for its secret move, its wings glowing with a golden-white light as if it was blessed by the heavens above. Diving towards the Yatagaryu, its body soon became engulfed in the heavenly fire and crashed into the serpentine dragon, causing it to cry out in pain as it was sent hurtling towards the arena. But just as it was about to crash, it managed to recover and flew back up towards the Pidgeot, it's horns crackling with electricity as it fired off an immensely powerful bolt of lightning. The attack soon struck the Pidgeot, causing it to cry out in pain as it was sent hurtling towards the arena and crashed into it, devolved out of its Mega form as it was deemed unable to continue battling.

"Outstanding…simply outstanding." Was all Souta could say, recalling his Pokémon as the Yatagaryu flew back down to Julius.

"Phew…that was one tough battle. I couldn't have won that without you!" The young teen praised his companion, petting it on the head before promptly recalling it to its ball.

"Ahahaha…it's good that it ended the way it was supposed to be. You most certainly deserve this; Julius, take the Golden Wing Badge with pride." The elderly gentleman beamed at Julius, handing him a badge that resembled a pair of wings colored gold.

"Thank you, sir." He replied, placing the newly acquired badge on his card before tucking it away, the old man turning to face the skies behind him.

"They're horrible beings…Spacea and Tiempa." He mused to himself, catching the young teen off-guard with his comment. "What, you thought I didn't know? They may not see themselves as morally ambiguous, but their tactics are cold and cruel. It's all for the bigger picture."

"Y-Yeah…Melia and I got a taste of their tactics firsthand. It was a most terrifying experience that will never leave me until the day I die." Julius replied quietly, looking down at his feet.

"I too became a victim of their grand scheme as well. I'm sure the Cella in the past mentioned it once or twice, but she lost her fiancée suddenly while she was just kicking off her career as a lawyer." Souta began, the young teen coming to a sudden realization.

"T-That must mean—" He began.

"Yes, I was her fiancée, at least at the time I was. I had been killed by a jealous doctor who thought of my spiritual healing as a threat to his business. Because of that, Cella went to Sheridan Village to mourn my passing…my supposed passing. But as I died, Spacea and Tiempa appeared with an offer I could not refuse. They would grant me temporary life, a life to dedicate myself to spiritual healing. They kept me alive so that when Aelita would be cursed, I could awaken her. But the plan changed when you appeared into the equation. Spacea and Tiempa were amazed by your power, your skill, your…" The elderly man continued, with Julius raising his hand in the air.

"Sorry to cut you off, but I'm not interested in what they want with me; not after what they did to Melia." He replied, with Souta promptly clearing his throat in response.

"Sorry…anyway, they advised me to become the substitute Flying-type leader so that I could speed up your journey. Those hooligans…" He concluded, pausing himself to avoid dropping any…harsh words. "Ah, but we no longer need to linger up here in the skies, do we?"

"Y-Yeah, the sooner I'm back on solid ground, the better." Julius agreed, the old man raising his staff in the air as the duo were quickly sent hurtling back down to Earth. A few seconds later, they promptly landed back on the cliffside with the young teen staggering a bit to regain his footing.

"You know, the other day a child looked at me oddly…" Souta began, a pair of golden wings sprouting from his body as Julius stepped back in shock. "I wonder…why that was?"

A bright light shone in the area, causing Julius to shield his eyes as a sudden _'whoosh'_ echoed throughout the area. Once the light died down, the young teen saw that Souta was no longer standing there, his cane resting idly on the ground as he slowly approached it. "Rest in peace, Souta…" The young teen spoke quietly, picking up the staff and making his way back into the theatre, unaware that Erin had been watching them the entire time. But as Julius re-entered the theatre, he was soon confronted by the white-haired girl.

"Julius, is Souta really gone…? He just got up and left?" She asked him, the young teen nodding in confirmation. "I've been with that old man since I was born, and he didn't even take the time to say goodbye? F-Fine, if that's how it's going to be, then good riddance… he was a stupid liar who went back on his promise to me!"

Erin promptly stormed off to her room, with Julius sensing that she wasn't really angry at him. If that was her way of coping with her loss, then that's her choice. Regardless, he still figured it was best if he checked up on her, as well as Cella and the others. Quietly making his way to the room where she was staying, the young teen saw her conversing with Aelita and Melia, with Erin standing beside the wall.

"Eldest…are you doing okay?" Aelita checked up on her.

"Yes, I'm doing quite fine…But I…" Cella began, sighing to herself as she put her personal feelings aside to complete the task at hand. "I believe it is time for us to break this curse that ails you once and for all."

"Yay, I can finally say good riddance to this thing!" The magenta-haired girl cheered. "I can't wait to be free of this thing so that I don't feel like I'm on the verge of having a migraine every few moments."

"I'm going to tell you the truth now but know that it may not be the one you want to hear." The elderly woman began, taking a deep breath to prepare herself. "Like I was saying before, Taelia, Keta and I rebuilt Sheridan from the ground up. The place was completely shattered by the calamity. But no one knew of Sheridan, or cared to, so they didn't send any help our way. By the time we were sent help, we were already back in business. Eventually, Keta and Taelia got married and had a child. Things were great and it finally felt like peaceful times had returned to us. That was until disaster struck one night; a man in a cloak lured Keta out of his house and entered his home without his knowing. While Keta was distracted with affairs outside, the man in the cloak killed everyone in the house."

"O-Oh my…" Was all Melia could say, an uncomfortable feeling welling up inside her stomach.

"W-Wait, you told me my mother died in an accident…" Aelita began taken way off-guard by this sudden revelation. "My mother was murdered?!"

"Poor Taelia…she was murdered? For what reason would someone attack her?" Julius inquired, as Erin noticed something odd with the story.

"Wait a moment, Cella just said that everyone in the house was murdered, but if that's the case, then how are you here? If she really is your mother, then by that logic you should be dead." The white-haired girl pointed out.

"Y-Yeah, that makes sense. E-Eldest, how could I have been murdered that night, yet be standing her right now?" The magenta-haired girl demanded answers, only for Cella to say something that would shock everybody in this room.

"That's because you aren't the child of Keta and Taelia." She admitted, with Aelita stepping back in surprise.

"I-I'm not the child of Keta and Taelia? T-Then who am I? Tell me, TELL ME!" She demanded more answers.

"Don't get confused here, your true home is still Sheridan. There's no question about that. But the truth of the matter is that you have no parents, Aelita. After all, I'm sure Melia and Julius know how Taelia came to be." The elderly woman answered, shooting a glance at the duo.

"Well yeah, when Vivian died, she was reborn as Taelia due to a side effect of the protection spell getting interrupted. She appeared right out of thin air…" Melia trailed off, covering her mouth in shock as she soon realized what the Eldest was getting at.

"N-No way…no fucking way…" Julius whispered to himself, his eyes wide with shock over the implications he was just given.

"Seems that you two have solved the puzzle; Aelita is ailed with a curse I call Vivian's Madness. When Vivian sacrificed herself, she was bound to a life of perpetual reincarnation. When she died, Taelia was born, and when Taelia was killed, Aelita was born." Cella told them, as Aelita began trembling with shock over the revelation she was given. "Keta wasn't your father; in fact, he was your husband while you were still Taelia."

"Hahahahaha…my whole life was a lie then, wasn't it? I was never the person I thought I was. I understand now…Keta was depressed because of me. I was an everyday reminder that he couldn't protect the one he loved." The magenta-haired girl chuckled dejectedly to herself."

"While it is true you caused him grief, it wasn't your fault. He had his own demons he had to attend to as well." The elderly lady called out to her.

"Is this why I wasn't marked down to become the next Sensei of Sheridan? Is this why I lost the position to that wretched Texen?!" Aelita inquired harshly, shooting a glare at the old woman.

"That's correct. As long as you have this curse on you, the man in the hood might come back to seal the deal once and for all. We did this to protect you, to hide you from whoever that man was. Because he came back multiple times, looking to finally end your life once and for all." Cella defended herself, only for a low growl to escape Aelita's mouth as she stormed out of the room. "Aelita! Quickly, we need to stop her from leaving the grounds!"

"M-Maybe she needs some time to herself. She did get a whole lot thrown at her." Melia suggested.

"Not Aelita, she needs to be watched, remember?" Erin rebutted her, turning to face the Eldest. "I thought we agreed to not push her like that. Do you not remember what happened the last time she was pushed this way?"

"Oh, I remember, I remember that clearly. But to break the curse, it must be destroyed. I'm bringing it out of her on purpose. Erin, go watch Aelita. Julius, hand me Souta's cane." Cella told them.

"As you wish." Julius agreed, handing his elder the tall staff as Erin promptly exited the room. "So what do we do now?"

"I want you and Melia to meet me outside. Things aren't going to go well, so you better be prepared for anything." The Eldest informed them, exiting the room as the duo were left to themselves.

"This is it, Julius, we're so close to saving Aelita. If anything goes wrong, I'll use my power to help you. This time…we're the ones in control of the situation." Melia promised.

"Let's just hope everything goes alright." The young teen said, the duo squeezing each other's hands gently for support before making their way out of the room. Upon arriving outside, they saw Erin keeping her distance from Aelita, a vivid red aura enveloping the magenta-haired girl as she was consumed by rage.

"This is what she looked like on the day Souta broke the chains around her heart. Looks like she isn't taking the news to lightly, huh?" The white-haired girl commented, with Julius staring at the enraged girl intently. This anger…he had never seen or felt it before, no wait, he had. This must've been the anger that consumed him during the confrontation with Angie, the one that terrified Melia and Venam that day. Was this intense rage caused by some Garufan curse? Considering that Anju had dabbled in it back then, it would make sense that Angie was knowledgeable about it as well. Could the Dimensional Rifts have been born from a Garufan spell long ago?

"So, what's the plan then?" The blonde asked Erin and Cella.

"The plan is to open up her heart while she's vulnerable in this form. First, I'll have to combine my power with Souta's…" The elderly woman began, raising both staves in the air as they soon merged into one. "Souta…let's finally end this."

The three teens opted to step aside, granting Cella sufficient room to approach Aelita as the magenta-haired girl glared at the elderly woman. "You kept that information from me my entire life…my entire life was a lie because of you." She growled viciously.

"Your life, a lie? No, but you were placed in a false setting. One that I have made true through my love." Cella attempted to reason with her.

"No, you did it to enslave me. To keep me from destroying everything." Aelita hissed back.

"Believe what you want, but that doesn't change reality." The Eldest continued.

"Argh, I'll kill all of you!" She growled, lunging at the elderly lady only to get immobilize in midair by a mysterious power. "Wh-What are you doing to me? Release me this instant!"

"Aelita, you've always been stubborn as a rock, but this time you will listen. This time I shall not fail!" Cella shot back, channeling her power as the magenta-haired girl was promptly shattered into thousands of tiny pieces. "Now reform!"

As suddenly as she was shattered, Aelita was slowly being rebuilt, only to transform into what looked like a pitch-black hole with what appeared to be a pair of wings on its edges, the three teenagers stepping back in surprise. "What the hell is that?!" Erin exclaimed in surprise.

"I don't know…but it looks like a portal of sorts." Melia commented.

"Exactly, this is a portal to Aelita's heart and subconscious. You may also recognize it as a Dimensional Rift." The elderly lady answered.

"Hahaha…I had a hunch I'd have to experience this thing again. Hopefully I can keep my composure this time." Julius stated, eyeing up the portal carefully. "I've seen a few of them in my time here, but none of them looked like that."

"The difference in appearances can be attributed to the fact that Aelita is a human. A Pokémon holds a far greater power than a normal human does, so their Rifts are larger and stronger. But if a human were to ever come across a plague like this, it would take this form." Cella informed the trio

"So what do we do about this?" The blonde inquired.

"We must infiltrate the Dimensional Rift and forcibly extract Aelita from it. However, she won't go with you voluntarily. Do what you must to bring her out of this hell." She explained the plan to her.

"In that case, Julius and I will go in and get her." Melia offered, only for Erin to knock the offer back.

"Not a chance, this is my scene. I'll go in there with Julius while you stay here and use your power to make sure that nothing goes terribly wrong. I've been with Aelita through most of this, I want to be the one to finally set her free." The white-haired girl began.

"She raises a good point. I'll need Melia to stay here and use her power should things get out of control. We must do this quickly, or else it'll be all over for us!" The Eldest added, with Melia about to form a rebuttal in her mind before accepting the plan.

"Alright then." Melia conceded, shooting a glance at the other two. "Julius, Erin. Please, be careful in there."

"We will Melia, and we will save Aelita from this curse!" Julius pledged, as he and Erin promptly stepped into the portal as their world grew black.

 **Aelita's Dimensional Rift**

Upon stepping inside, the duo saw what looked like a child's drawing beneath them, depicting what looked like…a village, Sheridan Village to be precise. "Huh, I wasn't expecting this place to look so peaceful." Erin commented, looking around her surroundings.

"Y-Yeah, but this could be an illusion. W-We must tread carefully…" Julius began, clutching his head in pain as he felt his mind assaulted by the negative emotions inside him. If they didn't save Aelita in time, she wouldn't be the only feral trainer running rampant.

"Since there's a lot of ground to cover, we better make haste and find her quickly. The sooner we can get this done, the sooner I can take a nap." The white-haired girl called out, the duo quickly making their way through the village, only for a mysterious voice to call out to them.

"It's been a long time." It called out, the duo grinding to a halt as they saw Vivian approaching the duo. "Well it has been for me, but I guess I can't say the same for you two."

"I can't say I'm surprised we'd find you here." The young teen chimed in.

"Well of course, this is our burden too. Isn't that right, Taelia?" Vivian replied, as a second purple-haired woman approached the duo, looking so similar to Vivian that they could pass off as twins.

"And how do we know this isn't some sort of trap sent by Aelita's Rift? For all we know, you could lure us into a false sense of security before dealing the finishing blow." Erin eyed the duo suspiciously.

"Unfortunately, we can't prove that we aren't, so you'll just have to trust us." Taelia told them.

"A tall order, but if it means ending this quickly, then I'm willing to trust them." Julius conceded.

"Lovely. As you may have suspected, if you don't act fast, Aelita will disappear forever, with us alongside her." Taelia replied.

"I'm so proud of what Cella accomplished, but this sort of thing is double-edged. While in this state, we remain vulnerable to our own burden's manipulation." Vivian added.

"So in other words, let's stop talking and get going?" The white-haired girl suggested, the duo nodding in confirmation as the group of four made their way upstairs and towards the largest house. With the two purple-haired women standing aside, they gestured at the duo to step inside, which they did. Upon entering the house, they saw Taelia and Keta, or Kenneth as he was called back then, relaxing on the couch, the young woman spotting the duo and approached them.

"Oh, hello! You must be Aelita's friends from school, right? Kenneth sweetheart, will you go fetch Aelita for me?" Taelia called out to him.

"Of course, dear. Would you happened to know where she is? last time I saw her, she said she was going outside to play with you." Kenneth replied, only for the door to burst open as a young Aelita ran into the house.

"Mommy, mommy! I'm home!" The young Aelita cheered, with the purple-haired woman picking her up into a hug.

"Aelita, there you are! Your friends from school are here to visit you!" Her mother replied, with Aelita growing quiet all of a sudden.

"I'm going up to my room…" She replied, making her way up the stairs as the duo watched her enter the room.

"You're more than welcome to join her in her room if you wish." Taelia replied, the duo looking at each other briefly before accepting the offer and walked up the stairs.

"Didn't we just talk to her outside?" Erin asked Julius.

"We did, but given that this is a Dimensional Rift, anything is possible—" The young teen began, only for the room to quake briefly as all color was drained from the area, causing Taelia and Kenneth to devolve into a bitter, rage-filled argument.

"Why did you have to go and ruin everything, huh?! We were the perfect family; everything was meant to be perfect!"

"That wretched child has ruined everything for us! Now look, our guests think we're bad people!"

"Are we too neglectful of the house? Have we said something too rude?!"

"Now look at what you've done! The neighbors are asking for sugar! What are we going to tell them? That we have no sugar?!"

"This is all your fault you know?! If you just let her go, none of this would've happened!"

"How could I let her go?! How?! I want to know how?!"

The argument was so messy, so jumbled up that it was impossible to figure out who was saying what, the two teens stepping back in surprise at the sight. "This is like watching a really, really bad family sitcom. You know, the ones that never seem to end despite the fact they should have ended at least 15 seasons ago?" Erin commented.

"P-Please…let's get a move on. I-I don't want to be around this madness any more…" Julius weakly pleaded, the white-haired girl looking at him oddly before conceding.

"Very well, the sooner we can pop this bubble of hers, the better. It's a favorite pastime of mine." She agreed, the duo leaving the chaotic room and entered Aelita's room, which was full of color thankfully.

"Oh, hello friends! Have you come to play with me?" Aelita asked, gazing at the duo before her.

"Not particularly, there's something we need to talk about." Erin began, taking a seat before her. "Aelita, I'm going to say something that you must listen to carefully. You need to come with us."

"G-Go with you?" The young girl inquired.

"Yes Aelita, it's for your own good." Julius added, taking a seat beside Erin. "You don't remember it now, but you don't belong here. People outside are waiting for you to return."

"But…But I don't want to go. I want to stay here and play." Aelita refused the request.

"You don't have a choice; we're going to get you out of here." The white-haired girl replied firmly.

"No, I don't want to go! I want to stay here with my mom and dad! Everything here is perfect so what don't you just GO?!" The young girl growled, pushing Erin into the back wall as Julius quickly ran to check up on her.

"Erin! Are you alright?!" He checked up on her.

"Yeah…I didn't expect her to hit me that hard." She replied, slowly getting back up on her feet and stared at the now angry child. "Don't make me say it, Aelita. You wouldn't want to hear it. You need to wake up, Aelita. You know more than anyone else here that this world isn't real."

"It is REAL!" Aelita shot back, the color from the room draining once more as the negative emotions flooded the room.

"It isn't real, and I'm not going to baby you like everyone else did in your life! I'm going to drag you out of this dream whether you like it or not!" Erin shot back, with the young child shivering on the spot as she saw several visions, visions of Kenneth and Taelia walking away from her with another child in their hands.

With a mournful wail, Aelita cried out at the top of her lungs, causing the room to quake violently as it soon dissolved into nothingness, the duo crying out in shock as they crash-landed in a mysterious place, the both of them rubbing their aching heads as they got up off the floor.

"Where are we…?" Erin inquired, shooting a glance at Julius who was on the verge of collapsing. "A-Are you alright?!"

"Y-Yeah…w-we're near the end…I-I can feel it." He replied weakly, slowly making his way forward as the white-haired girl shot him an odd glance before opting to follow him. As they walked down the straight line, they heard what sounded like voices calling out to them.

" _Garufan magic requires a price to pay."_

" _Everyone must give something they love, no matter what it is."_

" _Such is the rule of equivalent exchange."_

" _But no one is prepared for the consequences of their desires."_

" _Neither were we…"_

Once the duo reached the center of the room, they were soon confronted by Aelita, twisted and warped by the Dimensional Rift. With a sinister smirk, her entire body began glowing as she took on a new, terrifying form. She now resembled a tall golem made entirely out of stone, with several fist-sized stones orbiting her body as her entire left arm was transformed into what looked like a large rifle, yet her head was the exact same strangely enough.

"Look at you two insignificant worms trying to ruin my paradise. Treading on through a world where you don't belong makes you unwanted. Out there I am weak and fragile, but her I am powerful. Here I am invincible! And you two? You're nothing to me. Just a pair of ants that will fall to my bullets." 'Aelita' sneered, only for Erin to roll her eyes in annoyance.

"I have had enough with your fucking edgy bullshit! Aelita, you are the most stubborn, annoying little bitch I have ever met. But damnit, that's who you are and that's just what you should be! Wallowing in your own self-pity is the one thing that makes you weakest. You think you're all big and tough in this world? On the contrary! I've never met someone so pathetic and helpless! You wanna be strong? You want power? Then get up and change things yourself for once in your damn life! Come on Julius, if she wants to act stupid, then we will as well!" The white-haired girl chewed her out in dramatic fashion.

"Y-Yeah, let's do this!" Julius chimed in, only for 'Aelita' to chuckle at them.

"If that's how you want to play, then so be it. But I shall not fall!" She called out, conjuring up six Golems with her power as she readied herself for battle. Both Erin and Julius selected a Pokéball and threw it, sending out their Absol and Laissure respectively.

The Golems opted to charge at the duo, leaping up into the air so they could crush their foes with their heavy bodies. The Laissure began the counterattack by scurrying underneath a Golem and leapt up into the air, smacking it away with its tails as it was sent flying back and crashed into the ground, disappearing into a cloud of smoke. A second Golem landed on the ground before Absol and was ready to tackle it, only for the Disaster Pokémon to dodge the attack and slash at it, causing the Golem to disappear into another blanket of smoke. While it's back was turned, another Golem saw this opportunity to strike down its foe and rolled towards it, only for the Laissure to kick it away, the Megaton Pokémon crashing into an invisible wall of sorts and disappeared into smoke.

The remaining three Golems let out a low, distorted growl and rolled towards the heroes, with the Absol and Laissure charging at them to intercept the attack. The Absol dodged an incoming attack and slashed a Golem, narrowly avoiding an incoming rockfall from another Golem as it pounced on the hostile Pokémon and slashed at it. Meanwhile, the Laissure had managed to pick up the final Golem with its tails and tossed it near the Corrupted Aelita, causing it to disappear in smoke as the girl scoffed to herself.

"Looks like I have to settle things myself…" 'Aelita' hissed lowly, aiming her rifle at the Pokémon and fired a barrage of sludge at the duo, who narrowly dodged it in time as they briefly glanced at each other. From the look in its eyes, it seemed that the Absol had a plan, but it needed the Laissure to distract their foe long enough for it to work. Agreeing to the idea with a quick chip, the Earthshaker Pokémon sprang into action and attacked the Corrupted Aelita with a series of blows from its tail, while the Absol was busy collecting enough power for it to use its strongest attack. The Laissure continued its barrage of swift attacks and timely dodges, narrowly avoiding any incoming barrage from its foe as she started to grow more annoyed at her enemy's tricks. But around three or so minutes later, 'Aelita' caught a lucky break when she was able to knock the Laissure to the ground, sending it skidding across the floor as she aimed her rifle at it. However, before she could finish it off with a powerful attack, the Absol charged at her, its horn glowing a pitch-black as it lunged at 'Aelita' and slashed at her, causing her to fall onto one knee.

"U-Urgh…" She groaned in pain, her body enveloped with a warm light as she was soon reverted to her normal form and fell onto the ground, with Erin and Julius running up to her as they both recalled their Pokémon.

"Aelita!" Erin called out, only for the lilac-haired girl to disappear from the area as looks of confusion appeared on their faces. "I'll find you, even if it takes me to the ends of the earth."

 **0000**

" _Ugh…where am I? What's happened?" Aelita asked herself, sitting up on the floor and studied her surroundings, only to see Vivian, Taelia and Keta gazing at her, small smiles on their faces._

" _You've been freed, Aelita." Keta reassured her._

" _That's right. Because of Erin and Julius, the curse that ailed us has been broken." Vivian added._

" _This world is beginning to crumble as we speak." Taelia warned her._

" _So this will be the only time we're together again…" Aelita spoke softly, a hint of sadness in her tone as the three adults continued to smile at her._

" _I'm afraid that's just how things are meant to be." Taelia informed her, the young lilac-haired girl looking deeply into her eyes._

" _Mom…I-I mean, Taelia. I've always seen you as my mother. But now I know that's not the case. I don't really have a mother." Aelita replied, sighing lightly to herself._

" _You were born from my death; in one way I am your mother. We are connected through blood and soul. Is their anything more to be said?" The older woman chimed in, causing Aelita to let out a light chuckle._

" _Heh…I guess not. One last thing though, what was her name? Your real daughter, I mean." She inquired._

" _Her name was Nora. A nice name, isn't it?" Keta answered._

" _Yeah, it is." Aelita chimed back._

" _Aelita, there's something I must tell you before we run out of time. Listen closely…" Vivian began, the room glowing brightly and enveloping everyone in it._

 **0000**

"W-We were this close to getting her out of here. I-I just wasn't fast enough, I guess." Erin commented bitterly, blaming herself for their failure.

"I'm also responsible for failing Aelita; had I been in the right state of mind, I could've been a lot faster and more reliable in the grand scheme of things." Julius replied, taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts. "Still, Aelita isn't one for giving up, so I'm sure we'll find her again."

"Heh, you have a point there. This isn't the first time she's run away from me. If this rift still exists, that must mean she's still around here somewhere. Standing around won't do us any good so let's—" The white-haired girl began, only for the duo to get caught up in a wondrous glow as they were warped out of the dimension. A few moments later, they found themselves back before the entrance to Rose Theatre, with Aelita's sleeping body lying on the soft dirt path. "Aelita! I-Is she going to be okay?"

"She's going to be just fine." Cella answered her query, a small smile on her face. "Thanks to Melia's power, we were able to cleanse Aelita of Vivian's Madness."

"It wouldn't have been possible without the efforts of Erin and Julius. I saw an opening the moment Aelita was knocked out and used it." Melia chimed in, with Aelita groaning to herself as she slowly sat up on the dirt path.

"Ugh…man, I have such a bad headache." She winced in pain, holding her aching head.

"Come, let's bring her to a bed. She'll need to regain her strength." The elderly lady called out, the three teens gently picking up her body and made their way to Erin's room.

 **2 hours later**

Both Melia and Julius were waiting outside the room, taking a much-needed break after what they have just been through when they saw Erin exit her room, the white-haired girl letting out a sigh of relief. "She's going to be just fine."

"Oh, thank goodness!" Julius sighed in relief as well.

"Indeed, it's a relief. Does she…you know?" Melia began.

"Remember everything? Yeah, I'd say so. I think she's taking it pretty well. But she's taking a nap right now so no visitors." The white-haired girl told them. "Surely there's something you two can do while she's resting up?"

"I'm sure we'll find something to do. I'd suggest a practice battle, but my Pokémon are all tuckered out from what they've been through." The young teen commented.

"Jokes aside, there's something I wanted to tell you two. There's this box that's been sitting on the ground near the entrance to the theatre. Nobody really talked about it, so I decided to take a look. Lo and behold, it's something for you, Melia." Erin informed them, a puzzled look appearing on Melia's face.

"For me? That's odd…who would send me something?" She inquired.

"I dunno, but it came from someone called the Puppet Master. I have no clue who they are, but Aelita mentioned how she and Julius had a run in with them once. Aelita doesn't think they're particularly malicious, but you should be careful regardless."

"I guess I better take a look at it I guess." Melia replied, making her way to the entrance with Julius and Erin following right behind her. Upon arriving, the trio took a seat beside the box as the blonde eyed it up wearily. "I-I'm afraid to open this, to be honest."

"Don't worry Melia, I too was a little nervous when I received my box. I'll be right beside you just in case anything goes wrong." Julius pledged, the blonde shooting him a smile as she removed the lid from the box and gazed at its contents.

"Books, more books, and would you look at that, even more books!" The blonde commented, eyeing up the contents suspiciously. "Erin, this box is just filled with books. Books on top of books on top of even more books."

"Well, take a look at what they're about." Erin suggested, with Melia looking over the titles as she began to read them.

"This one says 'Strange Phenomenons 101' and 'How to—' I…I won't be reading that title aloud." Melia began, her eyes focusing on another book in particular. "Hmmm? 'Miera region: Origins'?"

"Isn't that the region Kastu told Erin about on Route 4?" The young teen inquired.

"Yeah, it was. What could a book about that region be doing here?" The white-haired girl pondered.

"Wait, these books have weird stickers inside of them. There's a card with a list of names on them." The blonde began, flicking through a few and spotted the strange stickers.

"That's a book from Blakeory Atheneum." Erin exclaimed, the other two shooting an odd glance at her as she got closer to the book in Melia's hands. "Atheneum is just a fancy word for library. It's located in the Scholar District. Look at this, the final name written down on the card."

"R-Rune? You mean to tell me that Rune checked out this book?" Julius inquired.

"Not only this book, but every single book in this box has Rune's name on it." The white-haired girl continued, finding something wedged inside the box. "This must be Rune's library card. Why does the Puppet Master have access to all of Rune's belongings?"

"Furthermore, why send these things to me of all people?" Melia inquired as well.

"When the Puppet Master spoke to me and Aelita back then, they said that each of us would be sent a gift. Under the assumption that this was the gift meant for Aelita, it makes no sense that it would be addressed to Melia. Unless…Aelita's gift wasn't physical at all. Perhaps he had gifted her crucial information about Team Xen, be it their true motives for the reasons they committed so many twisted actions." The young teen chimed in. "However, knowing the Puppet Master, they wouldn't be giving her the answer outright. Perhaps in some sort of twisted fashion, this is their way of giving us a hint."

"In that case, it's only smart to—" Melia began, before the door to the theatre burst open, a familiar figure running up to the trio.

*pant…* "There you are, I finally found you three…" Huey panted, resting his hands on his knees.

"Huey? What are you doing here?" The blonde inquired.

"Lavender's finally been released from the Emergency Room! She still needs to stay in the hospital for a few days, but she's doing well. But she asked me to go get you, Julius, Erin and…Kanon, was it? Speaking of which, where is he anyway?" He inquired.

"I wouldn't worry about it." Erin commented off-handedly.

"Does she want to talk about what happened that night with Venam?" Melia asked cautiously, the young redhead nodding in confirmation.

"Yeah, she said she has information that will be important to you. Information about someone you used to know. She was being vague, but that's all I have." He replied.

"In that case, we must make our way to the Hospital of Hope right now." Julius stated, the group of four promptly leaving the theatre in a hurry and made their way to their next destination.

 **The Hospital of Hope**

"Do you mind telling me why you have a child cooped up all the way down here?" Madelis demanded an answer from Dr. Isha, the duo having a discussion in his secret office.

"She's a special case, I don't see the problem." Isha replied casually.

"The problem is that this isn't a quarantine zone. If she's not infectious, then she doesn't belong all the way down here. Why not put her upstairs like the rest?" The redhead inquired.

"Why do you even care? It's my work and that's all it is. it was very nice speaking to you, Madelis, but you've overstayed your welcome. Cassandra sent you for a quick stitch and that's what you got. So please, leave." He huffed back at her, promptly leaving the office and left the redhead to herself, mulling over what she had just seen back there. The young girl had mentioned that her body housed a special disease that nobody else had, or so she was told by the doctor. But what was most odd was her name, Franchesca; it was the exact same name as…

"Well I guess it's time to make a phone call. A phone call to an old 'friend'." Madelis mused to herself, quietly making her way out of the underground office.

 **0000**

The group of four had finally arrived in Lavender's room, the lavender-haired girl shooting them all a small smile. "Ah, you're all here. Good to see you all again."

"Lavender! I-I'm just so happy that you're doing well!" Huey sniffled, wiping a few small tears from his eyes.

"It's okay, you already shed your tears once. No need to do it again." She smiled at him.

"I hate to break up the happy reunion, but you said you had information for us?" Erin chimed in.

"Yes. We're glad you're alright, but I need to know what happened that night." Melia requested, a hint of desperation in her tone.

"Y-You're right. I didn't call you up here to laugh and catch up…I called you here to fulfill my promise, and to deliver a message. I know who exactly turned Venam into stone, I saw them with my own two eyes. This is what happened that fateful night…" Lavender began to recall her story to the others.

 **That night**

"… _So, let's try this again, Lavender. What are you doing up so goddamn late?!" Venam demanded._

" _Alright, I suppose there's no harm in telling you what I'm doing. You see—" Lavender began, only for a crashing noise to interrupt them._

" _What the hell is that?!" The brown-haired girl exclaimed, the duo turning around and saw that looked like a human cloaked in a malevolent black aura, and it was approaching them slowly._

" _What is that?!" Lavender inquired, the duo stepping back from it._

" _I don't know, but don't let that fucking thing touch you!" Venam called out to her._

" _Target confirmed." The entity spoke, lowering its aura and revealed itself to be a teenage girl that Venam thought looked…familiar somehow._

" _It's a girl…" The lavender-haired girl commented, taking in a deep breath to confront it. "Why did you scare us like that? That wasn't very nice of you."_

" _Your name is Lavender, correct?" The girl spoke._

" _Y-Yeah." She replied, the mysterious girl narrowing her eyes at her._

" _That's all I needed to hear…" The girl replied, using her power to create what looked like four red rods filled with intense energy circling around her._

" _Hey, whoa, whoa, easy! No need to bring out the claws immediately, you know?" Venam attempted to defuse the situation. "How about we just talk about this for a second?"_

" _You two talk far too much as it is. I don't need to hear you." The girl retorted. "I'm doing my job and that's all."_

" _Have…have we met before? Because you look so familiar." The brown-haired girl commented, causing the mysterious girl to raise an eyebrow in response._

" _Huh? I've never seen you before in my life." She replied._

' _I've definitely seen your face before. You were that girl Melia and Julius tried to save, Nim was it? B-But that's impossible…how can you be alive?!" Venam exclaimed, the girl eyeing her up before retracting her rods._

" _Now I remember you. I've only ever seen you with your hair purple." She commented._

" _S-See? We're friends—" The brown-haired girl began._

" _We aren't friends." The girl rebutted._

" _What? Why the hell not?" Venam inquired, the girl eyeing up the duo menacingly._

" _I wonder…have you two ever felt real fear before?" She commented, a slight sneer on her face._

" _Real fear? I…I can't say that I have." Lavender answered._

" _I want to see you experience fear. Yes, that's what I want the most." The girl grinned maliciously, retracting her rods once more. "Better run, playthings. Otherwise the big bad Nim is going to get you, and you don't want that to happen."_

" _R-Run Lavender!" Venam called out, the duo quickly fleeing from the area as Nim opted to give them a five-minute head start. Once the time was up, she immediately began her pursuit of her prey, running all over the city in search of them. The terrified duo ran for what felt like hours, desperately trying to flee and find a hiding place from their tormentor. But no matter where they went, Nim would somehow find them, causing them to start running again. To them it felt like she was…toying with them, relishing in the fear she projected onto them. Eventually, the duo fled into the sewers to evade her, only for Venam to stop for some reason._

" _Wh-What's the *huff* problem? We *huff* can't stop!" Lavender huffed, her breathing ragged and painful._

" _L-Listen to me, Lavender. She's not going to stop chasing us. No matter where we go, she'll be right behind us. I need you to go without me while I buy you some time, o-okay?" Venam told her, the brown-haired girl's voice breaking slightly as a wealth of emotions welled up within her._

" _W-What are you talking about?!" The lavender-haired girl shot back. "I'm not going to leave you behind!"_

" _Goddamnit, I'm not giving you a choice! It's either she catches us, or we die of exhaustion. So you're going whether you like it or not." The brown-haired girl retorted, causing Lavender to pause momentarily before she accepted the grim proposal. "Good. I'm going to need you to go get Melia and Julius. If you can get them, you'll be safe. Tell them…Tell them that Nim did this. Promise me that you'll find them and tell them that. And one…one last thing."_

" _W-What is it?" Lavender inquired, the young girl watching tears fall down Venam's cheeks._

" _I may not get another chance to say this. I want you to tell Melia and Julius this for me…Remember, I love you." Venam requested, choking on her words as tears poured down her cheeks, hoping that the two people she loved the most would be able to hear her confession._

" _I will…I'll tell them!" The lavender-haired girl pledged, with Venam nodding slowly as she watched the young girl quickly run through the sewers._

" _I can't believe I'm doing this. I'm so fucking stupid." Venam commented under her breath, her back to the sewer wall as she mulled over the fate she accepted. "I hope you two aren't too angry with me, Melia, Julius."_

" _Where are you? Oh, where could you be? How long can you run for? I'm getting bored, and that won't be nice." Nim taunted, walking slowly through the sewers, turning around and spotted Venam. "Ah, there you are."_

" _Y-Yeah, that's right. Here I am, you coward! After everything we went through to save you…just why exactly did we bust our ass to save someone who's insane?!" The brown-haired girl shot back at her._

" _You're calling me a coward? Who's the one trembling in fear and stepping away from me?" Nim taunted, approaching closer to Venam as the latter stepped back from her. "The only coward here is you, Venam. How does it feel to not be tough anymore? You always think you're in control when really you have no control. You selfish girl. But being selfish is all you've ever known. Even now, in this selfless act of sacrifice, you do nothing but bitter my tongue with the green taste of greed. You're not a hero, nor a good person."_

 _With a quick flick of her hand, Nim sent Venam flying into the sewer wall, the brown-haired girl groaning in pain as she slowly got back up to her feet. "But that's all the time we have for now! Let's say we wrap up this show?!" Nim taunted._

" _Wh-What?!" Venam exclaimed, her tormentor letting out a twisted chuckle._

" _Did my scary bit scare you? I worked really hard on sounding genuine. You should've seen the look on your face when I went all grim reaper!" She chuckled, hints of the original Nim poking through._

" _Y-You're saying all of this was just a prank?" The brown-haired girl inquired._

" _Hahahahahahahahaha, no. I'm still going to kill you." Nim replied, her four rods planting themselves into the sewer floor, surrounding Venam in a makeshift square. "Well I wouldn't exactly say kill you, more like petrification. You know, I kind of went through the same thing. Don't worry, you won't feel pain. In fact, you won't be feeling much at all. Oh, and for the record…I know you all left me on Valor Mountain to die. So you have no right to say 'after all we've done for you'."_

" _B-But we did try and save you, we all tried our hardest!" Venam retorted._

" _Lies! The only person who cared enough to try and save me was Julius. He came to Valor Mountain all by himself to try and save me, but he failed because his friends failed him. So goodnight, Venam. Have a nice eternity…oh and stop calling me Nim, the name I go by now is Lorna; the girl who is ALONE!"_

 _Though Lavender wasn't there to see everything go down, she could hear and see everything that conspired. She ran as fast as she could, hoping that she would make it out of those sewers alive. And though they seemed to have no end she eventually made her way back outside, where she promptly collapsed from exhaustion and laid still. As the young girl laid there, helpless to do anything, Lorna walked by her and shot her a small sneer._

" _Heh, truthfully, you were supposed to be the next one on my list. But certain circumstances came up that shifted my point of view. Thus, I will spare you the dread of being turned to stone, for now at least. But I want you to relay a message to a very special someone, you may know her as Melia. Tell her that I'm looking for her, and when I find her, I will kill her myself. Do you understand me? Team Xen won't get her, because I will. Oh, and a piece of advice? Don't hang around these people, things like this happen when you do. Goodbye, Lavender. This won't be the last time we see each other." Lorna told her, walking off into the city as the young girl soon closed her eyes and drifted off._

 **0000**

The room became deathly silent upon the story's conclusion, a horrified look on Melia's face as she collapsed into Julius' shoulder and began sobbing, the young teen embracing her as tears also streamed down his cheek. The person that they both held dear to their heart, the one they both loved with all their hearts passed on her confession to them as a parting gift of sorts.

"Is that all?" Erin inquired, with the young girl nodding in confirmation.

"Yes…I believe so." Lavender replied.

"O-Okay then…s-see you later, Lavender. I-I wish you a speedy recovery." Melia replied weakly, quickly making her way out of the room.

"W-Wait, where are you going?" Huey inquired.

"I-I'm going back to the Rose Theatre to check on Aelita. Y-You want to come with me, Julius?" The blonde answered, shooting a look at the young teen.

"Y-Yeah…I would like that." Julius replied, making his way to her side.

"W-Wait a minute. Don't take this the wrong way, but this isn't exactly the way I expected you to react. Are you not afraid of her? I thought you were guilty about this girls' death?" Erin inquired.

"Oh, I was definitely guilty, but that feeling's sort of gone now. But why should I react differently? I felt guilty about Nim's death for months. I wasn't able to sleep or think clearly because I thought everything was my fault. Little did I know that she was alive and well. Oh, and also? She's trying to kill me." The blonde replied.

"Not to mention the fact that she was the one who petrified Venam. I don't care what her reasoning was, that's completely unforgivable!" Julius chimed in firmly.

"Exactly. Lavender, if you ever see Nim, Lorna, or whatever they're called at this point, tell them to wait in line, because several other people are in queue for my capture. In fact, let her find me herself. I'll deal with her like I deal with any enemy." Melia requested, turning to face the door. "I'm done going out of my way to protect everyone, it just can't happen. The only people that matter to me anymore are my friends. Come, Julius."

Nodding in confirmation, the young teen followed the blonde out of the room, a lot going through their minds as the other three watched them leave.

"Don't worry, those two will be fine. She's just going through her edgy phase." Erin reassured the other two.

"I don't know…she looked pretty serious about what she said." Huey replied a little warily.

"Oh, no doubt, her ideology has probably changed considerably. But she'll perk up eventually." The white-haired girl replied, the door opening as they saw Dr. Isha approaching Lavender's bed.

"My sincerest apologies, I didn't realize you had visitors, Lavender. Unfortunately, visiting hours are now officially over. Everyone must leave." Isha informed the trio.

"I'll come visit soon!" Huey promised.

"I'll be waiting!" Lavender smiled at him, watching the trio exit the room, leaving her alone with the doctor. "So Doc, how are things looking?"

"You only suffered a minor asthma attack. We're just going to make sure everything with you is fine." He replied, making his way to the laptop and typed away on the keyboard.

"Good, I can't wait to be released." She sighed in relief, watching Isha gaze intently at the laptop. "By the way, will you know when that'll be?"

"When what will be?" Isha commented, making his way off the laptop and exited the room, leaving the young girl's question unanswered.

 **Rose Theatre**

"I've decided on what I'm going to do next." Melia informed Julius and Erin, the duo eyeing her up in curiosity. "Erin said those books are from the Blakeory Athenium, right? What if the Puppet Master wants me to go there next?"

"Sounds plausible. Maybe we can find some answers to the questions that have plagued us since the very beginning." Julius agreed with the idea.

"I figured you'd be interested; for example, I want to know more about this Miera region I keep hearing about. For some reason, I believe that learning more about the Miera region will shed some light on some things. What exactly those things are? Well I guess that's what I'll be going there to figure out." The blonde continued, the door to the theatre opening as a familiar figure stepped outside.

"Rise and shine, everyone!" Aelita called out, looking exactly like she did before this whole saga with her curse happened.

"Aelita! How are you doing?" Erin inquired.

"I'm doing quite fine now, Erin. Thank you." The lilac-haired girl smiled back, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "I uh…I wanted to apologize for how I acted while I was under that curse. If I said anything rude, please forgive me. I wasn't in the right mind."

"That's perfectly fine Aelita, I'm just glad that the real you is back with us." Julius smiled at her.

"Yeah, I wouldn't worry about it. that wasn't you talking." Erin began, looking into her eyes. "But if you say anything rude again, I'll know that it's really you talking. And in that case, I won't feel bad about slapping the shit out of you."

"I'll take your word for it!" Aelita chuckled lightly. "I also wanted to thank you all for what you've done to help me out of this. Without you all, I don't think I could've been cured at all. And I know that I was only just cured, but I think I'll be taking my leave."

"Y-You're leaving? But why?" Melia inquired.

"Vivian was blessed with the power to feel and hear the Earth. But when she sacrificed herself, her abilities became dormant along with a new power. Vivian told me that I have access to her powers, but I must awaken them."

"Well I'm sure Melia and I would be able to help with that." Julius chimed in, the blonde lightly slugging him on the shoulder as she barely contained a giggle.

"So how exactly do you plan to do that, become a nomad and find yourself?" Erin asked her.

"Ahahahaha…no, but I must travel and find the three springs of life and use their water to purify my body and soul." The lilac-haired girl answered.

"The three springs of life? I can't say I've heard of them." Melia commented.

"They're springs that belong to the Protectors of Aevium. One of those springs, the Spring of Purification is in Sheridan. That's the place that was located behind Vivian's house." Aelita explained to her.

"And the other two?" The blonde pressed further.

"The Spring of Persevation and the Spring of Rejuvenation? I have no idea where the latter is truth be told, but I have heard there's a huge spring-like area in the Evergreen Forest, so I think that's where I'm going to head next." She answered.

"Will Cella be going with you?" Erin asked.

"No, this is something I have to do on my own. From the moment I left Sheridan with Julius, I've always relied on others to help me do everything. But if I truly want to awaken as a new person, I'll have to do it alone. And if I want to keep fighting Team Xen, I'm going to have to get stronger. Thus, I'll also be leaving all of my Pokémon behind as well. E-Except my Hawlucha, of course." Aelita explained her motivations for going on her quest.

"So…this is goodbye, then?" Melia began, a hint of sadness in her tone.

"Yep, for now at least. Goodbye everyone! I promise that I'll be even stronger the next time we meet!" She bid her goodbyes, waving to the trio before her.

"Goodbye Aelita, good luck on your journey!" Julius wished her well, the lilac-haired girl shooting a smile at her friends before making her way down the dirt path, the trio heading back to the theatre to make preparations for the next day.

 **That night**

Julius was unable to get some sleep, his mind full of various thoughts, both sad and good. While he was relieved to see Aelita free from her curse and taking the first steps to awakening the new power within her, he was also distraught over the situation with Venam, her last request to Lavender still stuck in his mind. She knew that it wasn't going to end well for her, so she requested that Lavender pass on her confession of love to the two that meant the most to her, Melia and himself. Figuring that a bit of fresh air might do him some good, he made his way towards the cliffside behind the theatre, only to see Melia standing beside it as well.

"Couldn't get some sleep, Julius?" Melia asked him, the young teen nodding as he approached her.

"Yeah, I wasn't able to get some sleep. My mind is all over the place." He admitted. "So, what have you been thinking about?"

"I was thinking about what Madame X said to me before, how Venam was beside my side when my power was awakened. How she was there to pick me up when I needed her the most. It's kind of amusing you know; Madame X acts like she understands everything and everyone…but that mask she wears blinds her from things that are as clear as day." The blonde began, turning to gaze at the full moon in the sky. "I now know what I'm fighting for…I'm fighting for a better tomorrow. Team Xen wants the power I have inside me so they can use it to bring back Storm-9. That, I'm sure of. But even if that's something that threatens the very existence of each and every being on this earth, I can't help but feel like I'm mostly just fighting, for the ones I love."

"I know how you feel; I spent most of my life fighting for answers, fighting to defend the ones I love and fighting for…revenge. Sometimes I grow tired of it, but I know I can't back down, or else it would've been all for nothing." The young teen commented, looking up at the moon as well.

"Even if everything isn't set in stone, there's something that I know. One day, it is destined for Madame X and I to fight, and I will win." Melia began, a look of determination in her eyes. "Venam, I will save you from your fate. I will bring you back to me, my love…"

"We'll bring her back together, Melia. I'll offer you my unyielding support to save the one that you love…the one that I love." Julius pledged, offering his hand to her. The blonde shot him a smile and held his hand firmly, the two lovers gazing at the moon as they made a vow to themselves. No matter what adversary they might come across, they will save their lover from her fate.

 **And that's this chapter wrapped up nice and neatly, with Melia and Julius promising to save Venam together. I didn't expect this chapter to be long, and I apologize for it, but what a way to end my second favorite episode in the game! These last couple chapters were fairly tricky to write, but I'll do anything to please Melia and Venam. Keep in mind, my memory regarding the events of Conflicting Ren-union is a little hazy, so I apologize if the upcoming chapters seem a little disjointed. Thank you all so much for reading and supporting my story, I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	48. Chapter 48

**Yagami Kuzuki: Ah, I see. Thanks for clearing that up for me.**

 **Levi759: I will be able to add in some of the more important sidequests to the story. However, due to the flow of the story at the moment, it may take a while before I can begin covering the sidequests.**

 **Welcome back everyone; today marks the beginning of Conflicting Ren-union, the 13** **th** **episode of Rejuvenation! Note that the upcoming chapters will be shorter than the last two, but I still hope I can satisfy you with my hard work.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Route 9: Entrance to the Scholar District**

Julius was making his way down the quiet dirt path, a cool breeze blowing through the area as he was mulling over something. Erin had already gotten up and left the theatre by the time he woke up, and Melia was still getting ready from what she told him, so the young teen figured he'd wait for her at the entrance. Soon enough, he saw the white-haired girl casually waiting by the door, glancing briefly at him.

"The doors are all up and running, meaning we can now enter the Scholar District. Furthermore, this also enables us to get back onto Route 9 without paying for a train." Erin informed him, the young teen resting beside a tree. "It's been a while since I was here last, so I hope things are still the same."

"Ah, so you've been to the Athenium before? Any fond memories of the place?" Julius inquired.

"Well…I'd rather keep them to myself for now." The white-haired girl admitted, her friend raising an eyebrow in intrigue but opted to drop the subject for now. "By the way, where's Melia? I figured she'd be coming with you."

"She was getting ready when I left. I told her that we'll be waiting outside the district for her." The young teen informed her, a small sigh of annoyance escaping from Erin's mouth.

"She was the one who came up with the plan to investigate the Atheneum in the first place, why is she taking her time to get ready?" She inquired, only for a familiar voice to call out to them, waving at them as she made her way to the duo.

"S-Sorry I'm late! I was just putting on my new outfit…" Melia apologized, standing up straight as she did a quick twirl, her long blonde hair tied up into a ponytail. Her new outfit consisted of a black pinafore pleated skirt with a white button up shirt underneath whose sleeves reached just above her elbows. She also wore a pair of black stockings that were topped off with a pair of black loafers. "So…how do I look?"

"Absolutely beautiful, my lady." Julius complimented her, taking her hand and kissing it gently as the blonde giggled lightly to herself.

"Thank you. But now that pleasantries are out of the way, it's time for me to report for duty!" She smiled at him, taking a step back as she soon struck a dramatic pose, with Erin shooting a deadpan look at her. "What? I've been wanting to say that for quite some time now."

"So now that you're here, we can finally make our way to the Athenaeum." The white-haired girl chimed in.

"Yep! And once we're inside, we'll be able to find all the answers to our questions!" Melia cheered adamantly.

"You're awfully cheery today, it's kind of disgusting to be honest." Erin replied a little bluntly.

"No need to be so dour. If Melia says we can find all the answers we need, then I believe her. Besides, after what she's been through recently, she needs some cheeriness in her life." Julius supported the blonde, a question soon forming in his mind. "By the way, where is the Athenium?"

"It's fairly easy to find once you're inside the district; it's on the Eastern side of the main road, a few blocks away from the entrance." The white-haired girl answered.

"Awesome! Let's get a move on then!" The blonde called out, the trio making their way through the district entrance, past the toll gates and into the district. As one might expect from a place dubbed the Scholar District, the place had an air of peace and tranquillity in it. Rather than the fervent trainer battles of the other district, civilians partook in intellectual challenges and debates over issues such as the Badlands situation, how to deal with Bladestar and even the best pizza toppings. "Oh my, this place is rather lovely."

"It looks the same as I remember it to be, which is nice I suppose." Erin chimed in, her gaze locked onto the Athenaeum. "Well there it is, I'll see you two in there."

"I can safely say that my time here will be pleasant. It'll be a breath of fresh air from the constant battling I've done in the last few days." Julius commented, watching Erin make her way to her destination as he soon turned to see Melia taking in a few deep breaths. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah…I'm just being cautious and all, taking things one step at a time. I may act all bold and confident, but I also can't help being a little nervous. This is a new chapter of my life, and I don't want to mess things up like I did back then." She admitted, with the young teen resting his hand on her shoulder.

"That's incredibly brave of you, to admit your shortcomings and seek to surpass them. While I am fully confident that you will succeed, I'll be more than happy to help you out in case you need it." He offered, the blonde giving him a nod of gratitude as the duo made their way towards the Athenaeum. Upon entering the building, they were amazed at the vast majesty of the interior, with dozens of shelves filled with a wide variety of books covering a range of different topics. There were books there that were exclusive to the Athenaeum, as well as books that only had a few existing copies in the entire world.

"As you two might've expected, you'll get kicked out of this place if you're too loud. So keep it down, will you?" Erin spoke quietly to them.

"Y-Yeah, got it." Melia replied, the trio quietly making their way through the library as they searched for an empty table to take a seat at. However, the white-haired girl soon nudged at the duo, pointing towards a small table in the corner that was unoccupied. "I see…we'll meet you there, I wish to talk to the librarian for a moment."

"Suit yourself." Erin replied, quietly making her way to the table as the duo soon approached the front desk.

"Welcome to the Blakeory Atheneum, how can I help you two today?" The librarian replied quietly, but cheerily.

"I-I was just wondering if there was, by chance, a Gym here." The blonde inquired.

"That's correct, but if you want to challenge the leader, you'll have to wait. Lavender's currently at the Hospital of Hope." She replied, catching Melia off-guard.

"W-Wait, Lavender's the Gym Leader of the Blakeory Atheneum?" Melia inquired, with the librarian nodding in confirmation as a hint of sadness soon overcame the blonde. "I see…well, thank you anyway."

"Always happy to help out!" She smiled at the duo, watching them make their way to where Erin was sitting.

"I think I know why you asked her that question; this was where your gym was going to be, am I right?" Julius asked her.

"Y-Yeah, it was…I'm surprised you still remember that; I told it to you a long, long time ago." Melia answered back.

"Well how could I forget that day? It was where we become lifelong friends." The young teen shot her a smile.

"Indeed, but I still can't help but wonder what life would've been like had that day gone differently…" She mused to herself, briefly glancing out a window that overlooked the crystal-clear pond within the district. Soon enough, the duo made their way to the table where Erin was seated and took a seat beside her. "So, did you read that book about the Miera Region last night? Julius and I needed some fresh air, so we didn't get a chance to read it ourselves."

"As a matter of fact, I did. There was plenty of interesting stuff in that book. In fact, it's so interesting that at times I thought it was a work of fiction. But as the old saying goes, the truth is always stranger than fiction." Erin told them, briefly looking around to see if anybody was eavesdropping on them before opting to continue. "For starters, the Miera Region was a place that existed long before Aevium; the region itself is located nine hours west of here. But the thing is…the Miera Region has been completely abandoned."

"Abandoned? What for?" Julius inquired.

"I'm sure you'll love this Julius; the citizens of the region had to flee because of a nuclear meltdown at the Miera Nuclear Plant. Sound familiar?" The white-haired girl cracked a small smirk at him.

"Yes…frighteningly familiar. In fact, I remember you saying something like this back when we were in the past. Like I said before, I firmly believe the two incidents are not related." The young teen replied.

"Indeed, you did give us your opinion on the matter. And after digging through a bit more, I'm inclined to agree with you. In fact, this is where things get interesting; the first citizens of Aevium were the ones who initially fled Miera, just like Katsu said to me. When the Miera Nuclear Plant went under, the entire region fled east and ended up on uncharted shores." Erin continued.

"Which was when Aevium was discovered." Melia chimed in.

"Correct, but that's not all I learnt. There were three things that stuck out to me while reading; the incident at the plant was caused by ten individuals who all died at the site. Eight of them were rendered unidentifiable, but the ninth and tenth one was able to be identified. The ninth one was a woman named Freya, a member of the International Police and the reason the plant went under. Asides from those two facts, there was virtually nothing I could find about her." The white-haired girl explained, as the blonde began thinking to herself.

"I see…and this tenth individual?" Melia asked.

"I'll get to that later. Now, the second thing is a little more relevant to us; Miera wasn't free of mass crime, just like Aevium. There was an evil team running around and causing havoc, but that's not what sticks out to me. What stuck to me was their name; Team Xen." Erin continued, catching the duo off-guard.

"T-Team Xen?! A-Are they the very same one we're fighting against?!" Julius exclaimed in surprise, only for someone to hush him from the other side of the room. "S-Sorry…"

"Most likely, they existed more than fifty years ago. But unlike the Team Xen we know, there was no Madame X calling the shots. The one running Team Xen back then was a man named Lord Xenadin, hence the name Team Xen. Coincidentally, Lord Xenadin was the tenth victim of the meltdown at the nuclear plant." The white-haired girl answered his question.

"But that doesn't make sense. If Lord Xenadin died that day, then the Team Xen we're fighting against isn't the same one that plagued Miera back then." Melia argued. "This means that the Team Xen we're fighting has been the organisations second iteration!"

"That's not even the best part. The third and final thing that stuck out to me was that the plant was owned by none other than the Blakeory family. Which can only mean one thing; they were involved in all of this, even back then. Somehow." Erin told them, with the duo taking the time to connect the pieces in their head.

"Everything is connected; the Blakeory's and Team Xen. What exactly is their true relation?" Melia pondered to herself.

"I can't say with 100% certainty, but if I were to take an educated guess, the two groups have an…under-the-table alliance of sorts. The Blakeory's provide Team Xen with technology and resources, and the latter helped boosted the family to become the powerhouse they are today." Julius proposed. "Of course, my theory could be completely wrong, but that's part of the investigation."

"At the very least, it does give Katsu's words some context; she did tell me that she wished to restore the Miera Region so the people of Aevium can go back there. But I can't say for sure if the rest is accurate, there just isn't enough data available." The white-haired girl chimed in.

"In that case, we should start looking around. I'm sure we'll find the answer somewhere." The blonde chimed in, shooting a quick glance at Erin. "You seem to know a lot more about this place than Julius and I. So just lead the way and we'll do our best."

"In that case, I'll need you to talk to the librarian and find out when Rune took this book out." She told her.

"Leave it to me, I'll do my best!" Melia pledged, a smile on her face as she made her way towards the front desk once more.

"She's so amazing…" Julius sighed in awe at her confidence.

"Right. As for you Julius, I need you to find out where Rune got some of these books. They looked really fancy, so perhaps she might've gotten them off one of the pedestals near the staircase leading to the next floor." Erin ordered, the young teen giving her a firm nod as he made his way off the table and towards the stairs, where the pedestals would be standing. As he got there, he noticed that a man was quietly gazing at them, with Julius calling out to him to ask a question.

"Hmph, who would possibly find it appropriate to bother me?" A haughty voice shot back, the man turning around and let out a quiet sigh. "Of course, it would be you…"

"Thomas Blakeory, I presume?" Julius inquired.

"Well I'm glad you haven't forgotten my name, but I must say, I'm impressed. I didn't think you were the intellectual type." Thomas replied.

"Well I didn't get all my victories by brute strength alone. Clever thinking and strategizing earned me my most notable achievements." The young teen commented.

"I see…in that case, I think I may have misjudged you back then." The older man mused to himself, only for a familiar redhead to come running up to the young teen.

"Heya, Julius! Fancy meeting you here!" Huey cheered, the duo giving each other a firm handshake. "So what are you up to, today?"

"I came here with Erin and Melia to do some digging on what may have happened to Rune, given how we were gifted some library books she checked out before her disappearance." Julius answered.

"Funny you say that, Erin wanted me to meet her here in this library. Do you know where she is?" The redhead inquired, only for Thomas to glance at him as a look of disgust overcame him.

"Eugh…and why on earth would this Erin want anything to do with a poor orphan boy like you?" The older man scoffed, flicking his hand at him. "Run along, orphan boy. There's nothing for you at an esteemed institution like this."

"What did you just say?!" Huey hissed, attracting the attention of several other people in the library, intrigued at what was going down.

"You heard me, peasant. Don't play dumb. By the way, where's that putrid wench that accompanies you? The one that defiled my face; you remember, don't you?" Thomas shot back at the young kid.

"Now, now. Let's not get into an argument here. Let's just break it up nice and—" Julius attempted to diffuse the situation, but to no avail.

"Hah, like I could ever forget that. And by the looks of it, your face won't either." The redhead shot back.

"Are you implying that there's a mark? Because that's impossible. I hired elite makeup artists to cover that foul bruise she left. Any evidence of her crime against me are no longer visible." The older man shot back. "By the way, I heard Lavender was in the hospital. Serves her right if you ask me; you know what they say about karma, yes?"

"Don't you dare talk about her that way…" Huey threatened.

"Or else what?" Thomas laughed in contempt. Letting out an enraged cry, the young kid lunged at the older man and began punching him in the face, leaving the man with a broken, bleeding nose, a black eye and a busted lip. "H-How dare you! Security! Security!"

On cue, a pair of guards made their way to the scene and pulled Huey away from the older man, dragging him out of the building as Julius followed behind, a smug grin plastered on Thomas' face. Upon exiting the Athenaeum, the guards let go of Huey as he eyed up the duo.

"A-Are you going to arrest me then?" The redhead asked.

"No, but you're not allowed back in for the rest of the day." One of the guards informed him, the duo making their way back inside as Julius eyed up the young kid.

"Normally, I'd scold you for acting so hastily. But given what an arrogant prat that man was, I'll ignore it this time. To have such a high opinion of yourself when you've accomplished nothing is very contemptible in my eyes." He replied.

"Thanks mate…I'm glad I was the only one who got in trouble. I'd feel really bad if you got in trouble as well." Huey replied, the doors opening quickly as Erin confronted the duo.

"What the hell just happened, Julius?!" She demanded an answer.

"Long story short, Huey got into a scuffle with Thomas Blakeory and was kicked out for the day. I didn't do anything at all, I swear." The young teen explained what had happened.

"S-Sorry Erin. I know you wanted to see me, but I blew it." Huey apologized to her.

"It's fine, I suppose." The white-haired girl replied, turning to face Julius. "Anyway, I don't really have much for you to do asides from what I told you to do. As a matter of fact, Melia and I can handle it ourselves. You and Huey can do…whatever it is you two get up to."

"In that case, I suppose I can train up for that tournament. It's not like I have much of a choice in the matter." Julius suggested. "By the way, tell Melia that I wish her the best of luck in her endeavours."

"I'll make sure to pass it on." Erin replied, making her way back inside, leaving the two boys to themselves.

"So…what do you want to do, Julius?" Huey inquired. "I would have suggested that we pay Lavender a visit, but the Hospital isn't accepting any visitors at the moment."

"Well do you have any ideas? Because this'll prove to be a solid opportunity for the two of us to get to know each other better." Julius replied, with the redhead mulling over potential ideas before one came to mind.

"How about the park? It's to the south of here." He suggested, with the young teen giving him a nod of acceptance as the duo made the short trek south of the library and wound up in the previously mentioned park. It was a decent-sized park, with a couple of cherry blossoms taken from Route 2, several benches for people to read their books outside, and even a small pond that was connected to the lake within the district.

"So, why did Erin want to see you anyway? I don't recall her mentioning your arrival this morning." The young teen inquired, the duo taking a seat on an unoccupied bench.

"She called me to the library because she found some things that Rune owned. So I ran over here as soon as I could and well, you saw what happened back there…" Huey answered, trailing off slightly at the end. "I-I'm sorry that I lost my cool in front of Thomas Blakeory; I can't stand that pompous braggart!"

"It's alright. Truth be told, my experiences with the various members of the Blakeory family haven't been that pleasant. Well except for Saki, she's amazing." Julius chimed in, briefly looking around the park. "So, does this place hold any special meaning for you?"

"Yeah, Rune used to bring me here when I was younger. She's been gone for so long now, and there's been no breakthroughs…I'm trying to stay optimistic, but it's becoming harder and harder as time goes on." The redhead explained, sighing sadly to himself as he slumped over the table. "Rune…I hope you're doing okay."

"Don't worry, Huey. I'm sure she'll come back soon enough; you just can't give up yet." The young teen reassured him, resting his hand on the young kid's shoulder to ease his spirits.

"Man, you sure slugged that guy!" A familiar voice called out to the duo, with Julius turning his head to see Reina approaching them. "Heya, Julius! It's me, Reina!"

"Hey, it's been a while since we last met. How's it going?" Julius inquired in a friendly manner.

"It's been going great, still no signs of Ren but I haven't given up yet. Still, I'd like to thank you again for getting me out of that sticky situation in Valor Mountain." Reina chimed back happily. "By the way, I heard what happened to Venam via the news. My sincerest condolences to you and Melia."

"Thank you…" The young teen replied quietly, looking to the side and saw that Huey was a little confused at the sight of the raven-haired girl. "Ah, where are my manners? Reina, this is Huey. Huey, this is Reina."

"It's nice to meet you." Huey greeted her.

"Same, it's nice to meet you as well!" The raven-haired girl replied, eyeing off an empty seat. "You two mind if I join you? I don't have anything else to do."

"By all means; we haven't got much to do either. So join the club!" The redhead chimed in, gesturing the young girl to take a seat.

"Woohoo! This is gonna be awesome!" Reina cheered, taking a seat as the trio spent the next hour or so shooting the breeze with one another.

 **Bladestar Headquarters: ?**

Flora had just finished adjusting her suit as she quietly gazed at a stack of documents on the desk in her private office. She had recently ordered her chief accomplice, Dr. Jenkel to locate her other key member, but was quickly growing tired of waiting. Just then, a Bladestar grunt approached the desk and called out to her.

"Ma'am?" The grunt called out, attracting the green-haired woman's attention.

"Yes, what is it?" Flora inquired, hoping that the grunt doesn't take up too much of her time.

"Everything has been set up for later this week, Ma'am. All the preparations have been set, so all we need to do now is wait for the event to actually happen." The grunt reported.

"I see…in that case, I'm going to have to notify all the grunts of our plans. We all must be completely on the same page, or failure is assured. On another note, where is he?" The bespectacled woman inquired.

"M-My apologies, but mind saying that again? I was lost in thought momentarily." The grunt requested, with Flora uttering a sigh of annoyance.

"Where is the Doctor?" She demanded.

"Ah yes, he's waiting outside right now. And he has a guest with him. Shall I let them in?" The grunt inquired.

"Let them in, we have things we need to discuss." Flora ordered, with the grunt bowing in respect as she soon left the office. A few seconds later, the door opened once more as Doctor Jenkel walked up to the desk alongside…Professor Larkspur?!

"I-I'm here Flora. Sorry for the delay, but Mr. Larkspur proved to be a lot harder to track down than expected." Jenkel apologized for his tardiness.

"Pulling my death off was a lot harder than you'd think. Team Xen aren't completely incompetent; they mark their grunts with some sort of symbol. And if they detect a grunt trying to leave the organisation…well it won't end nicely for them. Regardless, I'm sure you received my report on their findings, Flora?" Larkspur chimed in.

"Yes, I have received your report. No doubt it'll be most beneficial to Bladestar's cause. But I would still like a satisfactory answer on why you two were late." The green-haired woman demanded, with Dr. Jenkel shuffling his feet awkwardly.

"S-Sorry, my lady. I was just staring at a tree! You must forgive me!" The purple-haired doctor pleaded, causing Flora to roll her eyes in annoyance.

"Why must I be surrounded by braindead idiots…?" She muttered under her breath. "Whatever; Jenkel, Larkspur, it seems our preparations are complete. We're going to continue with Project Supernova."

"So soon? Not that I'm criticising your decision, but is pulling it off so soon really the best idea?" Larkspur inquired.

"Y-Yeah. I mean what happens if we fail? It'll be a complete disaster and I'll get thrown in jail without any pudding!" Jenkel exclaimed.

"But we won't fail; this is our only opportunity to catch Cassandra and all those other stupid politicians in one fell swoop!" Flora defended her decision, her message as clear as day to the other two.

"I see….I will….continue….." The purple-haired doctor began.

"Yes, yes, that's all I want from you for now. Continue to do whatever you like. But don't go too far off. I'm going to need you to be here when it happens." The green-haired woman told him.

"Understood! I will see you later!" Jenkel chimed back, quickly making his way out of the office as Larkspur quietly gazed at the documents on her desk.

"Flora, is there any notable risks we should be weary of in this operation?" He inquired.

"Well there is one potential threat, but I have yet to fully gage their capabilities." Flora began, quietly taking a seat at her desk. "It's that kid you've met before, Julius, I believe."

"Ah yes, how could I ever forget that brat?! It was thanks to him that I spent over a year on the run, fleeing from the debt I owed Team Rocket. Thankfully, that other trainer wiped them out before they could catch me, though the mental anguish is still imprinted on my mind." The older man hissed lowly under his breath. "D-Does he know that you're in charge of Bladestar?"

"Possibly, but if he does, then he's remained silent about it for some reason. Perhaps it's part of some 4D chess match he's playing with me, or he doesn't care about what we're doing so long as it doesn't affect his friends." The bespectacled woman mused to herself, before brushing it aside. "Eh, it won't matter in the end. He poses no threat to me, especially since I still have my ace up my sleeve."

"Ah yes, _that…_ " Larkspur began. "Has my data proved useful in its development?"

"I already completed a majority of it on my own, but your data did help me out in a few areas. That aside, I'll tell you what I told Jenkel; you're free to do whatever you want, so long as you don't go too far off." Flora told him, the older man bowing in respect as he exited the office, leaving the woman to plan out her next move alone.

 **0000**

"…and then Ren pissed the bed for around a week! The poor guy became a piss baby, all because of some stupid Murkrow!" Reina chuckled, with Huey joining in as Julius barely resisted the urge to break out in laughter. After all, he knew too well about getting frightened over cheesy horror films.

"I can't blame him, that movie was really scary!" Huey chimed in, wiping a small tear of joy from his eyes.

"Nu-uh, it totally wasn't! That stuff is easy to get through! If you just realize—" Reina began to argue, only for someone else to call out to Julius. Turning to the side, the young teen saw Kanon eagerly running up to him.

"Whew, it took a while, but I was finally able to find you!" Kanon greeted, with Julius noticing that the white-haired boy had…grown in height a bit. Was this a result of that journey he took with Krystal?

"Good to see you again, Kanon. What brings you here, today?" Julius greeted back.

"I know this sounds really sudden, but I need you to come with me! I do apologize for breaking up your hangout session, but this is a matter of utmost urgency!" He explained, a slight look of disappointment overcoming Reina.

"W-What? But we were having so much fun!" She protested.

"Again, I'm sorry but I really need Julius to follow me right now. Krystal said she'd like to speak with you!" Kanon insisted, with the young teen slowly getting up off his seat.

"If it's that important, then it seems I have no choice." Julius agreed, shooting an apologetic glance at the other two. "My sincerest apologies, but it seems that I have business to attend to."

"It's fine; if this Krystal person really needs to talk to you, then it must be important." Huey conceded, shooting a glance at Kanon. "Hey, is it alright if we came along with you two?"

"I'm sorry, but Krystal only requested Julius." Kanon apologized, making his way to Julius and whispered something into his ear "Meet me at the National Park…"

With that said, Kanon quietly made his way out of the park, the trio watching him go as the once jovial mood was now shattered. "It sucks that we couldn't spend the entire day chatting, but life isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Good luck with the meeting!" Reina told the young teen, who gave her a quick nod in return as he exited the park and quietly made his way to his next destination.

Though it took him a little longer than he liked, Julius was finally able to make his way to the National Park, no thanks to the labyrinthian design and size of Grand Dream City. However, finding Kanon in this vast park full of trees, patches of grass and ponds would be another ordeal in of itself. The young teen devoted the next thirty minutes to finding his friend, searching every nook and cranny he could, but to no avail. It was only when he decided to rest up by a cherry blossom tree that he saw the white-haired boy quietly conversing to a Claydol. "Phew…about time I found you." Julius sighed wearily.

"Good, you arrived. Krystal said that she had something really important to tell you. But for some reason she wouldn't tell me what it was, so I guess it doesn't concern me." Kanon informed him, shooting a glance at the Claydol beside him. "Do you see this Claydol here?"

"Yeah, we see it!" A pair of voices called out, alerting the duo as they saw Reina and Huey running up to them.

"W-What are you two doing here?! I specifically told you that Krystal only needed to see Julius!" The white-haired boy shot back.

"It wasn't my fault; it was Reina's idea!" Huey replied.

"Yeah, I suppose it was my idea…" Reina chuckled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

"Look, this is a matter of utmost importance. I know you may be curious what it's all about, but I can't put you two at risk. I already angered your brother over a misunderstanding, and I don't want to make things worse by allowing his sister to get hurt." Julius told her firmly.

"I get that you're looking out for us, but we can handle ourselves. Besides, it can't be that bad if we tag along. Please, can we join you two?" The raven-haired girl pleaded, a quiet sigh escaping from Kanon's mouth as he yielded to their request.

"Alright, alright, you two can come with us, but you're not allowed to talk to Krystal unless she says it's okay." He told them, the two children letting out a quick cheer as they hi-fived each other.

"Alright! So, where are we going?" Huey inquired.

"Well as I was telling Julius before I was rudely interrupted, the Claydol here likes to roam the National Park, due to how quiet it is for the most part. We can use Claydol to teleport us into the…well, I'll let that be a surprise. As for why we must arrive there this way, every other option isn't exactly possible. People from this place have no way to cross waters, so they have to make do with the Pokémon local to them. In this case, the local being Claydol!" Kanon informed them, a question forming in Julius' mind.

"Are you 100% sure this Claydol is the best way to arrive at our destination? After all, it's not like anyone owns the Pokémon, so who's to say that it won't warp us elsewhere out of spite?" He inquired.

"Don't worry about it, I got here just fine." The white-haired boy reassured his friend, turning to face the Claydol. "Alright, Claydol, use Teleport!"

A low groan escaping from the Clay Doll Pokémon, it enveloped the four trainers in a wondrous light before teleporting them out of the park.

 **?**

With a surprised cry, Julius fell onto the soft grassy terrain below his feet, kicking up a small bit of sand as the young teen slowly got back onto his feet. Looking around him, he saw that he was in a fairly large oasis of sorts, with a small variety of plants surrounding the pond in the centre. Beyond the oasis however, was a massive desert that stretched out for who knows how long, a small gust of wind kicking up some sand into the air. Thankfully, his friends were right near him, with Reina and Huey gazing beyond the oasis in awe

"W-Where are we…" Julius inquired.

"Looks to be some sort of desert from the look of things." Reina chimed in, with Huey squinting his eyes slightly as if he had seen something in the distance.

"Y-Yeah, looks like we're in a desert alright." The redhead replied.

"Correct; the four of us are in the Zorrialyn Desert, or at least that's what Krystal called it." Kanon began, shooting a small smirk at the two young children. "Now do you regret sneaking up on us now?"

"Not really, after all there's bound to be tons of cool stuff buried in the desert sands." The raven-haired girl began, her mind running abuzz over the prospect of discovering hidden treasure, as she wiped a small bit of sweat off her head. "Can't say I like the heat though, but I'd rather melt into nothing instead of turning into ice."

"Seems we're birds of a feather in that regard." Julius chuckled lightly.

"Well you two won't have to worry about turning into ice, since there's no ice anywhere near here." The white-haired boy told them.

"So…where are we meeting this Krystal person?" Huey inquired.

"She's waiting for us—or specifically Julius and I in a place called Sashila Village. It'll be a bit of a walk from our current position, but you two chose to come with me, so no complaining." Kanon answered, pointing beyond the oasis. "The village is South-West of our current position. Since we're in no real rush of sorts, we can take a detour or two if we want. But if you really want to go back to Grand Dream City, the Claydol should be able to take you back there."

"I see…well let's get a move on then." The redhead called out, as he, Reina and Kanon began walking in the direction. And while Julius would've liked to explore the desert for a chance to uncover something nice to gift to Melia, he knew that Krystal wanted him here for a very important reason, hence why it would be best to get that over and done with as soon as possible. So he opted to follow his friends through the desert, making sure to avoid the local wildlife in case they were feeling a little peckish. Though the journey was a little long and arduous, with Huey complaining about his feet aching three-quarters into the journey, the group finally made it to the entrance of Sashila Village.

"We're here, everyone!" Kanon called out, with Huey falling onto the soft grassy floor as he rested his aching feet.

*huff…* "Finally…my feet were aching from all that walking." He sighed in relief.

"Wow, this place looks amazing. It has that nice air of tranquillity surrounding it…" Reina cooed in awe at the sight of the village. It was a lot larger than one would expect a village to be, with the area surrounded by vast ponds of crystal-clear water. There was a wide variety of plants growing in the village, ranging from fruit and vegetables, to even flowering plants that the locals used to decorate their homes. There were dozens of houses in the village, including a couple of rather large manors at the back of the village. "Now let's get out of the heat before my brain starts to fry!" She requested.

"Heh, you four…" A familiar voice called out, the group turning to see Damien approaching them from the village.

"Ah, Damian. How have things been going on your end?" Julius greeted the older man.

"Alright, I suppose." Damien replied, turning to face Kanon. "You're Alexandra's friend, right? Do you know where she went?"

"D-Did you find he—" The white-haired boy began to stammer.

"Yes, I found her. She told me how she's tired of running, yada-yada. That said, I can't say I'm surprised that Julius is here, but that's a conversation for another time." The older man replied.

"So, what do you want from us?" Huey inquired, slowly getting back up on his feet.

"It's about Alexandra; she said she was waiting for Kanon to return with Julius. I left for a little while to take care of something, but when I came back, she was gone." Damien informed them, catching the white-haired boy by surprise.

"G-Gone?! Y-You don't think…" Kanon began.

"No, I do not believe she ran away again. Considering how she told me she was done running away, I don't think she tried to give us the slip. Which can only mean that she's gotten herself into trouble or something. Kanon, did she say anything to you before you left?" The older man asked, his tone clear and serious.

"N-No, she didn't…she said she'll be waiting for me back in Sashila…" The white-haired boy replied nervously, gulping quietly to himself. "I-If she's missing, then we must look for her!"

"Exactly. However, our success in finding her depends on when she went missing; if it was a recent event then there should still be evidence of where she was heading. But even then, with how vast the desert is, searching for her in a group wouldn't be a smart decision. Therefore, I would suggest that we split up to search for her." Julius proposed, a small chuckle escaping from Damien's mouth.

"Heh, that's a pretty decent idea. As you said, the desert is vast so we'll have to split up. Kanon, you stay here in Sashila just in case she comes back for some reason. Huey, you'll be searching Sand Stream Cave and the area around it; it's to the north of here. As for you, young lady, you'll be searching the Voidal Chasm. It's a dark place where very few have returned, but I'm sure you can handle it." He informed everyone of their roles, with the aforementioned trio nodding in confirmation as they quietly made their way towards their respective destinations.

"So, what about me? Where will I be searching?" The young teen inquired.

"I'm glad you asked Julius; you'll be helping the young girl in searching Voidal Chasm. I kinda lied when I said she could handle it, but she looked like she was full of sass and teenage angst, and I am in no mood to deal with that, so follow her and make sure she's fine, alright?" The older man began. "It's in the north-easternmost part of the desert, so it'll be a bit of a walk. As for me, I'll be heading out to the Ruined City. Don't follow me unless you want to get mugged."

"G-Got it!" Julius replied, the duo heading off into separate directions to begin their search.

 **Voidal Chasm**

"Gah! No wonder they call this place Voidal Chasm!" Julius exclaimed, stepping back in surprise at the sight of the large hole before him. There was no doubt in his mind that if he fell down there, then it would be the end of him. However, there was a small staircase of sorts that lead down into the hole, leading the young teen to think that was the best way to go. But for now, his main goal was to find Reina and make sure that she is safe and sound. Walking down the small flight of stairs, Julius soon found himself surrounded by plant life that he had never seen before. The grass was all and coloured a pale white with traces of pink in them, the trees were crooked and had no leaves on them. "What on earth is this place…?" He asked himself in disbelief, his mind abuzz with ideas as to how this place came to existence.

However, his train of thought was soon interrupted by what seemed to be Reina running towards something, or someone. Quickly following right behind her, the young teen ran after her, only for the two of them to end up in what looked like a small alcove, with a hooded figure quietly gazing at the back wall. But what was most alarming was that the figure was standing over the unconscious body of Krystal, or Alexandra depending on what she felt like calling herself right now.

"H-Hey, leave her alone, you creep!" Reina called out to the hooded figure, her voice alerting them as they swiftly turned around to see the duo shooting a glare at them. "Is that woman Alexandra? What did you do to her!?"

"Hnngh…" Alexandra groaned weakly, breaking up the confrontation as the trio turned to see the older woman get up off the rocky floor.

"Alexandra, are you okay?" The hooded figure inquired, his voice indicating that they were a male.

"W-Where am I…? Oof, my head is spinning…" Alexandra winced, holding her head in her hand.

"That guy who hurt you won't be bothering you anymore, I sent him packing." The hooded boy replied, with Alexandra shooting him a look of gratitude.

"I see. Thank you for keeping me safe, Ren." The older woman replied, catching the other two way off-guard.

"R-Ren…? T-This can't be…" Julius gasped, his mind running wild as to what he could possibly say. After all, the memory of that incident in Goldenleaf Town was still fresh on his mind; his fears of Ren lashing out at him once more evident on his face.

"Looks like I can't hide it any longer…" The hooded boy sighed, lowering his hood and showed his face to the duo, a look of joy overcoming Reina's face.

"Ren!" She cried out, running up to her older brother and gave him a firm but warm hug. "I-I've been looking all over for you, ever since you left that day. Why did you leave us? Why…"

"We can talk about all of this later. Right now, we need to get Alexandra out of here." Ren told them, gesturing at the duo to wrap their arms around her shoulders as the group began their slow ascent out of the treacherous chasm.

 **0000**

"Thank you all so much for helping me back there, especially you, Ren. If it weren't for you, I don't think I would've…" Alexandra began, only for Reina to raise her hand in the air.

"I've been meaning to ask, but what happened down there?" She inquired.

"I was waiting for Kanon and Julius to show up, but then this strange guy appeared and said that he had the two of them held hostage in the Voidal Chasm. I didn't want to get my brother involved, given the lack of trust between us, so I went on my own and was attacked by a man riding what looked like a floating skateboard."

"Sorry, but your story sounds kinda fake…" Reina chimed in, only for Ren to lightly nudge her shoulder. "What? I'm sorry but it sounds too far-fetched to be real."

"I know it sounds fake, but it really did—G-Gah!" The older woman cried out, clutching her stomach. "Sorry about that, I'm just a little winded, that's all. I'll be making my way back to the village. Please come by when you can…" She continued, slowly walking off into the desert as the trio watched her go.

"Is it really okay to let her go by herself like that?" The raven-haired girl inquired.

"She'll be okay, I don't think that guy will come back." Ren reassured her, turning to face his sister. "Reina, I left Goldenleaf Town because I had to get out. Between everyone in the town and Narcissa…I was no longer interested in being a citizen. Kinda like how Julius and his family left the town back then."

"Y-Yeah…" The young teen replied, opting to keep quiet for now.

"But why didn't you take me with you? I would've gone with you in a heartbeat!" Reina exclaimed.

"I know…" The raven-haired boy replied quietly. "There's something I need to tell you, Reina. It's best if I tell you rather than let you hear it from anybody else; I might've joined Team Xen at some point…"

"Hahahaha! What a funny joke! Now tell me what you want to tell me…" She chuckled, but the deadly serious look on her brother's face soon broke whatever illusion she might've had. "You're not joking? But…why? Why would you join a bunch of creeps like Team Xen? I…I don't know what to even say to you. I wanted to believe in you, but this…this is just too upsetting."

"I understand that you're upset with me, but I have my reasons. You'll just have to trust me on this one." Ren replied.

"But how can I trust you after you go and do something like this?!" The young girl exclaimed, a small sigh escaping from Ren's mouth.

"I'm heading to Sashila Village, Alexandra wanted me to visit her." He told them, turning to face Julius with a small smile on his face. "It sounded like she also wanted to talk to you, Julius. I'll be more than happy to meet you there…"

"I-I will!" The young teen pledged, his heart at ease knowing that Ren didn't seem to hold a grudge against him, or at least it seemed that way. Watching one of his closest friends make his way towards the village, Julius opted to follow him, with Reina quickly following behind the duo, her mind abuzz with a variety of mixed emotions. On one hand, she was upset with Ren for joining Team Xen, but on the other hand she was glad that the three childhood friends were finally reunited after so long.

 **A bit of a slower chapter than usual, but that's just to set up the later chapters as I do remember the episode growing in intensity. And yeah, the Ren-union with Ren was pretty sweet given the circumstances, I'll be looking forward to writing about him in the later chapters. As for Larkspur's surprise allegiance to Bladestar, it'll come into play during the next episode, but it'll be quite a while before I get to that point. Thank you all for reading and supporting my fic, I'll see you all in the next chapter.**


	49. Chapter 49

**When we last left off, Julius took his first steps into the vast Zorrialyn Desert at the request of Kanon and Alexandria, with Huey and Reina tagging along for the ride. Along the way, the young teen reunited with his dear friend Ren, and is making his way back to Sashila Village for an important meeting.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Sashila Village**

Upon arriving at Sashila Village, the group made their way to Alexandra's place of residence, the large villa that overlooked the entire village. From there, Alexandra herself took a seat on her plush couch with Kanon standing still beside her, as if he was her personal bodyguard. Damien opted to take a seat on a smaller couch beside her, while Ren and Julius were content to stand in front of the older woman.

"Before we begin, I would like to thank you all for finding Alexandra, especially you, Ren. She told me about what happened between you two and that mysterious man." Damien expressed his thanks, shooting a quick look at the raven-haired teen.

"It was no problem; it was the right thing to do after all." Ren replied casually.

"As for you, Alexandra. Please tell me what you were thinking when you went out on your own. Because to be brutally honest, that was a very idiotic move on your part." The older man inquired, his tone brimming with seriousness. "Did you seriously believe the words of someone you had only met that very moment, without asking them to backup their claims?!"

"I'm sorry I'm a human being who wants to help people who need it…" She apologized sarcastically.

"How saintly of you. You could've just sent me after them. After all, it's my job to complete tasks like that." Damien retorted, with a sigh of weariness escaping from Alexandra's mouth.

"Whatever, it's in the past. I don't want to dwell on it anymore. Now then, I believe Julius is interested in why I called him here for." She began.

"Yes, I've been wondering that myself. Could it have anything to do with what I've done recently?" Julius inquired, the door to the opening as Reina and Huey joined up with the others. "Ah, you two arrived. Now keep quiet like you were told to—"

"Damien, who is the boy with the fiery red hair?" Alexandra asked.

"He's another friend of Julius; he also helped out in searching for you." The older man answered, with Ren turning to face his juniors.

"Reina, Huey, I think you two should stand outside for this one…" He suggested to them.

"No way! I'm not going anywhere until you start giving me a proper explanation Ren!" Reina shot back, causing Huey to step back in surprise.

"W-Wait…you mean to tell me that he's the Ren you've been looking for? Your big brother?" Huey asked, with the raven-haired girl giving him a quick nod of confirmation.

"M-My apologies Alexandra. I told them that Julius was the only one requested, but they both tailed us." Kanon apologized humbly, only for the older woman to brush it off.

"No need to apologize; the more the merrier I say!" Alexandra chimed happily. "I even requested the arrival of an old friend of mine, but he didn't show up unfortunately. That aside, there's something I need to ask of Ren and Julius. Something I can only trust these two to do."

"H-Hey, now I'm feeling a little left out…" Reina commented quietly.

"You and Huey weren't even meant to be here, so shush!" The white-haired teen whispered bluntly at her.

"Now as I was saying, I was going to ask Ren and Julius to perform a task for me." The black-haired woman asked, turning to face Julius. "Julius, do you know what Zone Zero is?"

"Hmmm…that's a doozy. I recall hearing that name long ago when I was in school, but it slipped my mind. Do you mind refreshing my memory for me?" The young teen requested, with Alexandra shooting him a small smile.

"Certainly. Zone Zero is the ruins of a city that used to be the pinnacle of Aevium's development; the entire place was wiped out during the tragedy. Beyond Zone Zero is the Eclysia Pyramid. It used to sleep beneath the ground but was mysteriously unearthed recently. Within Eclysia Pyramid, lies the Spring of Rejuvenation. I…I need to get to that spring as fast as possible, which is where you two come in." She explained to him, with something sparking in the teen's mind. The Spring of Rejuvenation; that was one of the locations Aelita needed to go in order to awaken her power. Perhaps once Alexandra has finished her business there, he could ask her if she could grant Aelita access to the spring. However, she did tell him that this was a journey she had to do alone, which is what kept him from telling the older woman about her.

"I get it, you want me and Jules to act as an escort, to keep that mysterious stranger from attacking you again." Ren deduced, only for the older woman to shake her head.

"Not quite. What I want you two to do is to take care of the massive sandstorm that appeared over the area recently. Mind you, sandstorms are common in this place, but they're never this strong, or violent. I happened to catch the culprit behind the storm, and it was a being of the Rift." Alexandra concluded, catching the two teenage boys off-guard.

"Seriously? Am I to keep fighting these things throughout my journey?!" Julius exclaimed to himself, shooting a quick look at Ren. "I take it this is a surprise to you as well?"

"Yeah, I don't recall Nastasia telling me about this Dimensional Rift at all. But that means…" He began.

"Yes, this Rift is not under the control of Team Xen. Bladestar are the ones who are controlling it." The older woman finished his sentence off.

"But how? How can Bladestar have technology to create Dimensional Rifts?! As far as I know, that technology was exclusive to Team Xen!" The raven-haired teen exclaimed.

"Perhaps someone defected from Team Xen and gave the information to Bladestar." Julius suggested, only for Ren to shake his head.

"Highly unlikely; Team Xen kept that information under tight security, only the admins were allowed access to it." Ren knocked back the idea. "Besides, even if one was able to get their hands on it, Team Xen doesn't take too kindly to those who wish to leave the organization."

"I believe the existence of this Rift is why the friend I mentioned didn't show up. My friend Ryland, is an admin of Bladestar." Alexandra chimed in, gazing at the duo. "I would like you two to deal with the Rift so that the sandstorm subsides. I know you both have the expertise to deal with this task."

"I'm fine with the task myself, but I don't know if Ren would want to, you know, work with me…" The young teen replied, only for Ren to rest his hand on his shoulder.

"What are you talking about mate? Of course, I'd be willing to work with you!" He shot a smile back, before a question soon formed in his mind. "Alexandra, I've seen the way you battle. You could easily run circles around the both of us, blindfolded. Why would you need our help if you could easily handle it yourself?"

"Please forgive me for my selfish statement, but if anything were to happen to me…I cannot afford to die now." She cut herself off mid-sentence, as if she wanted to keep something hidden from everyone else.

"Ah, if only you followed that sentiment earlier today…" Damien muttered snidely to himself.

"I understand…" Ren accepted the answer, almost as if he knew what she was talking about. The young teen could ask him about it, but he doubted he would get an answer from him.

"There's just no way you said that, am I hearing it wrong? You're more than willing to kill my brother and my childhood friend off just to save yourself? Give me one reason why I shouldn't slap the—" Reina shot a glare at the older woman, getting ready to approach her only for Ren to hold her back gently.

"You're not involved in this, so calm down. I've already made up my mind and I'm sure Julius has as well." He reassured her.

"Besides, I highly doubt we're gonna die. I've dealt with Dimensional Rifts so many times, it may as well be my job." Julius chimed in.

"Honestly Alexandra, why don't you let me deal with this Rift? Why bring in children who have NOTHING to do with ANY of this at all?!" Damien demanded an answer from the older woman.

"As I have learnt, Julius has had a hand in taking down numerous Rifts and Xen members, a fact which he has confirmed himself. His efforts have gained so much notoriety that he's been dubbed the 'Xen Destroyer'. And Ren is a part of Team Xen himself; I cannot see how they're not involved. Besides, they'll continue to be involved even if I didn't send them off."

"I…I just don't know what to say to you anymore." The older man huffed, mulling over her words as he briskly stormed out of the villa.

"Don't worry, Alexandra. I'll take care of the mission, even if it means working with the fabled Xen Destroyer." Ren stepped up to the plate.

"You don't have to worry about me; I'll make sure you're spared from my wrath." The young teen replied light-heartedly, shooting a small smile at his friend. "So, where will we be meeting up?"

"I plan on heading out to Alamissa Urben first thing tomorrow, before making my way to Zone Zero. I'll give you a nudge before you leave, just in case you happen to sleep in." The raven-haired teen answered, bowing respectfully to Alexandra before promptly exiting her villa.

"I don't expect you to trust or understand me, but I'm begging you. Please accompany Ren to Zone Zero." The older woman requested urgently.

"Fret not, ma'am. I plan on helping my friend out in any way I can." Julius pledged, with a warm smile forming on his elder's face.

"Thank you so much! I've already prepared a reward once you two have accomplished your task. Damien told me about the conversation he had with you and your friends in the hospital, so perhaps it would be best if I tell you more about Nim. That being said, you are more than welcome to stay in the village tonight. I've arranged some rooms for you all down at the Inn. It may not be as luxurious as whatever Grand Dream City has to offer, but it's all we have."

"No need to worry, I'll be fine with whatever you have." The young teen accepted her generous offer, quietly making his way out of the villa with Huey and Reina following right behind him.

 **0000**

"Wow, just look at the books in this place! They've got a wide variety of wacky things in them, and they all look handwritten, too. Guess there isn't much to do here than write down their own thoughts." Huey exclaimed, sifting through the bookshelf in the room they were renting. Reina was lying down on the plush bed, her mind still enraged at Alexandra for essentially sending Ren and Julius to their deaths, despite Huey's insistence that she wasn't sending them to die. Julius on the other hand, was mulling to himself over the events of the day. He still couldn't believe that Ren had no ill will towards him for what happened back in Goldenleaf, but perhaps he was waiting for the two of them to be alone before he lets his anger be known. "Hey, Reina, Julius. Take a look at this one." The redhead called out, taking a book from the shelf and approached the duo.

"Sorry, but I don't feel like socializing right now. I'm too busy thinking about things that are really upsetting to me. You two may think I'm crazy, but I need to get this off my chest…" The young girl began, taking in a deep breath. "Before my mom had Ren and I, she visited an oracle in Grand Dream City. She was young and dumb, only wanting to have fun. You know, get your readings and see how many kids you have, whatever. The oracle said something really peculiar, something about the future of her children. 'Be wary, for your children shall clash. One will fight for a bright future, and one will seek to destroy it.' Of course, my mom laughed it off and went home. She thought it was nonsense because she was only expecting one child, but it turns out she was having twins; Ren and I."

"Guess that explains why you two look so similar, more so than most siblings." Julius commented.

"He's two hours older than me, but yeah, we're pretty much twins. I've always believed in the supernatural, things like tarot cards, fairy tales and urban legends. So, for someone like me to hear that…I was…worried to say the least. For a long time, I thought I had Ren under control. Everything seemed fine until he just got up and left one day. He left without telling me, or mom, or anyone else." Reina continued.

"Which is when you went off to look for him…" Huey began putting the pieces together.

"Yeah, and now I've found him, but I'm too late. He joined Team Xen, and I have no idea why he would do so; it's my fault that I couldn't keep him on the path…" The young girl sighed sadly to herself.

"Don't blame yourself. If anything, it's MY fault that he joined Team Xen." The young teen admitted, attracting her attention.

"How could you blame yourself for Ren's decision, Julius?" Reina inquired.

"I…I think it's best if you get that answer from him. After all, I think he'd prefer it if he told you himself. As for when he'd be willing to do so, that's ultimately up to him." Julius replied, making himself comfortable on one of the couches. "Anyway, I think it's best if we hit the hay for tonight. I've got a job to do after all."

"Yeah, all this travelling has worn me out. Good night Julius! Good night Reina!" Huey chimed in, putting the book away and hopped onto the other couch as Reina made herself comfortable in the bed.

"Oh Ren…what has happened to you?" She spoke softly to herself, her eyelids slowly closing as she soon drifted off to sleep.

 **Hospital of Hope: That same night**

"I don't care who they think they are…" Lavender huffed to herself in annoyance, getting up out of bed and put on the fluffy slippers provided to her by the hospital. "They can't keep me here and perform numerous experiments as if I was a Guinea pig. I'm no longer sick, therefore I have no reason to be here. This has got to some sort of abuse of power, right? I've got to get out of here, but they took my Pokémon away and I don't think I can get them back safely. Guess the best thing to do is to make a run for it and inform the authorities about what's going on here."

Quietly making her way out of her room, the lavender-haired girl crept down the halls slowly, so as to not wake up any of the other patients. Soon enough, she stumbled into the main corridor on the floor and glanced at the elevator, uttering a prayer that no one else was on it. She crept down the hall towards the elevator, only to freeze in place as she heard a couple of voices, one of which was too familiar for her liking.

"Doctor Isha, is something wrong?" The nurse inquired, noticing the older man glance to his side momentarily.

"No…I thought I heard something weird, that's all." He replied, making his way towards the source with Lavender covering her mouth in fear. She was terrified over the prospect of the "good doctor" catching her and locking her up in her room, however Lady Luck decided to show mercy and throw her a bone just then.

"Doctor, the patient is ready to be examined." A second nurse called out from beyond a door, with Isha turning around to gaze at her.

"Is that so? In that case, let us proceed with the examination then." He said, making his way towards the door with both nurses following him inside.

"T-Thank you…" Lavender whispered to herself, looking up at the ceiling before sneaking her way towards the elevator, pressing on the button as she waited with bated breath. However, she soon grew impatient and began tapping her foot on the ground, quickly realizing that it wasn't even moving. A sigh of annoyance escaped from her mouth; the elevator in the hospital was locked! But she wasn't ready to throw in the towel; she mustered up all the strength she had in her to open the elevator doors. "Phew…that was a lot harder than I expected. But if there is a ladder in this elevator shaft, then I'm all good."

Quickly entering the shaft, she clung to the wall so that she didn't fall and injure herself, briefly looking at the wall and saw that she was on the 3rd floor. All she needed to do was climb down three floors, open the doors and make a run for it…however, something caught her off-guard. There was another ladder leading down to some sort of basement, a small computer panel beside the opening. A sense of intrigue overcame the young girl, what could Isha be hiding down there? She mulled over the option of an easy escape, or an answer to the numerous questions that were stuck in her mind, pointing out that fleeing from a hospital and labelling Isha an abusive person would have people think she's crazy. There must be proof of his crimes in that underground floor, and she will get her hands on it.

"As the old saying goes, sometimes you have to do stupid acts in order to expose the truth. Huey…please don't hate me for this." Lavender whispered to herself, quickly scrambling down the ladder. But as she was climbing down, she heard…whispers from the other side. Pressing her ear against the wall, she eavesdropped on the conversation, hoping to learn something interesting.

 **0000**

"It's been a long time, too long." Madelis spoke to Neved, the tall man resting his back against the wall.

"Aye, it has been a while. We last saw each other at Blacksteeple, no?" Neved replied.

"Yes, that was the last we saw each other. Tell me, how have you been holding up?" The redhead inquired.

"Not the best; with Blacksteeple Castle completely taken down, I'm afraid that Madame X will have no further use for me." The tall man answered, shooting her a look of curiosity. "Tell me, why did you call me to this hospital of all places?"

"You know exactly why I called you here. A long time ago, Geara, Zetta and I all told each other what we fought for. Everyone was willing to share except for you and Nastasia. But to the topic at hand, there's a girl here in extensive care with an unknown disease. She has heterochromia, just like you." Madelis began explaining to her co-worker.

"You do realize I am not the only person in the world with heterochromia, right?" Neved inquired.

"I know that, but that's not the interesting part. The girl told me that her father also had heterochromia and was a well-known sailor in the Kalos region. Now, doesn't that sound familiar?" The redhead continued, with Neved's sudden silence giving it all away. "She's your daughter, isn't she?"

"F-Franchesca…" The tall man said quietly to himself, quietly moving away from the elevator with Madelis following right behind him.

 **0000**

"Seems that they're moving elsewhere…" Lavender mused to herself, opting to continue down the ladder until a thought soon hit her. That panel beside the bunker entrance would no doubt need a password of sorts to operate, and she had no idea what it could possibly be. Figuring that Isha would keep it inside his office, the young girl opted to make her way to the first floor, mustering up her strength to open the elevator and step into the hallway. From there, she crept quietly towards Isha's office, making sure that there were no nurses patrolling the hallways as she soon stopped by the door. Pushing it gently, the young girl was a little surprised to see it open without much resistance and stepped inside the office. "That was way too easy… ah, never mind. I'll go check his computer for any clues."

Making her way to his computer, Lavender took a seat and began typing away at the keys, only to get caught off-guard by the password prompt, or more accurately, the lack of a password prompt. Either way, she didn't have time to mull over the doctor's carelessness, she had to find a password for that panel as soon as possible. The young girl sifted through many file, ranging from patient profiles to archived documents, learning some interesting things about the other patients, which she jotted down on a small notepad in bullet points to bring with her.

The first profile was about Risa Raider, stating that she was terminally ill at one point, but was cured somehow, information that had never made it to the public. Nearly all terminally ill patients would end up dying, but somehow Risa pulled through, as if a miracle had happened. The second profile was about a young girl named Mosely Carmicle, who was labeled a missing child. Lavender had heard several stories regarding young children going missing and assumed that Mosely was one of those children. The third profile was one that she really wanted to see, her own profile. She knew that she didn't belong here anymore, yet Isha insisted on keeping her here, probably spinning some lie to Huey to keep him from visiting her earlier that day.

Moving on to the Archives, she soon found a document talking about an Isiah Halvard, a profound brain-surgeon and incredible 99% success rate with his procedures. However, his legacy was tarnished by undeniable proof of medical abuse and malpractice against his only son, warranting an arrest. He was thrown in jail, but managed to break out shortly afterwards, kidnapping his son and went on the run. Around a month later, he was found at his own home, deceased for some unknown reason, with his son nowhere to be found. While it was an intriguing tale, Lavender was a little confused as to why Isha would have it on his own computer. Upon exiting the file, she soon inadvertently opened another one, depicting a series of numbers with the digits 8,4,3,3 highlighted.

"That must be the passcode for the panel near the bunker. All I've got to do is write it down and…ta-da! I'm making some good progress over here!" Lavender smiled to herself, shutting off the computer and tucking the notepad under her gown as she crept out of the office and back into the elevator shaft. Making her way to the panel, she typed in the code quickly, stepping back as she saw the bunker doors open up as a sigh of relief escaped from her mouth. "Phew…I can't believe that actually worked. Anyway, let's see what the "good doctor" is hiding down here."

Making her way to the ladder, she quietly climbed down them and stepped onto the cold floor, stepping beyond the steel doors as she was taken aback by what she was seeing. There were dozens of machines that had no place outside a military base, yet alone beneath a hospital, as well as several barrels and boxes that contained who knows what. A slight shiver crept up Lavender's spine; who knows who, or what was lurking down here? Just then, a low whimpering could be heard from one of the rooms, alerting the young girl as she made her way to a nearby window to see what was going on. Inside the room were a pair of scientists, quietly observing a large machine as a thin layer of fog emanated from it.

"How disappointing…we aren't getting any good results at all." The first scientist commented to his co-worker. "How exactly are we to extract the memory from this one if they refuse to cooperate?"

"Because it doesn't want that to happen, obviously. Much to our dismay, but it'll succumb to us eventually. We need to be patient or else Isha will get very angry at us, and you DO NOT want to see him get angry." The second scientist replied, the door to the machine opening as a Braixen wearily stepped out of it before collapsing to the floor. "Seriously? Get up now, it wasn't that bad!"

"Talking to it like that won't help us; I already have a burn mark on my arm from last time." The first scientist shot back at his co-worker. "Set the machine up for a second round, it won't be long before this thing decides to give up."

"This is awful…how could they do something like this?" Lavender asked herself, horrified at what she just saw. "I've got to help that Braixen out, there must be something here that can disable that machine."

Climbing down the ladder and onto the main floor, she began searching for anything that could shut that machine in the other room off. Eventually, she stumbled upon a small panel tucked away in the corner, hidden from plain view. Making hey way towards it, she yanked the plug from its socket before using it to smash the screen, creating a bit of noise and sent shards of glass everywhere. Carefully leaving the corner to not cut herself on the glass, Lavender hid behind a couple barrels and watched the scientists from before exit the small room.

"Unbelievable…it's always one thing after another with this place." The first scientist muttered angrily to himself.

"And to think this is where are hard-earned tax dollars are being spent on. Let's just go check on the monitor, okay?" The second scientist replied, the duo making their way to the panel, granting the young girl a chance to rescue the Braixen. Upon entering the room, she saw the weakened Pokémon and helped it back up on its feet, her eyes focused on the blue flower nestled behind its right ear.

"Braowow?" The fox Pokémon chirped, eyeing up the girl cautiously.

"Relax, I mean you no harm. Let us get out of here together, okay?" Lavender reassured the Braixen, raising her hands in the air to show that she was unarmed. The Braixen gazed at her for a few seconds before letting out a quick chirp, indicating that she trusted the girl. A thought soon crossed her mind, didn't Melia and the others tell her about how they knew a Braixen? Yes, she remembered hearing about how the Braixen disappeared alongside their other friends, but she couldn't be sure that it was the same Braixen. Regardless, she figured it was worth trying out. "H-Hey, this may sound weird, but are you familiar with someone named Melia? How about Venam? Or even Julius?"

The Braixen started jumping up on the spot upon hearing those names, chirping as loud as she could without alerting any of the scientists down here. This settled it; this was the Braixen that the three of them told her about. "Ah, so you do know them. I'm a friend of theirs; I can take you to them once we escape." The young girl promised, gesturing the fox Pokémon to follow her out the room. But as they did, they quickly hid behind a shipping container as the two scientists from before walked by them, stopping before the stairs to the elevator to chat with one another.

"W-What is it Braixen? Lavender inquired, noticing her friend eye up a corridor before quickly running towards it. Following right behind her, Lavender soon wound up in a small office of sorts that housed another terminal of sorts, a steel door sitting adjacent to the panel. Seeing that the panel was light up, the young girl figured that Braixen had turned it on and stepped beyond the steel door, where her friend was waiting. "Clever thinking…we should be safe here for the time being. But we can't stay here fore—W-What is that?!"

The fox Pokémon turned to see what had the young girl spooked, only to step back in fear. There, standing petrified by a blue laser was the legendary Giratina, the same one that was under the ownership of Geara, or at least it was before it was freed.

"Unbelievable…this is the legendary Giratina. How could Isha have gotten his hands on it, much less without anyone else realizing it?" Lavender asked herself, only to have Braixen began chirping to her nonstop, making several gestures with her paws as she was telling her…something. It was a lot harder to speak to others without her trusty voice translator, that was sure, but she thinks that Lavender got the gist of it. "Oooh, I think I've got it! No wait…I don't actually, I have no idea what you're saying…"

The Braixen collapsed to the floor, both in exhaustion and embarrassment over her friend's ignorance. "That aside, I think we should free the Giratina. No doubt Isha has some nefarious plans that involve this Pokémon." Lavender mused, with the fox Pokémon looking at her wearily. It was evident that she wasn't keen on the idea of letting Giratina free, but at the same time, she wasn't keen on Isha having his hands on it. Ultimately, she left the decision up to Lavender.

"I understand that you had a bad experience with Giratina, hence your hesitance to let it free. But I cannot bear the thought of leaving it here to suffer. Should Isha have Giratina by his side, there's no telling what chaos he could cause. I believe this is the right move…" The young girl made her decision, with Braixen seemingly accepting it, albeit it hesitantly. Making her way to the panel before the Renegade Pokémon, Lavender typed away on a few buttons, shutting off the laser as Giratina regained its mobility. The massive Pokémon let out a loud roar, eyeing up the duo before it as they stepped back in surprise, and fear.

P-Please be quiet. We're all working together to escape from this miserable place. If we work together, then we can all get out of here in a jiffy." The young girl pleaded her case, with the Giratina quietening down as if it chose to cooperate with her.

"There you are!" A voice called out to her, with Lavender turning around as she saw the scientist from before approaching the trio, only to step back in surprise at what they saw. "Y-You released it?! The Giratina Isha caught?!"

"T-This is bad. This is very, very bad; no way do we stand a chance against a Pokémon like Giratina!" The second scientist stammered, watching Braixen and the Giratina approach the duo.

"Looks like you have a dilemma on your hands. Do you risk your lives to fight Giratina, or risk Isha getting angry at you?" Lavender smirked at them, the two scientists mulling it over with each other before making a decision.

"We'll won't be risking Isha's anger; we will be fighting you, no matter who or what you have on your side!" The first scientist declared, as he and his comrade sent out their first Pokémon, a Dhelmise and a Muk. The Giratina eyed up the enemy Pokémon in contempt, knowing that they won't be a match for it at all. Rearing up on it's legs, it began flapping its wings rapidly, conjuring up a gust of spine-chilling wind as the Muk cling onto the ground in order to maintain its footing. However, the same couldn't be said for the Dhelmise, who was promptly flung back into the wall and crashed into it, sliding down for a few moments before it collapsed onto the tiled floor. A low growl escaped from the second scientist, who recalled his fainted Pokémon before sending out a Porygon2, with Braixen shooting it a confident look. Twirling her wand in the air, she conjured up a barrio of wondrous light that shielded her and the Giratina, protecting the duo from an incoming beam of psychic energy that the Porygon2 channeled their way.

The two Pokémon opted to begin their second assault, with Braixen lunging at the Porygon2 and shot it down with a barrage of fireballs, causing the Virtual Pokémon to begin hurtling towards the ground with the fox following up with a tremendously powerful Heat Wave. The attack sent both the Muk and the Porygon2 flying back, with Giratina conjuring up a Shadow Ball with its power and sent it hurtling towards the Muk, the sludge Pokémon getting flung back towards the back wall with the Porygon2 crashing into it as a blanket of mist emanated from a machine that was damaged amidst the chaos. When the mist died down, it showed that both Pokémon were unable to continue battling.

"A-Ahh…d-do you have any Pokémon left?" The second scientist started to panic, the duo recalling their Pokémon as the first scientist brought out his other Pokéball and threw it, sending out a Klinklang. With a low whir, the gear Pokémon began grinding its gears, emitting a copious amount of static electricity that short-circuited the lights in the room momentarily. The Braixen let out a cry of surprise, promptly taking her wand out of her tail and lit it up with a small fireball as she began waving the wand all over the place, in search of her opponent. A few moments later, she shone her light onto the Klinklang, the gear Pokémon gazing at her quietly as it began charging up a second electrical attack. The bipedal fox pointed its paw at the air behind the Klinklang, causing it to raise an eyebrow as it turned around to see what she was pointing at. But before it could react, it was promptly knocked to the ground by a powerful strike coming from Giratina, the gear Pokémon collapsing to the ground as the charge it had been building up was soon released, turning the lights in the room back on.

"I-Impossible!" The first scientist screeched in surprise, recalling his Klinklang as Lavender shot them a confident smirk.

"See? I told you that we're unstoppable! Did you really think you could stand a chance against a legendary Pokémon?" The lavender-haired girl shot back. "Now move aside, before I—"

"Giiraa!" The Giratina roared, taking flight as it used its power to disappear into the shadows, causing the other two to turn around as a sinking feeling welled up within them. They were now on their own, without their most powerful ally beside them.

"H-Hey! Don't leave us here!" Lavender protested, small smirks forming on the scientists faces as the duo turned around slowly. "Ahahahaha…about what I said before…" She began uneasily, before the duo opted to run away as fast as their legs could carry them, the scientists momentarily stunned before regaining their composure.

"Get back here! You won't get away with this, you brat!" They shouted, quickly running after the duo in hot pursuit. Lavender and Braixen began running through the underground bunker, quickly scrambling up the elevator shaft but not before shutting the bunker entrance, slowing down their pursuers. From there, they spent the next few minutes climbing up the various ladders, making their way to the ground floor before bursting into the hallway. This was it; they could smell the fresh air coming from outside. All they needed to do was run for just a little longer and…

*Pow* Braixen let out a cry of surprise, falling onto her back as she had inadvertently run into a Dusknoir that appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Lavender stopped in her tracks to help her friend up, only for a familiar chuckle to send shivers down her spine.

"I knew I heard something back there…" Isha commented, walking back into the lobby as she shot a quick glance at Lavender. "I wonder what's going to happen to you now, Lavender, you sneaky rat. I told you that you were very sick, and that you are not to make an escape attempt. I only want what's best for you, after all…"

"Lies! You want to keep me here as your prisoner, performing unspeakable experiments on me and Braixen to fulfill your twisted goals!" The young girl shot back, shooting a glare at her elder.

"You're quite the tactless patient, you know that? Between your escape attempt and the fact that you released this…putrid Braixen from its confinement, I think it's about time I punished you for your misconduct." Isha began, a twisted smirk on his face as Lavender whispered something into Braixen's ear, the fox Pokémon stepping back in shock as the young girl reassured it that everything will be alright.

"D-Don't worry about me…just get out of here…while you can." Lavender smiled at her friend, the Braixen quickly glancing at the door before making a beeline for the exit. The Dusknoir was about to give chase, only for its trainer to halt it in its place.

"Don't worry about that fox, it lacked the device that enabled it to communicate with humans, therefore it is of no more use to me. It was a most impressive device constructed by the famous Saki Blakeory. But that aside, we have some unfinished business with Miss. Lavender over here…" He began, a menacing grin plastered on his face as the young girl shivered at what sort of experiment he has planned for her next.

 **Julius' Dream: That Night**

" _Ack, another dream? What will it be about this time?" The young teen mused to himself, slowly getting up off the ground as he began to wander through the area, which resembled Sashila Village at night. The key difference was that it was abandoned, seemingly devoid of any life whatsoever; no trainers, no civilians, not even any Pokémon were nearby. This meant one of two things; either he would be told of some great prophecy where he was the hero, or that it was another meeting with his various embodiments, and he wasn't so keen on meeting them again._

" _Well if I'm alone, I guess I should make the most of it…" He mused to himself, making his way towards the large fountain in the village square and took a dip in it, the cool and refreshing water sending a wave of relief throughout his body. This peace, this serenity…it gave Julius ample time to mull over the events of the day, mainly the surprising reunion with Ren. He was glad, if not downright ecstatic that there was no hostility between the two, giving him a glimmer of hope that there was a chance to rebuild their friendship. This mission Alexandra sent them on would be a great opportunity to bury the hatchet, and begin again, despite Reina's protests to the idea. But this Spring of Rejuvenation she mentioned did raise a few questions in his mind; why was it tucked away within a pyramid that, until recently, was buried deep underneath the desert sands? Could it have some special power that, in the wrong hands, could cause utter chaos? Given it's name, it could have the power to heal wounds, cure disease, or even bring back the dead. If that was the case, then it very well could be a cure for—_

" _Heya!" A friendly voice called out, catching the young teen off-guard as he slipped into the fountain, a light chuckle coming from the voice as Julius got back up to confront the figure._

" _Gah! Don't scare me like that, again!" He scolded the person, only for his eyes to widen at the sight. The person before him…was himself but brimming with optimism. The happy Julius wore a bright yellow jacket, a white undershirt and simple blue jeans, resting on the edge of the fountain as he smiled at him. "I take it you're the personification of my happiness?"_

" _Correct! That pleasant reunion with Ren gave me all the power I needed to break free from your future selfs' prison." Happy Julius chimed back, helping his other self get out of the fountain. "I gotta say, I never knew you were the one to sit back in a fountain and relax. I should try it one day."_

" _Yeah, it is pretty nice, provided that nobody scares the daylight out of you." The young teen retorted casually. "Anyway, what is it you want with me?"_

" _I came to give you a warning; your future self is causing a lot of meddling in your mind. He's been manipulating your inner psyche, all for the sake of achieving his goal. That goal is to isolate you from your friends, preferably by killing Professor Larkspur." The optimistic teen answered, causing Julius to raise an eyebrow at what he just heard. "You must heed my warning; do not let your anger get the best of you. Do not get his blood on your hands."_

" _B-But that man has haunted me for so many years; all the suffering he caused. I-I can't let him get away with it, no matter what you say!" Julius shot back, with the second one raising his hands in the air._

" _Woah, woah. Calm down, mate. I'm not saying that you can't bring him to justice, I'm saying that you can't deal it yourself. After all, nobody made you judge, jury and executioner." Happy Julius reassured the latter. "Besides, it would make all your friends sad to see you commit such an act."_

" _Yeah, you do have a point. I don't think any of my friends would want to associate themselves with a murderer—wait, was this what caused Melia to leave Future Julius for Venam in his timeline?" The young teen inquired, with his personification nodding in confirmation._

" _Yes, I overheard it myself. Future Julius rambled about how Melia yelled at him after she saw him murder Larkspur, causing the two to get into an argument about it, which ended in her ending their relationship. Now he wishes to do the same to you in an act of bitter jealousy." He replied calmly. "No matter what happens, do not let your anger get the best of you."_

" _I-I won't become consumed by anger, I promise you…" Julius pledged, causing his happy self to smile warmly at him. "Now, is there anything else you want to talk to me about?"_

" _Yes I do, it's about Melia; isn't she so amazing? I managed to see her awakening, somehow, and it was the most bedazzling sight of all time. She and Venam used their unbreakable bond to awaken the power within her and confront Melanie, and they become one person as they soon showered the entire world with light, restoring the doomed planet to one of peace and prosperity, bringing hope to all the survivors there. It was the most amazing thing I have ever seen and should be made into a movie. Heck, they should make a movie about Melia's life; it would have it all, action, adventure, friendship, romance, comedy. It would be a major blockbuster and would win several awards, making her into an overnight celebrity. But then again, she already is a celebrity; she's got special powers, and shiny Pokémon, and is super intelligent, and is so nice and kind, and, and…" Happy Julius began rambling quickly, catching the young teen off-guard with his fanboyish attitude._

" _Hey, slow down. Take a breath after each sentence, lest you run out of air." He tried calming down his personification, and it managed to work somehow._

" _I-I'm sorry…but every time I hear about her, I can't help but go on a fanboyish ramble about how amazing she is. You think she's amazing, right?" The optimistic teen inquired._

" _Yes, I do think she's amazing, more so than mere words can express. Then again, you would know what I'm talking about." Julius replied, with his personification letting out a light chuckle._

" _Indeed I do…ah, but our time is up tonight. I don't know when I'll see you next, but I hope you took my advice to heart…" Happy Julius replied, fading away from the fountain as the area was soon enveloped in a bright light._

 **The Next Morning**

With a quiet yawn, Julius slowly got up off the couch and brushed his hair, tiding it up as he saw Huey reading the same book he had mentioned the other night. "Ah, good morning Julius. Did you sleep well last night?" Huey inquired; his eyes fixated on the book

"In a manner of speaking, yes. I had an…interesting dream last night. I'll tell you about it once I'm back from my mission." Julius answered, making his way outside the Inn as he began searching for his childhood friend. A sneaking suspicion soon crept up on the young teen, as he made his way to the fountain in the village square and saw Ren waiting beside it, shooting a small glance at him.

"Ah, guess you didn't need me to give you a nudge after all?" Ren chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, I didn't want to keep you waiting. After all, there's so much I want to get off my chest, and this would be a perfect opportunity to do so." The young teen admitted.

"Same, there's so much I want to say to you, but I was worried that you wouldn't listen to me. But I'm glad that we're able to sort things out, despite our…differing allegiances. Anyway, to get to Zone Zero, we'll need to get through Alamissa Urben; Alexandra informed me today that this is where her friend Ryland lives. As he's a member of Bladestar, it'll be a problem if we run into him, especially since he's quite the capable trainer. But asides from that, it should be an easy trip." The raven-haired teen explained, packing up his bag for the trip. "Well what do you say? Let's get going already."

"You said it!" Julius smiled, the duo making their way towards the village entrance and into the desert, with both of them hoping that this trip would repair their damaged friendship.

 **Another chapter completed, nice and neatly. Hopefully this trip will be beneficial for both our heroes, but you'll have to check out the next chapter to see if that's the case. The dream sequence near the end may be a bit out of the blue, but it'll play a crucial role in a future chapter. I do apologise for being a little late on upload my Insurgence and Shadow of the Order stories, but I was busy with my Valentine's Day fic. But for now, I would like to thank you all for reading and supporting my story. Peace out!**


	50. Chapter 50

**Welcome to the next chapter of Rise from the Ashes, where we'll see Ren and Julius travel through the Alamissa Urben in order to reach Zone Zero. What complications will they see on their journey? You'll have to read in order to find out.**

 **But before I begin, I want to give a shout-out to another fellow fanfiction author, NexusMHX. I highly recommend that you read their latest story, Pokémon Rejuvenation: Interceptor as it's a very good story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Alamissa Urben: Entrance**

The duo had arrived at the entrance to the once vast city, with Ren noticing a gold-colored sign standing proudly in the sand as he stepped towards it to take a look at it. "Alamissa Urben…the City of Happiness. An ironic title, given what has happened here."

"Forgive me for my ignorance, but what did happen here?" Julius inquired, with Ren shooting him a quick look.

"You'll learn the story just by walking through this place." The raven-haired teen replied, a small sigh escaping from his mouth. "T-There's something I want to talk to your about, Julius. Specifically, why I joined Team Xen in the first place. After all that has happened, I figured that you deserve some sort of explanation. The hell that became my life started after our confrontation in Goldenleaf Town, right when you defeated Narcissa..."

 ***Back then…***

"D-Damn it!" Ren roared, punching the exterior of the Goldenleaf Gym in a fit of rage. The young man had recovered from his previous episode and now learnt the consequences of his mistakes. "I-I don't know what got over me; it was like someone entirely different had taken over me and made me watch the nasty aftermath. I never meant to say all those horrible things to Julius; especially after he tried so hard to help me achieve my dream. Now not only have I had my dream be fulfilled by someone else, rendering all my work pointless, but I drove away my best friend. Why? Why did this have to happen to me?!"

"Anger is a most powerful motivation; it will take you far in life provided you know how to handle it…" A familiar voice spoke to him, the young man turning around and spotted the source right on the rooftop.

"Crescent!" Ren exclaimed. "So you were the one who manipulated me back there!"

"Not at all, young man. I'm here to offer you a way to improve your situation." Crescent offered, intriguing the young man. "A part of you seeks recognition and glory for your deeds, right? In that case I can help you get what you want, specifically by destroying Team Xen from within."

"From within…?" The young man inquired.

"Yes; do as I say and your name will become immortalized in the history books. Of course, I will offer you some much needed answers to any questions you may have. Come on a walk with me and I'll tell you all that you would ever want to know." The young woman offered, lowering herself to the ground and outstretched her hand. Ren spent some time deliberating on this, after all it could act as atonement for what happened with Julius back in the Gym, and help him gather the strength to finally surpass him. But the part about destroying Team Xen from within bothered him, just what did she mean exactly?

"A-Alright, but you better not pull a fast one on me." Ren agreed, they duo shaking hands on the deal.

"A wise decision, come with me…" Crescent smiled, the duo walking in the direction of Wispy Path. "Come, let us talk about the—"

"I don't wish to talk about causal topics; the only thing I want from you is answers!" The raven-haired teen demanded from her.

"And you will get them, if you come with me." The young woman smirked, using her power to teleport herself and Ren from the area.

 **0000**

"What the…where am I?" Ren inquired, slowly getting up off the floor as he found himself in some sort of library; a private library to be precise. There were roses decorating the wooden beams that hung over the room, lined up in a symmetrical fashion. The tiled floor was a mishmash of black and white, no doubt mirroring the outfit of the library's owner. Speaking of which, crescent was sitting casually in an ornate throne beside a wooden table, beckoning the young teen to come towards her. But easily the most baffling part about this room were the various paintings that rested on the back wall, once of which depicted someone who looked eerily similar to Julius. "What the hell is this place, Crescent?! It's so damn creepy…"

"I'll ignore that comment you made about my place of residence, just this once. This is my base of operations." Crescent answered, shooting him a snide glance for his previous comment.

"So did you bring me here to tell me what's been going on, or just for kicks and giggles?" The raven-haired teen shot back. "And why do you have a portrait of Julius, and all those other people?"

"Your role is to listen, not ask. I'm the one talking here, alright?" The black-haired woman replied, her frown intensifying. "And again, I'll ignore that last part before I become extremely angry."

"S-Sorry. I'll k-keep quiet." Ren stammered, not wanting to further irritate his host.

"Good. Now about why I brought you here…you said you wanted answers, correct? What if I could give you an answer to that really big problem that's haunting you? What if I said there was a way to bring Melia back from the dead?" Crescent began, the teen's blood freezing upon hearing that last comment. Did she…did she really know how to bring someone back from the dead? If she could, then this could be a chance for him to…

"Y-You can really do that?!" He exclaimed in surprise. "Y-You're lying! There's no way that's possible. Once someone's dead, they're just gone and…"

"You and Melia were really good friends prior to all of this, right? It's a shame that friendship ended all because Team Xen decided they wanted what was hidden inside her. And all that effort for what? They got her killed for no reason. But you, Ren, could give her a second chance…a second chance at a life she never had. Imagine how grateful she would be to you. Imagine all the people who would look up to you. Imagine everything that could happen with her once she's back. Imagine how much that would make her love you, just as you love her. Imagine, finally being able to surpass Julius, being able to do what he couldn't do." Crescent began to tempt the raven-haired teen, with promises of love, happiness and glory. He really wanted to bring her back so he could get a chance to confess his love to her, to make Venam happy again, and to finally surpass his childhood rival. However, he knew that such a boon wouldn't be easy to get, and he had an idea on what she wanted.

"Y-You said before about wanting me to infiltrate Team Xen to destroy them from inside. Is that what I have to do in order to bring back Melia?" Ren inquired.

"Heheheheh…I figured I'd win you over. As for your question, yes, you are to join Team Xen as a means to infiltrate them." She stated calmly.

"You're out of your mind, Crescent! If you think I'll pledge myself to the one's who killed Melia, then you're—" He shot back in anger, only for the young woman to raise her hand at him.

"Silence. You won't be under their thumb, but mine. You are to act as my mole for now, gathering information on a certain something for me. In exchange for this information, I will revive Melia for you. You'll also be taking down team Xen from the inside while doing this favor for me, a beneficial deal for us both. You get Melia back, and I get to see team Xen burn from the inside out." Crescent replied, the raven-haired teen mulling it over in his mind.

"Well…you are right when you say this plan benefits us both. However, you're saying it as if it's easier than it actually is." Ren chimed back at her.

"Of course it won't be easy, but the rewards are more than worth the effort, no? And of course, I'll do everything to keep you safe. I believe you have the most potential out of your little friendship group to do this. So what do you say Ren? Do we have a deal?" The black-haired woman continued, outstretching her hand towards him. Ren gazed at her hand momentarily, before accepting the deal and shook it, unaware of the smirk that grew on her face.

 **0000**

'So I joined Team Xen, but as I'm sure you found out, Crescent had manipulated me from the very beginning. Melia had never died that day, and she knew it; I cut off ties with her following my escape from that factory near Sheridan Village. But in the end, she had made a fool out of me…she got what she wanted, and I got tangled into an inescapable situation." Ren concluded his tale, a horrified expression plastered on Julius' face. His friend, his dearest friend was stuck in between a rock and a hard place, all because of what happened back at Goldenleaf Town.

"R-Ren…I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry for what you've been through. I-I should've never entered Goldenleaf Town when I did. I should've waited until you were done before I arrived; I'm so sorry I ruined your most cherished dream!" The young teen apologized profusely, falling to his knees as Ren approached his ally.

"Julius…you don't need to apologize. While I was angry at everything and everyone for what had happened back there, I know that you were just another victim in the whole affair. I didn't join Team Xen to betray you, Melia or Venam; I only wanted my friend back, I only wanted to get a chance to…" He began.

"To confess your love to her?" Julius finished his sentence off, catching his friend by surprise.

"H-How do you—" Ren stammered.

"You brought it up as one of your reasons for partaking in your quest; to have a chance of winning her affections." The young teen answered, shooting an apologetic look at his friend. It would break his heart even further were he to tell him about the two people who Melia had pledged her love to, so he chose to keep quiet about it for now.

"Heh, I guess I did…I don't really remember much about what happened back there, and I don't plan to. That aside, there's now something bigger than Team Xen itself, something I'm determined to see to the end." The raven-haired teen declared, intriguing his friend only to throw a curve ball his way. "But I'll keep that to myself for now. Before we begin our mission, there's one last thing I want to do. Right before I was commissioned to be Nastasia's assistant…I came across something peculiar. I found a single Pokéball among a pile of trash, scheduled for incineration a few hours after I found it. I managed to scavenge it but it was damaged; Nastasia helped me repair it. Once the repairs were done, I found out that it belonged to someone very close to you; your mother, Nancy. I kept it safe with me until I can get a chance to give it to you, so here you go."

The raven-haired teen opened the ball, with Sylveon emerging out of it, the small Fairy-type Pokémon quietly gazing her surroundings before shooting a look at Julius, the son of her beloved trainer. A whole wealth of emotions welled up within the young teen; sadness, relief, gratitude, he was at a complete loss for words. Finally…after so long would he have something to remember his mother by, something to ensure that she will always be watching over him.

"M-Mother…" He sniffled, gesturing her Sylveon to approach him as he embraced her, tears streaming down his face as he sobbed into the Intertwining Pokemon's soft fur. The Sylveon attempted to console her friend, her soft feelers petting his back lightly as Ren allowed them to have their touching reunion. A few minutes later, Julius has ceased crying, slowly getting back up as he accepted the empty ball from Ren before recalling Sylveon back to her ball. He will keep her safe from harm, just like how his mother gave up her life to save him. "T-Thank you, Ren. T-This means so much to me…"

"No worries." He replied, handing over a black box to his friend as well. "Take this as my apology, to you and to Nancy."

"No need to apologize; I never had any ill will towards you…" Julius replied, accepting the box and tucking it in his bag, before opting to embrace his friend out of the blue.

"J-Julius?!" Ren exclaimed, a little surprised by his friend's sudden affection.

"I'm sorry, but I'm so glad that I have my friend back. I'm so grateful that you're safe and sound, despite your current predicament." The young teen smiled, breaking off the hug before tidying up his jacket. "There, got that out of my system. Now let us begin our—"

"Ren!" A familiar voice called out, catching the duo off-guard as they saw Reina approach them, only for her to hug her older brother firmly.

"W-What are you doing here, Reina?" Ren inquired.

"I knew you had good intentions all along, I just knew it!" She replied, wiping a few small tears from her eyes as Huey soon joined the trio inside the Alamissa Urben.

"W-Were you two listening to us the entire time?" Julius asked, shooting a quick glance at the redhead.

"Sorry, but Reina really wanted to follow you two here, and I couldn't let her go out on her own. I told her that we should just go back, but she wouldn't listen to me. Once she get's an idea in her head, it's impossible to stop her." Huey defended Reina and himself.

"Hahaha, ain't that the truth?" The raven-haired teen chuckled lightly, breaking off the hug with his sister. "But you and Huey should really go back home. Not the city, but back home; things are only going to get worse from here on out."

"I'm not going back to the city, nor will I go back to Goldenleaf. If you two are going to risk your lives for the sake of dealing with this Rift, then I wanna come too." Reina rebutted, not wanting to be left out.

"Reina, you do not understand these Rifts at all. They're dangerous…so very dangerous. An over exposure to them will damage your psyche, bringing out your inner demons to the surface. I know this, because it happened to me. That day…that horrid day, oh how I wish I could forget about it." Julius began.

"Absolutely right; this is nothing like those TV shows we used to watch together. I-I might not be able to keep you safe if we get ourselves into a bad spot. I don't want to lose you, sis…" Ren chimed in.

"But we have Pokémon! Not as much as you two, but enough to be useful!" The red-haired boy chimed in. "The other day, I wanted to go back home, but being out of the city made me realize how much I relied on my sister to accomplish things. If I'm out here, then that means I can gain the strength I need to be independent! I will then use this newfound strength to find my sister…and thank her for all she's done for me."

"Exactly! I wasn't even a trainer before you left, but I managed to travel around the entire region by myself. I bet I could hold my own against you in a battle!" Reina added, a low chuckle escaping from Ren's mouth.

"Heh, so that's how it is, then? Very well, you two can come, but if things get too dicey, you WILL leave." He conceded, the two younger children jumping for joy.

"Yes! We won't let you down!" Huey cheered.

"Got it!" The raven-haired girl chimed in.

"Then let's get moving. Alamissa Urben is a dangerous place to traverse, so tread carefully." Ren informed then, the young teen leading the way as the other three followed him towards the ruined city.

 **0000**

When the group arrived at the ruined city, everyone except for Ren was taken aback by the destruction that laid right before their eyes. Entire houses were blown up, reduced to piles of rubble and wood, pathways were blown up, creating holes that lead down towards the depths of this place, and the buildings that were still standing somehow had all their color eroded, leaving them as pale husks of what they once were. The roads going through the city had a few ruined tanks left abandoned on them, leading them to think that the town was a victim of an invading army. But who that army were and why they caused so much chaos was a complete mystery to the group.

"My word…what happened here?" Julius inquired, taking a few steps to inspect the carnage, only for a flash of light to catch him off guard. When he uncovered his eyes; he saw a most startling sight, the entire city was in pristine condition, as if the incident had never happened in the first place. As far as his eyes could see, there were young children playing with their Pokémon while their affectionate grandparents kept an eye on them from one the various wooden benches that lined up the place. But as quickly as it occurred, another flash shone through the area, the young teen stepping back as he now saw the city in its ruined state again. "D-Did you all see that?! Did you see that?"

"See what, Julius?" Reina inquired, a look of curiosity on her face.

"I-I saw what this town was like before the war; it had so many bright colors and the people were minding their own business, enjoying the day with their family. But then it flashed back to reality, back to this ruined city before us. I-It's almost like I got a glimpse of the past; please tell me you saw it." He began rambling, but the other three looked at him oddly.

"Sorry, I can't say I had a vision like yours. Are you sure you're alright?" Huey replied, a little unnerved by what Julius was talking about.

"Y-Yeah, I'm alright. Look, I know that it sounds far-fetched, but I wouldn't lie to you all." The young teen answered.

"There's got to be a logical reason why Julius was the only one who saw that vision; I don't know what it is, but perhaps we'll get our own visions soon enough. That said, we should get a move on." Ren called out to the others, the group of four continuing their trip through the ruined city, unaware that they were being watched from afar. While they were continuing their exploration, the raven-haired teen decided to ask his friend a few questions, questions that he wanted some answers for. "Hey, Julius…how have Melia and the other's been going? It's been a while since I last saw her, and we didn't part on good terms, so I want to know what you got up to while I was…absent."

"It's been quite a roller-coaster since we last saw each other; the first notable incident was when Melia, Venam and I were trapped in Kristiline Town, at the hands of that batshit crazy woman Angie. Remember when I told you about how the Dimensional Rift screws with your mind? That was when I received first-hand experience of that wretched experience. But if that wasn't enough, she had to watch her adoptive father, Professor Jenner die before her very eyes. It wasn't a painless death either; he was pushed into the lava by Geara for betraying Team Xen and attempted to rescue Nim from their clutches." Julius began, a tightening sensation coursing through Ren's heart.

"J-Jenner…" He began weakly, now knowing the full truth of what happened that very day. as an agent of Team Xen, he had heard part of the story from Nastasia, but she was mainly complaining about how Madelis' gambit ruined the entire plan. Hearing that Professor Jenner had died that very day, giving up his life in order to atone for betraying his daughter had stung him, especially since the duo had befriended each other during his time as his assistant. "T-Then what happened?"

"Melia, Venam and I went to West Gearen to deal with the green fog that had settled in the area, with some help from a guy named Kanon. He's a really chill dude and was a childhood friend of Melia from before she had met you." The young teen continued, choosing to keep the part about time travel secret for now. "Afterwards, the four of us arrived at Grand Dream City and explored the place for a little while. Things were looking up for once until…until Venam got petrified. Poor Melia…she was so distraught over what had happened to her; I tried my best to comfort her, but I knew it wouldn't be enough. Ever since then, the two of us have been searching around for a cure, but we haven't had any luck so far."

"I-I see…poor Venam, I hope you two find the cure for her condition in the near future." Ren offered his condolences, with Julius shooting him a nod of appreciation. "H-Has Melia talked about me recently, or at all since that day?"

"Not to my knowledge. From what I gather, she's still angry at you for your choice, believing that you betrayed her trust. I haven't had the courage to ask her, lest I get a slap across the face." He replied.

"Understandable, I can see why she thought I betrayed her. Hopefully, when I see her next, I can offer my side of the story to her. Who knows, perhaps when all this is over, the four of us could hang out again, just like the good old days." The raven-haired teen expressed his desires, reminiscing on all the fun they've had together.

"Yeah…I'd like that as well." Julius agreed, the group continuing to walk through the ruined city, only for Huey to step back in shock as he started to rub his eyes.

"I-I saw it! I saw that thing that Julius mentioned earlier!" The redhead exclaimed, only for Ren and Reina to step back in surprise momentarily, rubbing their eyes as they too saw a vision of the past.

"I-I saw it just then! Seems that Julius was telling the truth after all." The raven-haired girl chimed in.

"I've been here before and experienced these visions firsthand. Hence why I knew Julius was telling the truth. They have this…haunting feeling about it; what with the townsfolk oblivious as to what's going to happen to them." Ren chimed in, looking towards the sky. "Those visions…those visions are what the town used to look like. I don't know what exactly happened here, but I'm sure you could piece it together based on what lies before your eyes."

"So when will we get to see this Ryland fellow Alexandra mentioned earlier?" The young teen inquired.

"Very soon; we're at the end of the place. I'm sure he would be waiting for us, possibly to fight us. Therefore, it would be wise to prepare beforehand." The raven-haired teen answered, gesturing the group to follow him as they walked up the flight of stairs before them and into the next room. Upon entering inside, the group of four walked quietly, noticing a lone figure gazing upon the ruins quietly. He had short, reddish-orange hair that was spiked up in a few places, and matching orange eyes that seemed to pierce through whatever it was he was looking at. His outfit was more regal than one would expect, with a red-button up suit that had a tail at the bottom, pitch-black pants made from the finest silk available, and a billowing reddish-orange cape that reached the back of his legs. Julius had to admit something, the man before him was pretty damn handsome.

"Hmmm? I didn't expect the ones to disturb this place to be you four." The man commented, directing his gaze towards the four teenagers.

"Our apologies, Ryland. We simply wished to pass through this area." Ren bowed respectfully, with the other three soon following suit.

"You show more respect than I expected for someone who has no connection to this place. Tell me, did any of you see the visions of the past?" Ryland inquired. "The ones I've layered around Alamissa?"

"Yes we have, sir. But are you saying that you were the reason we saw those visions?" Julius answered, with the older man giving a nod of confirmation.

"I was able to discover a way to bring the past to the present, using the power of the Timesplicer Stones, but it only last for a short amount of time. It's my way of telling the story of Alamissa Urben. It is important that I keep its story alive. After all, no one outside the Badlands even knows this place exists." He explained, turning his gaze to the side momentarily.

"That…makes a lot of sense, truth be told. But why is this place so important to you?" Reina inquired. "Why live here instead of Sashila Village?"

"I'm not going to beat around the bush here; I stay here because I refuse to let go of my homeland." Ryland began, outstretching his right arm to show off the ruined home before them. "This place was a beacon of hope for the people of the Badlands. When the calamity began, it started in this very area. We were hit the hardest, but nobody came to our aid despite that. We had to build our civilization from the ground up, but even with the combined teamwork of us all, creation a civilization where so much destruction took place was heard work. Our incredible determination was not enough to fulfill our wishes, which was when a man named William Grevillea and his assistant Herald Jenkel found our city."

' _Jenkel…where have I heard that name before?'_ Julius thought to himself, scratching his mind over that small detail.

"With his vast amount of research and technology, he began to restore the nearby areas. Oases started to spring up, Pokémon began coming back…things were starting to turn around for us after so much pain and misery. However, it wouldn't last; Team Xen attacked us with the intent to kill each and every one of us. And the one in charge of that invasion was none other than Grand Dream City's "illustrious" mayor, Cassandra." The older man continued, catching all of the group, sans Julius off-guard.

"C-Cassandra?! Y-You can't be serious!" Huey exclaimed in surprise.

' _Seems that hunch Erin and I had about her was right; she was hiding something after all…'_ The young teen thought to himself.

"Oh I am serious indeed. Anyway, something incredible happened during that battle. The ground beneath Alamissa opened up and Cassandra called for an immediate retreat. She thought that the crevice would finish us off, but her arrogance would prove to be her downfall. My brother Adam and I survived the attack, along with Alexandra and her brother Damien. The four of us searched for any survivors we could and bring them to a new location, I'm sure at least one of you has come across the Ruined City during your explorations?"" Ryland stated, with the four teenagers looking at each other briefly.

"W-We didn't, mister. We were told to stay clear of that place as bandits have taken up residence in that area." Reina answered quietly.

"That place was our second home before it became what it is today; I was certain we would all die out there when we arrived. But we were saved by a stranger, a girl named appeared and saw our plight. She had come to finish what her father, the previously mentioned William Grevillea had started. Flora restored the land west of the Ruined City, which is where Sashila Village was born." The older man concluded his tale, the group of four intrigued by what they had heard.

"That's a fascinating tale indeed, but why tell us this?" The raven-haired girl inquired, a casual smile on Ryland's face.

"I'm merely giving you all an explanation for my loyalty to Bladestar. All of us have our reasons for doing what we do; we all fight for something, no matter what side we're on. I'm sure you all have a story for why you fight for your respective side?" He replied.

"I do have a story to tell; a story to redeem myself for the mistakes I've made, to respect and honor the memory of my fallen friends, and to ensure that I never experience a nightmare like that again." Julius replied quietly.

"I also have a story to tell; I've come a long way and experienced much to reach this point." Ren chimed in.

"As have I, however it'll be impossible for us to see eye to eye." Ryland gazed coldly at the raven-haired teen. "I will never forgive Team Xen for what they have done to me and my people, nor will I forgive those who chose to sit around and do nothing while we suffered. Please forgive me, but I have to do this." The orange-haired man stated, snapping his fingers as a group of four Bladestar administrators approached the teenagers.

"W-We're surrounded!" Huey exclaimed in surprise.

"I know what you all came here for; I will not allow you to enter Zone Zero." Ryland stated bluntly, pointing towards the teenagers. "Get them, but do not harm them. I do not wish for anymore blood to be shed upon this place."

"Looks like we're in a sticky situation. What do you say to teaming up against them, like in the good old days?" Julius offered, as a toothy grin appeared on Ren's face.

"Hell yeah, I've been wanting to fight alongside you for a long time now. Reina, Huey, you take on those two; we'll handle the other two!" Ren agreed adamantly.

"Got it!" They both complied with his plan, the group of four splitting into two teams of two to deal with the Bladestar ambush.

"This'll be a cakewalk!" One of the admins facing Ren and Julius boasted, as he and his co-worker sent out a Walrein and Alolan Ninetales respectively, the two Ice-types standing firmly before the duo. Both Ren and Julius quietly pondered on what Pokémon to send out first, opting to go for Greninja and Sylveon respectively, the latter turning to face her new trainer in confusion.

"I know it may be weird to see me in place of my mother, but if you can help me out in this battle, I'll greatly appreciate it." The young teen requested, with Sylveon giving him a determined nod before staring down her enemies.

The Ninetales started off by channeling its hidden power to send a light blue ball of energy into the sky, the ball soon exploding as it started to hail inside the ruined house, invigorating both Ice type Pokémon. With the hailstorm at full power, the Walrein took in a deep breath and blew a massive gust of wind at the duo, the powerful blizzard sending shiver's down the Greninja's spine. However the nimble frog was far from defeated, it's tongue changing color to a deep purple as it retched up a ball of noxious garbage from its mouth and hurled it at the Ninetales, sending the fox Pokémon flying back as it skidded on the ground. Picking itself back up, it stood firm and channeled it's inner power before firing a beam of icy cold energy at the Sylveon, who stood her ground before retaliating with a Moonblast, the two powerful attacks colliding in mid-air as they battled for dominance. However, the previous attack had weakened the Ninetales greatly, enabling the Sylveon to take the initiative and deal a devastating blow to her foe, with the fox Pokémon getting sent hurtling towards a wall before crashing into it. When the small blanket of dust had died down, it showed that the Ninetales was knocked out.

"Tch, lucky break." The second Bladestar admin scoffed, recalling her Pokémon before opting to send out her Drampa, the usually serene Dragon letting out a roar of determination. The Drampa reared its neck and began to collect energy in its mouth, the bright orange ball of energy growing bigger and bigger by the second. A few moments later, it fired the energy in a mighty beam of light, striking the poor Sylveon as she was sent flying back several feet and crashed on the ground. But despite the beams power, her impressive defenses were able to shine through, with the Intertwining Pokémon managing to get back up. Knowing that the amount of energy used in the attack would cause the Drampa to rest momentarily, both Pokémon figured it would be a smart idea to target the Walrein and deal with it quickly. The Greninja began climbing up on the wall to distract the walrus, the latter shooting a series of ice shards at the nimble frog, who retaliated by striking down the shards with water shurikens.

This distraction gave Sylveon ample opportunity to change the surrounding area, a sweet-smelling mist emanating from her feelers as the surrounding area was now filled with the enchanting mist. The Sylveon chirped happily, the mist granting her a sizable power boost as the wondrous feeling coursed through her body as she lunged at the Walrein and tackled it. The large walrus was taken aback by the sudden attack, skidding backwards on the floor for a few feet as it maintained it's footing. However, the Greninja would soon leap off the wall and dove towards the Walrein, the frogs tongue now a orangish-brown as it delivered a swift kick to the back of its head, the walrus letting out a surprised bellow as it staggered on the spot before slumping to the ground. By this point, the Drampa had managed to recover and began charging up another beam of energy in the hopes of taking its foes out. But the Greninja was able to counter in time, it's tongue changing color to a baby blue as it quickly conjured up a ball of ice-cold energy and channeled it into a beam, the attack striking its foe and froze it in place.

"Phew, a bit of a tight spot but we were able to pull through!" Ren chimed in, with both admins surprised at the duo's tactics as they promptly recalled their Pokémon.

"Not bad for a Xen rat, but you stand no chance against us!" The first Bladestar admin retorted, as he and his partner promptly sent out a Volcarona and Dhelmise respectively. The sentient anchor started things off by calling forth a series of ethereal chains and aimed them at the Sylveon, who attempted to dodge the attack but was unsuccessful and was promptly ensnared by the attack. This had caused the Intertwining Pokémon to panic, who started striking the chains with her feelers in an attempt to break free, but the chains held onto their victim firmly. This gave the Volcarona the chance for a free hit, the fiery moth conjuring up a terribly hot gust of wind that blew the pink mist away, striking the Slyveon as she was sent flying back towards Julius' feet, the small Fairy Pokémon attempting to get back up, but was unable to.

"Please don't exert yourself, you did more than enough for today…" The young teen consoled his friend, gently petting her head before recalling her to her ball. Eyeing up the two powerful Pokémon before him, Julius sent out his Astronite and began formulating a plan on how to deal with them as soon as possible. Noticing his friend's look of determination, Ren soon came up with an idea of his own, but it would require a little switching up, so to speak.

"Greninja, time to switch things around with U-Turn!" He requested, with his comrade giving him a quick nod as he lunged at the Dhelmise, the frog's tongue a light green as it kicked the sentient anchor before leaping back towards Ren, the raven-haired teen recalling it before sending out his Arcanine. The large dog let out a loud roar that sent shiver's down the spines of its foes, building up a large ball of fire in its mouth before firing it in a stream at the Dhelmise. The ghostly anchor let out a low moan of pain as it swung around the area in a frantic attempt to put the fire out, with the Volcarona flying back in order to avoid getting struck down. But as it was flying back, it was left open to the Astronite, who conjured up a series of sharp rocks and rained them down onto the two Pokémon, sending the large moth crashing into the Dhelmise as they crumpled onto the ground, neither of them able to continue battling.

"H-How did you know what I was planning to do?" Julius inquired, amazed at how Ren was able to plan things perfectly.

"I had a hunch you'd send out a Rock-type Pokémon to deal with the Volcarona, determining it to be the more serious threat. So I found a way to get my Arcanine out and have it use Flamethrower on the Dhelmise; Dhelmise are known to panic when the seaweed that forms their body is on fire, and would do anything to put it out. This of course, lowered the Volcarona's guard, enabling your Astronite to land a critical hit easily." The raven-haired teen explained, intriguing Julius with his newfound cunning. Someday, he would hope to have a rematch with his friend to see what other tactics he has up his sleeve.

"Seems like you two are competent battlers; a shame you're not on our side, you would've gone far in Bladestar." The female admin chimed in, as she and her partner recalled their Pokémon before opting to send out their next combatants, a Whimsicott and a Diggersby. The large rabbit began flexing it's massive ears, beckoning the enemy Pokémon to attack it while the Whimsicott let out a quick chime of happiness. Almost immediately, the Whimsicott took to the skies and launched a few seeds from its cottony body, falling onto the Astronite as they soon sported vines that ensnared the extraterrestrial Pokémon. The Traveler Pokémon let out a low moan of pain, feeling its body getting drained of energy as it retaliated by levitating a few rocks and flung them at the Whimsicott, pushing it back a few feet.

Meanwhile, the Diggersby raised its arms in the air and slammed them down onto the ground, creating a powerful tremor that struck the Arcanine, causing it to fall over and hit the ground hard. The large dog managed to get back onto its feet and lunged at the bulky rabbit, its body cloaked in fire as it tackled the Diggersby into the wall, creating a small cloud of dust that blanketed the area. The Arcanine walked back to its trainer, confident in its victory, only for a pair of arms to snatch the dog up, the Legendary Pokémon letting out a confused howl as it saw the Diggersby emerge from the hole in the wall. Holding on to it firmly, it leapt up high into the air before slamming down onto the ground, causing the place to quiver slightly as a concerned look grew on Ren's face. When the dust died down, it showed that both Pokémon were knocked out, with the Digging Pokémon having used a risky method to deal with its foe.

"Arcanine, I'm glad you're alright!" The raven-haired teen ran over to his fallen friend, sighing in relief that, while injured, his Arcanine would be alright after a good night's rest. Promptly recalling it to its ball, Ren spent a few seconds deciding what his next Pokémon will be, opting to settle for his Scizor.

"N-Not good…I'm down to my last Pokémon." The male Bladestar admin began to panic, recalling his Diggersby before sending out his Whiscash, the calm Pokémon letting out a sigh of content. Seeing that his comrade was in danger, the Scizor prioritized dealing with the Whimsicott, the study Bug Pokemon's pincers glowing a lustrous silver as it lunged at the Windveiled Pokémon and punched it, the small Pokémon letting out a cry of surprise as it was sent flying back. The Scizor proceeded to snip the vines off of Astronite, who let out a quick chirp of gratitude before opting to deal with the Whiscash, who charged up a Water Pulse and spewed it at the Scizor. The Traveler Pokémon took the attack for its teammate, opting to retaliate by ensnaring the Whiskers Pokémon with its psychic power, levitating it into the air momentarily before flinging it towards the Whimsicott. Watching the two enemy Pokémon crash into each other, the Scizor sprang off the wall and struck them down with its pincers, the two Pokémon crashing into the ground and kicked up some more dust, covering the arena as all four trainers covered their faces for protection. Once the dust died down, it showed that both the Whimsicott and the Whiscash were knocked out, the two Bladestar admins shocked to their core over the sight.

"T-This can't be possible; you're just a pair of ordinary trainers, or are you…?" The female admin exclaimed, the duo recalling their Pokémon as they checked upon their other co-workers. To their dismay, they saw that Reina and Huey had defeated them fairly easily, the two young teens sporting triumphant grins on their faces.

"To think there are trainers out there with the strength to easily defeat Bladestar's elite admins…" Ryland mused, having watched the battle from a safe distance as he approached the four teens. "It's trainers like you who cause so much pain and suffering."

"Ryland, we do not wish to cause you or your people any pain. We only want to—" Julius began, only for the older man to raise his hand in the air.

"Please, let me finish." He requested, the young teen keeping quiet as requested. "It's because of outsiders like you that the people of the Badlands endured such hardship! We wouldn't be in this position if the world didn't turn a blind eye to our plight. That, is why I put my faith and trust into Flora. She helped us out when nobody else would, offering her ear to our pleas for salvation."

"But is that truly what you believe?" Ren inquired, with Ryland raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "After everything you hope to achieve, do you really think Flora is the one to do it? You say you put your total faith and trust into Flora, but you're a high-ranking member of Bladestar. You know everything she's done and everything she's going to do."

"Y-You don't know what you're talking about!" Ryland shot back quickly.

"Oh, but I do, as do my sister Reina, and my friend Julius. The three of us grew up in a place bogged down by past hardships, which fostered a hostile attitude towards outsiders. I wanted to be the one to change that way of thinking, to be the hero that Goldenleaf needed and to show them the world. Kind of like how you want to be the hero of the Badlands, that is how we are alike." The raven-haired teen began.

"Alike? Hah, I beg your pardon? You dishonored yourself by joining an organization like Team Xen." The older man scoffed at him.

"And you joined Bladestar, a radical group that will stop at nothing for the world to accept their ideals. But you don't have to be a part of that, you can still leave. Try and shape the Badlands how you see them, not how Flora does. You and I both know that she's not the one to change this place. Don't allow yourself to be trapped by a cruel decision like I have." Ren continued, catching the older man off-guard with his words. Somehow…somehow this young man had reads through him as if he were a children's novel.

"I-I must admit, you read me like a book. Seeing through my façade is something not many people can do; most impressive indeed. Personally, I still think we cannot see eye to eye completely, but the both of us have a lot to work on as a person." Ryland began, taking a deep breath to collect his thoughts. "For as much good as Flora has done for this place, she is not the answer for this place. I followed her ideals blindly, making myself believe that I was doing the right thing. Because following her meant the restoration of the Badlands, but at what cost? The destruction of everywhere else? We would be no better than the ones who left us to die. Flora…she's just as manipulative as Madame X."

"S-So, what will you do next, Ryland?" Reina inquired cautiously, the older man turning his head to face the ruined wall.

"As the saying goes, if you want to do things right, you have to do them yourself. I'll let you four go through." He answered, catching the four admins off-guard. "As for you four, tell Flora that while I greatly appreciate all that she's done for the people of the Badlands, I wish to take over the restoration of the Badlands from here on out."

"Flora's going to get really angry at you, sir. You'll be sorry for this!" One of the admins retorted, storming out with the other three following right behind him.

"You four, there's something I wish to speak to you about. As a high-ranking member of Bladestar, I've been brief in on future missions that Bladestar have laid out. One in particular, I must warn you about—" The orange-haired man began

"Oh what's this? You made up already? That's no fun at all…" A mysterious voice called out, a portal suddenly opening before the group as a most mysterious figure emerged from it. The figure had dark brown skin, spiky black hair and wore a pair of futuristic shades over his eyes. His outfit greatly resembled a white spacesuit and he was hovering on some sort of skateboard, made from what looked like futuristic technology. "I don't suppose I'm interrupting something? Like a cool summer breeze, I'll make my way into this conversation."

"W-Who is that man…?" Julius whispered to his friends, taken aback by his sudden arrival.

"Remember that stranger who attacked Alexandra? That's him over there." Ren whispered back, shooting a glare at the mysterious man. "I can't believe you have the audacity to follow me all the way here!"

"Ah-ah-ah, put those claws away, kitty cat. I'm not here for you. I thought this whole thing would've gone another way, but you losers kept to the same script! A real man knows when to adapt to everything, like a cup of red dye and sparkling clear water." The mysterious man rambled in an intoxicatingly smooth voice, the group of five eying him up oddly.

"What are you even talking about, mister?" Huey chimed in.

"I don't know, but I love that silky-smooth voice of his!" Reina replied dreamily, with her brother shooting her a quick look of disapproval.

"I appreciate the comment little lassie, but it's a shame I've gotta drop on in like this. How about we all go on a ride? Admission for five?" The man offered.

"Pardon me, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. We won't be going anywhere with you." Ryland requested, reaching for a Pokéball. "If you refuse to heed my words, then I'm afraid I'm going to have to resort to violence. Is that clear?"

"I'm afraid you misunderstand. I said admission for five; you are so not invited." The mysterious man ignored Ryland's request, turning to face the other four. "As for everyone else...buckle up, because the ride will be bumpy!"

Upon saying those words, he dove towards the group of four at incredible speeds, his body and board glowing as he struck the four teens. Within an instant, the five of them were teleported away from Alamissa Urben, and taken to somewhere else entirely, leaving a confused Ryland all on his own.

 **Another chapter wrapped up nicely; I especially loved the reunion between Julius and Sylveon. Some people may be a little upset that I copied the ending to Chapter 15 at the beginning, but given how Ren was telling Julius about what had happened, I figured it would make sense to show the conversation between him and Crescent. Now the next chapter will be amazing as it'll cover the part where you get to play as Melia during her investigation in the Scholar District. Thank you all for reading and supporting this story, I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	51. Chapter 51

**Welcome back everyone, to my favorite part of Episode 11 of Pokémon Rejuvenation. Yep, it's the part where you get to play as Melia as she and Erin continue to investigate the various questions they encountered during their journey. It was a fantastic part of the game so I hope I can do it the proper justice it deserves.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Scholar District: Blakeory Atheneum**

While Julius and the others were getting taken to who knows where, Melia and Erin were busy continuing their investigation at the library. Or more accurately, Erin was continuing the investigation as Melia was busy staring outside the window, gazing at the vast lake flowing through the district.

"Hey, Melia. Are you going to help me, or are you going to just stare off into space all day?" Erin called out, alerting the blonde as she quickly made her way to the empty seat.

"S-Sorry about that, I was just distracted over something." The blonde apologized quickly.

"Yeah, I've noticed. You've been acting strangely ever since we got here. It's pissing me off to be honest; are you here to work or not?" The white-haired girl asked her curtly.

"Y-Yeah, I'm here to work, I promise! It's just that this place…never mind, it's not worth talking about right now. Let's just get back to what we were doing." Melia replied, taking a book and began sifting through it as Erin gazed at her quietly. There was definitely more to the blonde's constant daydreaming than she's letting on, but for now she was grateful that the latter was helping her out now.

"By the way, did you find out anything from the receptionist?" Erin inquired.

"Yeah, Rune checked those books out a month ago. I asked her if she was acting strange or anything, but she didn't have an answer for me. Well she did, but it went like 'Ma'am, I just work here so I can get money off my tuition'. And then she sent me off." The blonde answered, making her voice a little high-pitched when imitating the receptionist's quote.

"How polite of her." The white-haired girl snarked.

"Anyway, there's something I wanted to check on, so I'm going to use the computers in the upstairs lab." Melia stated, closing the book and left it on the table.

"Fine by me. I'll be down here, reading. If anything interesting comes up, I'll give you a call." Erin replied, taking the book that Melia had closed and began reading it as the blonde hopped off her seat and began the quick journey to the computer lab, specifically the computer on the far-left as that was the one assigned to her for today. Arriving at the computer lab, she made her way to the unoccupied computer and sat down beside it, taking a few seconds to get comfortable.

"Time to find out what's logged in these databases. Surely there must be something of use to me in their archives." The blonde spoke to herself, mulling over what to search up first. "Why don't we see what they have on Madame X?"

Typing away on the keyboard, she proceeded to tap the enter button, and was greeted with…more results than she anticipated. Most of them were for unrelated topics such as TV shows, internet personalities, and even a war veteran, but there was an article for the Madame X she was looking for. Clicking on the first article that came up, Melia was a little disappointed to see how barebones the article was; asides from a police sketch of her based on an eyewitness report, there was nothing but a small blurb that read _'Leader of the criminal organization, Team Xen. Her whereabouts and goals are often speculated, but not confirmed. Any further information on her is scare; she is still at large'_.

"Scarce is right, they have virtually nothing about her here…is there really no information about her anywhere?" Melia began, a small sigh escaping from her mouth before something suddenly popped in her mind. Interceptor; the term that had stuck onto Julius' back ever since they arrived to this sprawling metropolis. Madame X spoke of it briefly, but from her tone of voice, it was of great importance to the grand scheme of things. Perhaps there was something about it that could be of use to her in the long run. Opting to take a chance, the blonde began typing away and tapped the enter button, hoping it would pay off. And it did…sort of; she found a single result for the term, but it was locked behind a _(classified information)_ barrier, indicating that this knowledge wasn't for the public's eyes. "Huh, what's this weird icon at the end of the results tab?" She commented, hovering her mouse towards the icon, which looked like some sort of old-fashioned theatre mask, a smirk plastered on its face.

"Hey, what are you doing?" A voice suddenly called out to her, catching the blonde off-guard as she soon saw an older gentleman beside her, the same one that Julius had encountered moments before he got kicked out.

"Gahh!" Melia exclaimed in surprise.

"Oh honestly, there's no need to scream so loudly." Thomas retorted.

"And there's no reason to sneak up on people either!" The blonde retorted back.

"Sneaking up on you? Lady, I've been standing here for at least five minutes now, and I've been thinking about you for the past ten minutes. I've come to the conclusion that you and I would make the most efficient power couple this entire region has ever seen. Not romantically, of course. Money is always first. Business partners, if you will. Join me and help me dominate this world with our incredible amount of partnership and money." The wealthy man offered, causing Melia to shiver on the inside. If this was his way of flirting with her, then it was the feeblest attempt she has ever seen. Besides, she already had two people she was romantically interested in, and that wouldn't change if her life depended on it.

"No." Melia answered bluntly, the older man sighing in response.

"Well, it was worth a try. I must say that you are turning down quite the opportunity, though. I always try to give to the poor, but they're never willing to take. It's that disgusting pride they all have; it's holding them back." Thomas started begging her to reconsider.

' _You're one to talk about disgusting pride…'_ The blonde thought to herself, narrowing her gaze at the older man. "You're the one that got my friends kicked out of here, why would I want to speak to you after what you did?"

"Oh, you mean Julius and Huey? They're not worth the time and energy to fuss over. Those two will come crawling back as if nothing ever happened, a common trait between bugs like them." The older man scoffed, causing the blonde to glare viciously at him.

"Don't you DARE talk about my friends like that!" Melia yelled at the older man, attracting the attention of everyone in the computer lab.

"Now, now. No need to cause a scene, let me see what you're doing on that computer…" Thomas attempted to defuse the situation, gently pushing Melia aside as he began typing away on the keyboard, much to her chagrin.

"Hey! That's none of your business! Just who the hell do you think you are?!" She called out.

"Oh my…trying to access a restricted article? Trying to get kicked out yourself? You're doing this all wrong. I'll let you log into my account so that you can access this article." He replied, quickly typing away before pressing the enter button. "And…done! You can now read it to your heart's content."

"T-Thank you, I guess…?" Melia replied, making her way back to the computer as she soon turned to face him. "But why would you help me out?"

"There are four things I value in this world. Money, my family name, my company and intellect. When I found you, it looked like you were actually trying to learn something. That's far more than what other people can say when they walk in here. All they want to do is pass some exam and forget all that info. But you're different. Learning actually matters to you. You can say that trait of yours…captivated me. So learn, do whatever it is you must." Thomas explained, making his way to leave, but not before turning around one more time. "Hey, what was your name again?"

"It's Melia." The blonde replied. "And for someone who's a genuine asshole, you can be nice at times. So thank you."

"You're welcome. I will remember your name, Melia." He bid farewell, making his way to the stairs only for a tingling feeling to well up within his stomach. "Hmmm? What on earth is this feeling in my stomach? It feels…weird. Is it because I helped someone out? Oh my; I better make an appointment with my private doctor, I feel like there's something wrong with me…"

Watching the older man leave, Melia redirected her attention to the computer and accessed the file that had been giving her some trouble. Clicking onto it, she was soon taken back by what exactly she was reading, the article before her eyes revealing a wealth of information. "I-I have to tell Erin about this!" She stated, minimizing the page before quickly making her way downstairs to her friend. But upon arriving at the table where Erin was sitting, the blonde soon noticed that the white-haired girl was sifting through a box that looked exactly like the box from the theatre. "I-Is that the box from the Theater?"

"It's the same type of box, but not the exact same box from before. Some SPU delivery man dropped it off here, saying that it's for the both of us." Erin replied, gesturing Melia to look inside it. "As you can see, there's nothing here but a note and two medallions. The note mentions finding someone with the truth, somewhere in the library."

"We have to find someone? Who could this note be talking about?" The blonde inquired.

"No idea, but they probably know what's up with this box business. Perhaps we should go search for them now?" The white-haired girl suggested.

"Yes, but there's something I need to show you, right now. It may not be 100% related to our current objective, but I have a hunch it'll play an important role later down the road. Are you familiar with The Interceptor?" Melia began, causing Erin to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"I can't say that I have. Why'd you ask?" She inquired.

"Back when Julius and I had traveled to that alternate timeline, Madame X referred to him as The Interceptor. But this wasn't the first time I've heard that term; when Julius woke up in the hospital following his visit with the Puppet Master, he recalled being referred to as The Interceptor. However, neither Madame X or the Puppet Master elaborated on what that meant, and it's been driving him nuts, so I figured I'd help him out and do a bit of research on what it meant. What I found was so shocking, it would blow your mind." The blonde began.

"Is this another one of those 'miracle cures that doctors hate' or something? Because it's starting to sound like that." Erin quipped. "I'm in no mood to be dragged into clickbaity news sites and all that junk, so do you mind telling me instead?"

"I'll try my best, but it's best if you see it yourself." The blonde began, taking in a deep breath. "So in this context, the term Interceptor comes from Garufan culture. The Interceptor is someone who intercepts the phenomenon known as Fate's Passage."

"Fate's Passage…I've read about that before. It's the belief that everything in this world belongs to an already written destiny. Everything we do was already predestined." The white-haired girl began.

"Correct, but The Interceptor is one who lives outside that law. The one that intercepts fate's passage. But that's not all, according to the page I read, The Interceptor is usually called upon by the universe when the world is in immense danger. When this happens, the being is brought in to act as the judge of this world. They're seen as sort of a…last ditch effort, so to say. The Interceptor has the ability to send the world into peace or destruction. It's all up to their mercy…" Melia continued, with Erin taking the time to digest all the information given to her. "The page also explained that there are weird phenomenons surrounding The Interceptor. Sometimes they know things when they shouldn't and they can appear and disappear as if they were just an apparition. Reading that page, it reminded me of something that happened at Valor Mountain. I saw Julius get thrown into a pit of lava; there was no way he could've survived it. But then he appeared out of nowhere, as if nothing had happened. And then again, when he sacrificed himself to save me from Melanie and her Yveltal. Madame X says she saw me reviving him, but that's the one thing about that timeline that I don't remember. I recall falling off the castle, seeing Venam's spirit come to save me, using my power to defeat Melanie and restore the ruined planet. But I do not remember bringing Julius back to life. Perhaps…perhaps he had used his illusionary powers to make it look like I revived him, tricking everyone else into thinking I saved him. A last-ditch effort to keep his secret safe from Madame X, perhaps? Then again, I doubt he tricked me; after all he claims to have no knowledge of his role as The Interceptor. I don't know; this is so much to take in."

"Now you've reminded me of something Aelita told me. She said that when Julius was with her in Carotos Mountain, he vanished. She spent the next week looking around for him, only for him to suddenly appear in Sheridan Village, as if nothing had happened to him at all." Erin chimed in, the duo's minds flaring like crazy over this sudden revelation. "I'm sorry, there's a lot I have to think about. Please go find the individual spoken about on the note."

"Got it!" Melia replied, making her way towards the main lobby, only for Erin to call out to her. "Yeah?"

"Melia, do you trust Julius? Can you really put your faith in him now that you know what we know?" She inquired, causing the blonde to think for a moment. Erin's concerns were valid; she had just learned that her friend has the potential to either save this world, or condemn it to a fate similar to the one experienced by the survivors of that alternate timeline. However, Melia knows him all too well; he would never condemn this world to destruction, as it would ensure the suffering of his dearest allies.

"With all my heart, I trust him. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for him." Melia smiled, a sigh of content escaping from her mouth. "He's so amazing you know? Going through all this effort to find a cure for Venam. Not to mention that he's kind, intelligent and so hand—"

"I get it Melia, he's worth trusting. Now quit dawdling and find the person mentioned in the note." The white-haired girl broke up her friend's rambling, turning to study the medallions as the blonde saw what looked like the faintest of smiles on her face. With a renewed vigor in her step, Melia began searching the library and questioned everyone she can, asking if they were the one who knows the truth. At first, her quest wasn't making any progress as everyone gave her weird looks before walking off, but then the blonde saw a young boy sitting down by a chair near the entrance, his outfit a lot fancier than one would expect a child to wear.

"Excuse me, but would you happen to be the one who knows the truth?" Melia asked, the boy turning to face her.

"Ah…you must be the one the Puppet Master told me about." The boy replied in a refined tone of voice. "Bring the Nightmare Medallions to the library tonight. That is all I will tell you, and all you need to know."

"O-Ok then, thank you then." She replied, a little unnerved over how calm and casual the boy was as she made her way back to where Erin was sitting. Truth be told, she didn't like the idea of using those Nightmare Medallions; the last time she got one, she was plagued with terrible nightmares. Additionally, that was right before Venam got petrified, but now she knew that the two events were unrelated to each other. But as she was making her way back to where Erin was, one of the librarians called out to her.

"Excuse me, but are you one of Erin's friends?" She inquired.

"Yes, I am. We're here working together on something." Melia answered, the librarian sighing in relief. "Why'd you ask?"

"N-No reason, I'm just glad that Erin finally found a friend." The clerk replied, with the blonde raising an eyebrow at her in confusion. "Erin's been sort of a…regular guest here at the library. Everyday she'd walk in here, go up those stairs and read. Alone. It was strange to me at the time. I asked myself, 'doesn't she have any friends to play with?'. So one day I went and asked her if everything was okay. She tried to shoo me away, but I was persistent and managed to get an answer out of her. She opened up to me and explained how she was bullied by her peers to the point of depression. They mocked her for everything, be it her book smarts, what she wore, the fact that she didn't have any parents, and so on…"

"Th-That's terrible…" The blonde winced, expressing sympathy for Erin over what she had endured during childhood.

"It was; she turned to books for comfort, the library being a safe haven for her." The clerk continued.

"I knew she was sort of introverted and somewhat hesitant to trust others, but I never would've thought it was the result of bullying. She always had this hardened attitude, filled to the brim of confidence. I'll admit, I was a little jealous of her in that regard." Melia commented quietly.

"Sometimes all that can be a show, or perhaps that's just what her past turned herself into. But I'm glad she found someone as nice as you." The clerk shot Melia a grateful smile.

"Thank you for telling me this." The blonde thanked, with the clerk nodding back as the teenage girl made her way to her friend. Upon arriving back at the table, she noticed that Erin was writing something down in a small book of sorts. "Erin…"

"Please, give me a moment. I'm writing down my thoughts in my notebook." Erin replied, quietly writing to herself for a moment. Once she was done, the white-haired girl closed the notebook and turned to face Melia, a look of sympathy etched on the blonde's face. "Alright, what's up? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"N-Nothing, I just wanted to let you know that I found the truth we were looking for." Melia informed her.

"Excellent, but before you tell me, may I ask you a question?" The white-haired girl requested, with the blonde giving her a firm nod. "Alright then, when we travelled through time, we ended up in the past, correct?"

"Yes, I'm 100% positive about that." She answered quickly.

"But why are you so sure about that? Is it because Spacea and Tiempa told you it was?" Erin pressed further, with Melia starting to grow a little uncomfortable.

"I mean, yeah, but the whole thing with Sheridan and Vivian…" The blonde replied, unsure on where Erin is going with this.

"I see…if that's the case, then things are starting to fall into place." The white-haired girl commented, with Melia raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "I think I've figured something out for a while now. All I needed was some more information before I could confirm it for myself. Of course, nothing's really confirmed, it's mostly just conjecture, but…"

"W-What is it? Please tell me!" Melia requested, intrigued at what Erin could possibly be talking about.

"Not a chance, I'm not going to say a thing until I'm 100% sure it's correct. Besides, if I just told you what I thought, you'd just blindly follow what I said. Get your own theory before looking at mine." Erin shot her down, her words holding some merit to the blonde despite their tone. After all, for a long time she assumed that Spacea and Tiempa were right all the time, merely absorbing their words without questioning them.

"I see…I take it that all your thoughts are in that notebook?" The blonde inquired, her gaze focusing on the closed book by Erin's hands.

"You've assumed correctly, but don't even think about looking. As a matter of fact, I'll be keeping it to myself." The white-haired girl answered, taking the notebook and tucking it away. "Now, about that truth you mentioned before?"

"Those medallions on the table are Nightmare Medallions; we have to come back at the library at midnight with them." Melia informed her, a small sigh escaping from Erin's mouth.

"They could've been original and set the time at anything besides midnight, but they decided to play it safe…" She commented under her breath. "Alright then, guess we gotta be here at midnight then."

"That's easier said than done, the library's closing at 7pm tonight." The blonde informed her, a look of intrigue forming on Erin's face.

"Now that's odd, this library is usually open 24/7. That's weirdly inconvenient. Eh, no biggie; we'll just hide here until everyone leaves. Luckily for you, I have the perfect hiding spot for us…" Erin reassured her, a small smirk on her face.

 **Later that night**

Checking to see if the coast was clear, Erin poked her head out from beneath the staircase to survey the area. Once she determined it to be devoid of life, she quickly gestured Melia to come out, the blonde slowly crawling out of the stairs as she dusted her outfit off. "See? I told you it was easy. The people here don't really care to check the place for unwanted guests. They just see if the power's off before locking up the place and heading home." Erin told her.

"How do you know so much about this place, Erin?" Melia asked, knowing all too well why she knows so much about the library.

"Let's just say this place used to be my second home and leave it at that. You learn a few things when you're here all the time." She replied, briefly glancing at the watch she wore. "It's just about midnight, and we have the medallions, so…guess we should take a look around."

The duo opted to begin their search on the second floor, checking every nook and cranny for a hint that could lead them forward, but after 15 minutes, they came up empty handed. Though a little frustrated, they weren't ready to throw in the towel yet and took their investigation downstairs, searching all around the vast library. Just was they were about to pass the front desk, they saw what looked like a blue portal of sorts appear on the floor right in front of the door leading to the archives.

"Looks like we found our reason for being here this late…shall we check it out?" The blonde proposed.

"Well it's not like we can do anything else, so let's go already." Erin replied, the duo hopping onto the mysterious portal as their bodies were soon coated in a light blue aura before disappearing from the room. They soon found themselves in some sort of…alternate dimension, the only noteworthy thing in the white void was a set of train tracks that seemed to go on for eternity. "Well wherever we are, we're not in the library anymore."

"It's a whole lot of nothing. Nothing to the right, nothing to the left. Where do we even begin searching." Melia inquired, looking around as something started to from behind them, loosely resembling blank mask.

"It's very likely that we've fallen into some other dimension. I don't think it's a Dimensional Rift, but the vibe I'm getting is sorta similar." The white-haired girl commented, looking around the area as well.

"If this truth turns out to be a whole load of nothing, I'm going to be very upset—" Melia huffed, turning around and caught a glimpse at the mask. "E-Erin, what is that?!"

"Don't look at me, I have no idea!" Erin shot back, a face soon forming on the mask making it resemble the smirk of a menacing jester. With a high-pitched, ominous chuckle, it slowly started to chase them as the two girls ran down the tracks to escape the menacing presence.

"W-Where are we running to?!" The blonde asked Erin.

"Does it look like I know? Just keep running!" She shot back, the duo continuing to run away from the mask. They kept this up for a few more minutes until Melia noticed something…odd about this situation. Not only does it feel like they weren't moving, but it feels as if the mask isn't moving as well.

"I-I don't think we're moving anywhere." The blonde called out.

"Y-Yeah, we're not moving at all…W-Woah! Now we are!" Erin replied, the duo gaining a sudden burst of speed as they ran down the tracks, the mask in hot pursuit of the duo.

"I-I see a light at the end of these tracks! Let's head towards that!" Melia told Erin, the duo noticing a glowing ball of light hovering over the tracks as they leaped into the ball, the mask grinding to a halt right before the light. The duo soon found themselves back in the library, quickly looking around the area in a daze of sorts. "W-What…what just happened? That wasn't a dream, right?"

"I certainly didn't dream that up…I think?" The white-haired girl replied, looking around her immediate surroundings. "But we managed to end up in the restricted archives, somehow. Perhaps this is where we will find the truth we're looking for."

"Phew…that whole experience with the mask scared me. But you seemed so…calm back there. Weren't you afraid at all?" The blonde inquired.

"That was child's play compared to what I've dealt with before." Erin replied quickly, with Melia having a firm hunch on what she was referring to, her eyes soon focused on something strange; another box resting atop a table. "Melia, come take a look at this!"

"Another package from the Puppet Master?" Melia inquired, the duo approaching the box as Erin opted to open it up rather quickly. "I'm not so sure we should be messing around with those things anymore, Erin. Just look at what happened before, that wasn't normal at all."

"So? We haven't been doing normal things for ages now. Why stop here when we're on a huge lead?" The white-haired girl shot back.

"…Good point." The blonde conceded, making her way to Erin's side to see what was in the box.

"Well talk about a huge lead; a note and two tickets to the Grand Dream Ball. The note reads 'The truth shall be made known during the climax of the Grand Dream Ball.'" Erin told her, taking the note and tickets out of the box.

"What's the Grand Dream Ball?" Melia inquired.

"You know how Grand Dream City is doing it's Dream Festival? Well the Grand Dream Ball is a small dinner that a lot of higher officials get to attend. It's super formal, everyone has to show up in formal wear and everything." The white-haired girl explained to her.

"Well if that's the case, I'll have to pick up something formal at the Shopping District." The blonde stated.

"No need to bother, I have something at home you can wear. The only problem is that the ball takes place immediately after our matches at the tournament. We're gonna have to book it if we wanna make it on time." Erin stated.

"Perhaps we could fly there on Hapi? It'll be a tight fit but I'm sure we can manage." Melia offered, with Erin mulling over it for a moment before accepting it.

"That's fine with me. But if you could go all golden and teleport us there, that could work as well." The white-haired girl cracked a joke, only for Melia to go deep into thought.

"I clearly know it's a joke, but it's frustrating to think about. I've tried to activate that power multiple times, in the hopes that I could bring back Venam, but it just won't come to me willingly. It only happens when I'm in a dire situation." The blonde stated, a small sigh escaping from her friend's mouth.

"Well that's useless…" Erin muttered, peeking into the box and raised an eyebrow. "Oh? There's something else in this box. It's for you, Melia."

"For me?" She inquired, with Erin reaching into the box and handed her a file titled "Project Rapture" on it. "Hmmm…I can't say the name rings any bells. May as well check it out."

Opening the file, the blonde began to read it quietly, with Erin watching her calmly as the faint ticking of the clock could be head from the other side of the door. A few minutes later, the white-haired girl noticed her friend…trembling? Though whether it was in sadness or anger was unknown. "A-Are you okay, Melia?"

"It can't be true…" She began, throwing the file to the ground. "THIS HAS TO BE A LIE! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS!"

"Relax, Melia. If you yell, we might get caught and thrown out…" Erin replied, picking up the file and began to read it, her eyes widening at the sight. The file was deemed an S rank in confidentiality, and had a pair of images, depicting Professor Jenner and Karrina.

' _This project is ranked S in confidentiality. All info included in this file should not be disclosed to any Storm Chaser besides Jenner and Karrina._

 _Project Rapture is the process of deceiving Melia into joining the Storm Chasers. Professor Jenner shall be given the Snag Machine by [Redacted]. He is then to notify Team Xen of Melia's presence at Goldenwood Forest._

 _When this happens, Melia is to escape Goldenwood Forest and return to East Gearen Laboratory. Professor Jenner would then send Melia to Route 2, where Spacea and Tiempa would appear before her. They will give the offer._

 _Karrina's position is to distract any companions of Melia. Anyone who decides to aid her shall be thrown off the main path. We have entrusted the TM 'Rock Smash' to her for this very reason._

 _[The following info should not be disclosed to Professor Jenner]  
After the project is complete, eradication of Professor Jenner's status shall proceed. More info shall be noted in file 'Project Eradication'.'_

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Storm Chasers were the name of the group you were a part of in the past, right?" Erin inquired.

"Th-That's correct…" The blonde answered uneasily, gazing at the file. "The file is about me. It's about the event that started all of this. Team Xen did plan to pick me up when I turned a certain age, but it looks like Spacea and Tiempa took this opportunity to manipulate me. They somehow found out about Team Xen's plan and flipped it on its head. They pushed me into a corner where saying no wasn't an option. They made it look like I had a choice, but I didn't. It was all a game to them. It looks like my dad was in on this as well, but the last few lines…"

"After the project is complete, eradication of Professor Jenner's status shall proceed. More info shall be noted in the file Project Eradication." The white-haired girl read the mentioned lines. "Looks like they were using him to get closer to you. Once the plan was complete, they planned on getting rid of him."

"And in Spacea and Tiempa's eyes, that can only mean death. He knew too much. I bet they were happy when they found out Crescent already took care of him. And then Karrina…someone who I thought was my friend…she was in on it too. She even knew they were going to kill my dad, but she went though with it anyway…" Melia continued, looking away from the wretched file. "But what is this information doing here? How could the Puppet Master get his hands on something like this? Just how many more lies have I been fed? All this time. everything I've done was exactly what Spacea and Tiempa wanted. They played me from the very beginning…I hate those deceitful women."

"Calm down, Melia. I understand your frustration and anger. You already cut ties with them, right?" Erin attempted to calm her friend down.

"Perhaps this is why Crescent went rogue. She must've found out something she wasn't supposed to, possibly a plan to dispose of her or something." The blonde mused to herself.

"Let's not jump to conclusions yet, we should do that once we gather our thoughts. For now, we're done here. Let's get out before we get caught." The white-haired girl suggested, the blonde taking in a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"You're right. Getting angry over this is dumb. But before we leave, can we visit one more place?" Melia requested, with Erin turning to her in intrigue. "I wish to visit the arena they have here."

"Very well, but it'll have to be quick." Erin agreed, the duo making their way out of the archives and towards the arena at the back of the library. To the white-haired girl, it was nothing special, but to Melia it was a most cherished sight. This was where she would've presided as the Normal type Gym Leader, eagerly awaiting any trainer who wishes to challenge her to a battle. "Well, we're here. There's nothing too special about this place. Why'd you want to visit this place?"

"This place…was supposed to be my Gym." The blonde admitted, catching her friend off-guard.

"This place? I never took you to be the studious type, no offense." She commented.

"The arena was reconfigured for Lavender's tastes. But if that day never happened, this is where I would've been a Gym Leader." Melia continued, making her way to the other side of the arena as a wave of melancholic feelings overcame her. "Do you know what my dad said to me when I got accepted into the League? He said that he would be my first opponent. We were so excited. It was his idea that I join the League. He said that it would open up so many opportunities. But then we all got mixed up in Team Xen, and apparently, he was also a Storm Chaser. He got caught up in both and died for it. I'll never know his reasons for doing what he did, but there's one thing I know for sure. He died trying to do the right thing. He tried to help us out when he was in the worst possible position. He put us before himself, and for that I will be eternally grateful. My one regret about all of this is I…I didn't even give him a chance to explain. I was so blinded by rage. I was arrogant and stupid. I thought of everything in a black and white perspective. 'You're either with me, or against me.' What a damn joke…what was I thinking? I made the biggest mistake of my life, and now I can't take it back."

"Isn't that the beauty of life itself?" Erin chimed in, walking up to Melia's side as the blonde turned to face her, a few tears streaming down her cheeks. "Mistakes build us into better people. If you never made a mistake, you wouldn't grow. Some mistakes are bigger than others, yes, but there's no use in feeling bad for yourself. What's done is done. The best thing we can do as people is to try to be better because of all that. Besides, we both read that file, right? There was something in there that didn't add up."

"Th-There was?" The blonde inquired.

"I don't remember reading about making you a Gym Leader. You said that was his idea. If he was so loyal to that Project Rapture bullshit, then why would he go out of his way to do that? This may be conjecture, but I believe he had his own plan in store for you. He wanted to make you strong so you could follow your own destiny. So that you wouldn't fall into the clutches of Team Xen or Spacea and Tiempa." The white-haired girl explained, her words soon dawning onto Melia.

"I see…thank you so much for bringing that to light. I understand now." She replied, the sadness in her tone fading away.

"Listen, I may not be your dad, but if you want I could be your first opponent. If it'll make you feel better, that is." Erin offered, catching Melia by surprise.

"B-But I'm not a Gym Leader. I don't—" She began.

"So? You could always play pretend." The white-haired girl replied, making her way to the challenger's side of the arena. "I'm ready when you are."

"Erin…" Melia replied, mulling it over in her mind before coming to a decision. "Alright then, I accept your challenge!"

"Very well then, let's start already. I'll warn you though, I'm not as impressive as the others when it comes to Pokémon battles." Erin admitted, watching Melia make her way to her side of the arena.

"It doesn't matter how strong you are. All that matters is that you're willing to do this. That is all I could ever ask for." The blonde smiled at her, with each of them reaching for a Pokéball and throwing it at the arena, with Melia sending out her Togekiss and Erin sending out her Butterfree. The two Pokémon gazed each other before giving the opponent a quick nod, the both of them ready for a friendly match. "Start off with Nasty Plot, Hapi!"

The Togekiss smiled, plotting a set of conniving schemes in her mind to boost her mental energy, while the Butterfree's eyes shone brightly, creating a wondrous wall of light that shielded Erin's team from status ailments. The Jubilee Pokémon then took to the skies, flying to the roof of the gym to gain a height advantage over her foe as the Butterfly Pokémon began flapping its wings quickly, conjuring up a glistening wind that struck the Togekiss head on. However, she was able to take the attack pretty well and retaliated by conjuring a series of sharp blades of air, flinging them towards the Butterfree as the attack struck it head on. The butterfly let out a quick chitter of pain, falling to the ground and collapsed into a pile.

"Not bad, not bad at all." The white-haired commented, recalling her fainted Pokémon before sending out her Zangoose, who proceeded to commence a frenetic yet mesmerizing dance to boost its physical spirit. Once the dance was concluded, it began climbing up the walls at incredible speeds, leaping off them to slash at Togekiss, the latter crying out in surprise as she was knocked to the ground and crashed in it. Thankfully, she was able to recover and took to the skies one more, wiggling her fingers side-to-side momentarily before breathing a stream of fire at the Cat Ferret Pokémon. The flames struck the Zangoose head on, pushing it back a few feet as it soon broke free of the fire and lunged once more at Togekiss. However, the Togekiss was able to read her foes strategy and dodged in time, conjuring up another blade of wind and flung it at the Zangoose's back, sending it flying towards Erin as it crumpled on the floor.

"I-I'm sorry Erin, do you want me to hold back a little?" Melia apologized, watching Erin recall her fainted Pokémon.

"It's fine, I've got no issue with you going all out." She replied, opting to send out her Swanna in the hopes of securing the aerial advantage. Almost immediately, the Swanna began flapping its large wings quickly to generate a tailwind and grant it an increase in speed. With this newfound boost of speed, it swooped towards the Togekiss and jabbed at her with its beak multiple times, pushing her back a few feet before following up with a blast of hot water that left a nasty burn on her wings. Wincing in pain from the burn, the Jubilee Pokémon began wiggling her fingers side-to-side for a few moments before she soon conjured up a weak bolt of lighting that struck the White Bird Pokémon, dealing a good amount of damage but wasn't able to paralyze it. Recovering from the shock, the Swanna flew back and conjured up a powerful hurricane, sending dozens of books and other loose objects flying around the room. The Togekiss took to the skies, dodging any incoming debris and charged up lunar energy in her mouth before firing the ball of pink energy at the Swanna, sending it crashing into a pile of dirtied books. The White Bird Pokémon poked its head out from beneath the books and attempted to get back up, only to collapse onto the pile as it couldn't continue fighting. "Just how strong is that Togekiss of yours?!"

"Oh, Hapi? She's my strongest companion. Fitting, since she was my very first Pokémon." Melia smiled, noticing that all the battling was starting to wear Hapi out. Taking on three Pokémon in a row was no easy feat, even for one as strong as her.

"Well I think it's about time I gave it a nice, cold nap." The white-haired girl quipped, recalling her Swanna and sent out her Abomasnow, the sentient tree letting out a loud roar as it soon started to hail inside the room, the rays of the sunrise starting to shine through the windows. Standing firmly before the Jubilee Pokémon, the Abomasnow opened its maw and spewed out a blisteringly cold wind, it's power heightened by the hail. The almighty blizzard struck Togekiss, sending her flying throughout the room and into the back wall, knocking a painting off the wall and onto the floor. Though the attack did a lot of damage to her, it also provided some small relief to her burns, so it wasn't all bad. However, this next attack of hers would be her last so it would have to count. Channeling all her remaining energy, she formed a ball of fire in her mouth, breathing a relentless Flamethrower at the Abomasnow, who opted to counter it with an Ice Beam. The two attacks collided in midair, with both combatants hoping to surpass their opponent. But despite the relenting hail, Togekiss' perseverance shone through, the stream of fire engulfing the frozen energy and struck the Frosted Tree Pokémon head on, dealing an insane amount of damage as it was sent flying back towards Erin, crashing before her feet as the super effective attack proved to be too much. The victorious Togekiss let out a weak chime of happiness before falling to the ground, too exhausted to continue battling.

"Hapi!" Melia called out, as she and Erin checked up on their respective Pokémon. "Phew, you're alright. You've earned yourself a nice rest!"

"Same here, Abomasnow. You helped save us from falling victim to a complete sweep." Erin complimented her companion, the two trainers recalling their Pokémon as the began mulling over who to send out next. Soon enough, they made their respective decisions, with Erin sending out Florges and Melia sending out Mimikyu.

"Mimi!" The Disguise Pokémon chirped, shooting a determined gaze at the calm and collected Florges. The Garden Pokémon started by collecting it's mind, eliminating any troubling thoughts to boost it's mental energy, while the Mimikyu began trimming its ghostly claws to sharpen them up and boost its power. Once it had finished preparing itself, it lunged at the Florges and slashed it with its shadowy claws, pushing it back a few feet. The Florges, managing to withstand the attack due to its impressive bulk retaliated by collecting lunar energy into a ball, before hurling the energy at the Mimikyu, who tried to stand its ground but as flung back a few feet. The Disguise Pokémon was able to keep itself in the battle, but it's disguise was busted from the attack, a cry of sadness and anger coming from the small spirit. Shooting a most vicious glare at the Florges, the enraged Mimikyu lunged at it, beating it up relentlessly in revenge for ruining its perfect disguise. The poor Garden Pokémon was knocked all over the place, into bookshelves and table before it was snatched up by the Mimikyu and was flung into the pile of books from before, crashing into it and sent the books flying everywhere. The Florges tried to get back up, only to collapse onto the floor, unable to continue battling.

"Guess the stories surrounding Mimikyu has some truth to them after all…" Erin muttered, recalling her Florges before opting to send out her last Pokémon, her first companion, Absol. With a swift movement of her hand, the white-haired girl brought out a Mega Ring and pressed it, her companion enveloped in a multicolor orb as an incredible power started to flow within it. Soon enough, the orb shattered, revealing the Absol in its mega form, the Disaster Pokémon letting out a quiet howl of power.

Lunging at the Mimikyu, the Absol slashed at it with shadowy claws, sending it flying back a few feet into one of the smaller bookshelves, the Disguise Pokémon narrowly avoiding the falling books as it stared down the Mega Pokémon. While it was fast and powerful, it's defenses were pretty low; if it could land a strong attack on it…

*POW!* Its thoughts were interrupted by a surprise jab from the Absol's paw, the Disguise Pokémon caught off-guard by the attack and was sent flying towards Melia's feet. It wearily got back up, thinking that it was all over for it, only to turn to Melia and saw the look of determination in her eyes. The duo had met each other during a hellish timeline, faced overwhelming odds and surpassed them despite how slim the chances were. It then made up its mind; it would not give up this fight, not until it couldn't keep battling. With a newfound determination, it charged at the Absol, the Disaster Pokémon watching it carefully and attempted to slash at it with its horn. But the Mimikyu dodged in time, using the slim opportunity to tackle the Absol and bombard it with a series of punches and kicks. The Mega Pokemon was taken aback by the surprise assault, unable to counter its foe as it was soon sent flying towards another bookshelf, crashing into it and slid to the ground. It attempted to get back up to continue the battle, only to fall on its side as it devolved into its regular form, securing the victory for Mimikyu and Melia.

"Not gonna lie, I figured I would lose that battle…" Erin admitted, recalling her fainted Pokémon as Melia congratulated her Mimikyu. "Still, it was a lot of fun, and out Pokémon got plenty of exercise, so I'd consider it a win for us both."

"Yeah, it was a lot of fun. This is one battle I will never forget, no matter what happens." Melia smiled, recalling her victorious Mimikyu as she saw Erin making her way to her.

"Truth be told, I don't think battling will ever be for me, but I will admit that I enjoyed myself, so thank you for battling me." The white-haired girl thanked the blonde, a small sigh escaping from her mouth as she turned to face the back windows. "I just…I don't really have many opportunities to feel this way. So whenever I do, I don't know how to act."

"I don't understand what you're saying…" Melia commented, a confused look on her face as Erin turned to face her.

"I've…I've never had real friends. I never had real parents. I've never had a real life of my own. I just did the same routine, over and over. But all of that changed when Aelita appeared. Suddenly it feels like I'm finally a part of something. Something that gives my life some sort of worth and meaning. I just want to say that I…I appreciate you all. You, Aelita, Julius, Venam, Kanon, Huey, Lavender—everyone that's been with me so far. Thank you all…for breaking me out of my own prison." She spoke quietly, expressing her gratitude in the sincerest way possible as a few small tears fell down her cheeks.

"We'll be there to break you out no matter what." The blonde pledged, resting her hand on here friend's shoulder. "Because now you're a part of our group. Our family. We have to look after each other. Because when we're out there fighting evil, there won't be anyone but us."

"Yeah…you're right. Thank you, Melia…" Erin smiled, the duo soon giving each other a quick hug, with neither of them aware that they were both shining brightly. Whatever this mysterious shine was, it could only mean one thing; there was more to Erin than anyone had expected.

 **That about wraps this chapter up, and what a heartwarming way to end things off. I do apologize if the battle against Erin was a little short but given how she said she wasn't that strong a battler, I figured I'd try to implement that as best as I could. Tune in next time, where we'll see where Julius and his friends end up after their surprise ride from the mysterious man on the hoverboard. Thank you all for reading and supporting this fic, I'll see you all in the next chapter!**


	52. Chapter 52

**When we last left off, we saw Melia and Erin continue their investigation in the Blakeory Atheneum, which included a "gym battle" and even a few heart-warming moments in it. Now we'll get to see what out other main protagonist is up to with his friends.**

 **Edit: Sorry for the lack of updates on my other fics, but between the temporary shutdown of the Insurgence wikia, and the stomach bug I've had, I just haven't had the motivation to write either chapter. The worst of it is over, so I should be able to get back to writing them again. Thank you all for your continued support.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Sometime after Alamissa Urben…**

"—You would do well not to speak out of line." A mysterious woman shot back at the group of four, who were all rubbing their aching heads wearily as Reina and Huey looked around the nearby area. She had long brown hair and wore what looked like a set of homemade leather armor over her outfit, an Aegislash strapped to her back that she most likely used as her weapon of choice.

"W-Where are we, Ren? Weren't we in that wrecked city?" Reina inquired.

"I'm…I'm not actually sure. There was this bright light and then…" The confused teen began, at a loss for words on what had happened to them.

"Call this a hunch, but I believe we traveled back in—" Julius began, only for the mysterious woman before them to clear her throat audibly, demanding complete silence from them.

"Cease your talking at once! State your name, and your business here in Aevium." The older woman demanded, shooting a glare at the group of four.

"Jeez, you want my Social Security and my credit card info as well? I gotta keep some secrets." The raven-haired girl chimed in, only for the woman to bring out her Aegislash and point it at the younger girl, causing a quiet _'eep'_ to escape from her mouth.

"Speak out of line one more time, and I shall cut off your head!" The woman threatened, completely fed up with the nonsense she was given so far.

"Hey, hey. There's no need to be so violent…we're just as confused as you are. Do you happen to know where we are? We were just in Alamissa Urben?" Ren attempted to defuse the situation, hopefully to gain a bit of insight as to where they were.

"Alamissa Urben? I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about…" The older woman replied, soon getting back to the topic at hand. "But I'M the one asking questions around here!"

"Hazuki? What's going on?" A somewhat familiar voice called out to the swordswoman, the latter turning around to see…Anju walking up to the group? _'This was our chance to explain ourselves!'_ Julius thought; hoping that Anju would remember him and explain to her friend that he and the rest meant no ill will towards them. It was funny thought, he was placing all his hopes into the same woman that left a permanent, lingering trauma within him, Melia and most likely Venam as well. At the very least, his hunch about the group travelling back in time was proved correct.

"L-Lady Anju, please excuse me. I was just taking care of the anomaly I mentioned earlier." The now named Hazuki explained to her.

"You mean the ones that fell from the sky?" Anju replied, taking a closer look at the group as a look of interest appeared on her face. "Ah, do my eyes deceive me? Is that you, Julius?"

"Y-Yeah, it is. Do you mind telling your friend to stand down? We mean no harm to her or anyone else, honest." The young teen requested, attracting the attention of his friends.

"Y-You know these people?" Huey inquired, slowly turning to face his friend.

"It's a bit of a long story but yes, I have met Anju before. I helped her out with a few…important tasks shall we say." Julius replied, with Hazuki eyeing him up suspiciously before turning back to the blue-haired woman.

"You mean to tell me that you know this young man, Lady Anju?" Hazuki inquired.

"Indeed, I do know this young man, though I can't say I recognize his friends. But if they're anything like the other three, then I can safely say that we can trust them." Anju replied, the black-haired woman shooting another glance at the group of four before sheathing her Aegislash.

"Please pardon my transgression…I did not know you were friends with Lady Anju." She apologized to the group, turning back to face her friend. "I am not fit to be your protector. With the order, I shall take my own life."

"W-Wait! There's no need to do something like that." Huey called out, hoping to avoid some unnecessary bloodshed.

"Agreed, there's no need to be so formal, Hazuki. You're a Protector of Aevium, just like myself. You don't have to protect me." The blue-haired woman agreed, a stunned expression soon forming on her friends' face.

"…I understand." Hazuki replied, unable to form a convincing rebuttal before making her way back to Anju's side.

"Now that we've fixed that problem, may I ask you what you're doing here, Julius? I thought you returned to your own time?" Anju inquired, causing more confusion amongst the young teen's friends.

"Returned to your own time? What exactly is she talking about, mate?" Ren inquired, with Julius taking a deep breath as he began to explain the situation to them.

"Long story short, we're 30 years in the past. This isn't my first time that I traveled to the past, hence why Anju knew who I was. I don't know why that mysterious stranger took us here, but I'm sure that going back to our own time won't be so easy." He informed them, shocked expressions soon forming on their faces.

"Y-You can't be serious; we traveled through time?!" The raven-haired teen exclaimed.

"Would I lie to you? To any of you?" Julius replied, the group of three turning to each other and whispered among themselves before arriving at the conclusion that he was indeed, speaking the truth.

"W-Woah…this feels like some sort of weird fever dream." Huey commented, his mind running ablaze at all the wild possibilities laid out before him.

"This is no dream, this is really happening. It's all thanks to that smooth-talking dude on the hoverboard; he took us here before promptly dumping us. Couldn't he drop us off at a town at the very least?" Reina exclaimed in slight frustration, having recovered from when her life was on the line.

"Oh dear, this sounds very troublesome. From what I can understand, you four didn't come here on your own volition. A troubling problem indeed; I would take you back to Kugearen City, but—" Anju began, only for a quick tremor to rock the surrounding area, subsiding as suddenly as it began.

"E-Earthquakes? Have they been a common occurrence frequently?" Julius inquired, the older woman nodding firmly at him.

"I'm afraid so; things haven't been going so well here." She replied.

"It began with small weather abnormalities, but now it's turned into periodic tremors. Some of them have been so strong that the ground has opened up. I was escorting Lady Anju to Hiyoshi City, but we were interrupted by a large magnitude and a great white flash. When we came around, a rockslide from Mount Valor blocked off the way back to Kugearen City." Hazuki chimed in, giving a brief synopsis on what had happened before the group's sudden arrival. "Which means that we have no choice but to press on into Hiyoshi City."

"I-If it's any trouble, do you mind if we came with you to Hiyoshi City? As you can see, we're in a bit of a sticky situation here." Reina requested.

"Not at all!" Anju smiled at her. "As a matter of fact, there's someone in Hiyoshi who could help you get back to your own time."

"L-Lady Anju, you don't mean…" Hazuki began, a look of surprise etched on her face.

"Yes, we shall bring them back to Lady Nymiera." The blue-haired woman stated. "if anyone would know what to do, it would be her. Come now, everyone. Hiyoshi City isn't far from here. Let us go, Hazuki."

"Of course, Lady Anju. Let me lead the way." The black-haired woman offered, the two older women quietly making their way down the path with the four teens watching them go.

"S-So are we just gonna follow them?" Huey asked the others.

"Well what else are we gonna do? Stay here and fall victim to whatever could be lurking in this part of Aevium?" Reina retorted.

"Well Julius knows and trusts them, and they seem like nice people, so I say we put our faith in them and follow them to town. At the very least, we should be able to get something to eat." Ren chimed in.

"Nice people? That woman with a sword threatened to kill me!" The raven-haired girl shot back at him.

"She was just doing her job. Besides, you were the one who tried to be smart to someone holding a weapon." The redhead countered her argument.

"I'll give you that, it wasn't one of my brightest ideas…" Reina conceded, chuckling a little hesitantly. "Well if we're gonna follow them, we should get going now. Last thing we want to do is to lose sight of them."

"I'll lead the way; don't wander off to far, alright?" Ren called out, the raven-haired teen walking down the dirt path with the other three following right behind him.

 **Hiyoshi City**

The group of four were in awe at the sight before them; walking through the entrance to the vast city and gazed at the splendor before them. The large city was populated by dozens of tall skyscrapers, alongside a wide variety of stores, apartments and houses. This must've been the crown jewel of Aevium, at least before the events of the upcoming years that would see the honor going to Grand Dream City.

"Amazed, are you? This is Hiyoshi City. Capital of the Aevium Region." Anju informed the amazed teens following behind her.

"Amazing is an understatement; this place could even rival Grand Dream City in terms of beauty." Huey gushed in awe, as a third voice called out to the older woman.

"Anju, Hazuki, you're back. Welcome to Hiyoshi City!" A familiar voice called out, the two older women turning to see Kanon approach them as how bowed politely to them. "I am at your service?"

"K-Kanon?" Julius exclaimed, confused at his sudden appearance. Did he happen to touch the Timesplicer Stone back at the Rose Theatre? Was he sent here by Alexandra or Krystal or whatever she was calling herself now? Is this all part of that secret training to unlock his special power or something?

"H-Hey, Kanon! It's so good to see you again!" The redhead cheered, eagerly making his way to the white-haired youth of a handshake, only for the latter to gaze at him oddly.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else." Kanon replied. "I'm most certain we have not met before, as I never forget a face."

"Huh? What are you talkin' about, dude? It's me, Huey!" Huey insisted, hoping that this was all some sort of joke, but the unwavering expression on the latter's face told him that it was the truth.

"I'm not sure who you've met in your time, Huey, but Kanon here is Nymiera's assistant." Anju told the young boy.

"Considering how the Kanon in this time looks a lot like the Kanon in our time, it could all be a simple misunderstanding." Ren commented, causing Kanon to raise an eyebrow at the last comment.

"You mean to say that Huey's misunderstanding is due to an encounter you had with me in the future?" The white-haired boy replied. "I suppose that's not entirely out of the question, due to certain circumstances…but this is not the place to discuss such things. Hazuki, if you will, escort these guests to Nymiera's quarters at once."

"As you wish, Kanon." Hazuki agreed, with Kanon bowing in gratitude before making his way back into the city.

"S-So that wasn't the Kanon I know in my time…?" Huey commented quietly, his glance shifting down to his shoes.

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, Huey. I'm sure Nymiera would have a satisfactory answer for you when we meet her. Hazuki, please lead the way." Anju consoled him, turning to face the black-haired woman. Giving her a quick nod of confirmation, she gestured the group to follow her into the city, with everyone except Julius following right behind her.

"Wonder what the past will have in store for me this time. I just hope Spacea and Tiempa don't pull any stupid stunts like they did before." The young teen mused to himself, before opting to follow the others. But as he was making his way through the city, he happened to see something that intrigued him; a small stall that was selling jewelry. Perhaps he should buy something for Venam; sort of like a gift to celebrate her revival when the time comes. But it would be wrong to not get something for Melia as well, so he figured he'd buy something for her as well. Settling for a pair of rings, he purchased them before tucking them away in his bag, the vendor thanking him for his business as the young teen quickly made his way back to the group.

 **0000**

"We're here." Hazuki called out to him, the duo stepping inside the apartment complex only to see Huey petting his Flareon affectionately.

"Who's a good little Flareon? You are! Yes you are! Yes you are…" He chimed happily, his Flareon nuzzling him affectionately.

"Heh, you're such a dork, you know that? In the best way, though." Reina giggled lightly.

"It's good to see a trainer showing their love of Pokémon; I never get tired of such a sight." Anju smiled, turning to face the others. "As you can see, Nymiera's house is kept for reasons that are confidential. Hazuki, if you would."

"As you wish." Hazuki replied, making her way to the back wall and shifted the thermostat to the left, revealing a small red button. Pressing on the button, a portion of the wall moved back and to the side, revealing a hidden entrance. Gesturing the others to follow her through, the group of six made their way through the entrance, which soon closed behind them. From there, it was a short trek alongside the outskirts of the city, beside a river that flowed into the open sea and towards a small building tucked behind a few apartments. Opening the door, Hazuki gestured the group to follow her inside, the group of six entering the house only to be taken aback by what they were seeing.

The house itself was full of various art projects, ranging from statues to paintings to drawings and all sorts of artwork, all of them radiating an aura of high quality. However, there didn't seem to be anyone around.

"So…is Nymiera here?" Ren inquired, taking a quick look around the place.

"She should be…mind fetching her for us, Hazuki?" Anju requested.

"That won't me necessary, Lady Anju. It seems she's on her way now." The black-haired woman replied, the group turning to see a third woman approaching them, with Julius taking a closer look at her since she looked…familiar. It soon dawned on him; she was the woman depicted in that painting back in the alternate timeline. Their features were the same; her long brown hair, her dark-brown tone of skin, and even her above average height was the same. The only difference was that instead of a reddish pink robe, she was wearing what looked to be light purple overalls with a white shirt underneath, a matching purple beret on her head.

"Ah, company! Welcome, welcome!" Nymiera greeted her guests enthusiastically, giving them all a firm handshake.

"It's so good to see you again!" The blue-haired woman smiled at her friend.

"My task has been completed; Lady Anju has been safely escorted from Kugearen to Hiyoshi." Hazuki bowed in respect.

"Thank you so much, Hazuki. You may go see your date now." Nymiera replied, shooting a small smirk in her direction as the stoic swordswoman became flustered all of a sudden.

"I-It's not a date! I am…simply seeing someone…I…" She stammered.

*giggle* "You'll be late if you keep trying to clarify." The tall woman told her, with Hazuki giving her a quick nod before promptly making her way out of the secluded house. "Now, what can I do for you, my precious guests?"

"So, you're Nymiera, huh…" Ren inquired, shooting an odd gaze at her. Perhaps she was a lot more boisterous than he had initially expected.

"Yes, that would be me! Did you want to say something?" She smiled back at him.

"I gotta say, your apartment is pretty interesting, what with all the art projects and whatnot." The raven-haired teen replied.

"Thank you. Sorry it's a mess; I'm just a messy person by nature. Unfortunately, I can't clean up right now; as an artist with barely any money to her name, I have projects I have to start and never finish." Nymiera rambled, glancing at all the half-finished art projects scattered all over the house.

"Perhaps that's why you're facing some financial difficulties; it's not in my place to suggest it, but perhaps you should consider finishing off your older projects before making something new?" Julius suggested.

"Good point, good point. However, when I'm working on something, I can't help but think about other projects I could be doing. So I put the current one on hold and go for the newest one I thought up of. And as you can see, I have those type of thoughts all the time…" The brown-haired woman answered.

"You can say that again." Reina commented quickly, glancing at the unfinished projects.

"So what type of art do you do in particular? Paint? Sculpt?" Huey inquired.

"I do all types of art; nothing is off limit for me. Being an artist is my main occupation, but I'm more of a self-imposed vagabond. This is my primary place of residence, but it wouldn't be unheard of to catch me in say…Hoenn, and Johto, and Sinnoh, that's my favorite region." Nymiera answered, a sigh of content escaping from her mouth. "Ahh…visiting ruins and seeing old culture makes me happy. It makes me feel…nostalgic. Not to mention that they're a great source of inspiration for my artwork."

"Anyway, the four of us are in a bit of a predicament. A problem that expands across time, I guess. We were thrown into this time without any way of returning. You wouldn't happen to know a way back, would you?" Ren requested, informing her of the group's plea as she turned to face them.

"You…You were forcibly thrown into this time?" The brown-haired woman inquired, gazing at them oddly. "If something like that were to happen, it's because time itself requires you to be here. That's just the way it goes."

' _As I expected, we're here for some reason. Though what it is exactly, I have no clue.'_ Julius thought to himself, recalling the events that had sent the group here. Just who was that guy on the hoverboard? Was he a part of Team Xen? The Storm Chasers? Or some mysterious third party that wanted them here for some reason?

"So…you're saying that you're not gonna help us?" The raven-haired girl called out.

"It's not that I won't help you, but if you all continue your lives here, eventually a way back will be presented to you. Do you understand?" Nymiera replied to her inquiry.

"So it's a matter of patience then? I gotta admit, I was hoping for a more satisfactory answer." Huey chimed in.

"Yeah, I'll admit as well that it wasn't the answer I was looking for…" Ren added, an idea soon forming in Nymiera's mind.

"I know, I'll get more intensive help for you four. Kanon, could you please come here for a moment?" She called out, facing an empty spot on the floor beside her, only for the white-haired teen to appear out of nowhere, catching the group of four off-guard.

"Woah, how did you just appear out of nowhere like that? That was so cool!" The redhead gushed in awe.

"Master Nymiera summoned me. That's all there is to it." Kanon answered casually, before turning to face his master. "What can I do for you, today?"

"M-Master? What's going on between you two…?" Reina inquired, a little uneasy over what she was seeing.

"I am Nymiera's humble servant. My sole purpose in life is to serve her. After all, that's why I was born." The white-haired teen replied calmly.

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. You were born to be someone's servant? That's pretty harsh to be honest…" Julius exclaimed, surprised at what he was hearing.

"No matter how many times I tell him that he doesn't have to serve me, he simply won't listen." Nymiera chimed in, hoping to clear up any issues surrounding the relationship between the two.

"But that is why I was crated in the first place. All I know is to serve." Kanon rebutted, a small sigh escaping from the brown-haired woman's mouth.

"I guess an explanation is required here. Technically speaking, Kanon isn't a human being. He—" She began.

"I was a being created by a Garufan spell. I am what you would call a maid, however I'm sort of a special case. I was created with a personality in mind, and therefore, I didn't come out the way I was supposed to. This is not something that happens very often. It's a rare occurrence." The white-haired teen explained, the group of four left speechless over what they were hearing. "I figured an explanation of my origin would render you all speechless. Which reminds me; these four claim to know me from the time they're from. Does that mean anything to you?"

"…It's nothing we should try and wrap our heads around now as for why I called you here—" Nymiera began once more.

"You would like me to find a way to send these people back to their timeline, correct?" Kanon answered.

"Hahaha! You're always one step ahead of me, Kanon. That's exactly it." She chuckled.

"In that case, I shall search for an alternate passage through time. Though I must say, this task is definitely on the more difficult side. I'll ask that you forgive me in advance, for it will take some time to accomplish." He pledged, apologizing in advance to the group of four.

"No need to apologize, we greatly appreciate you doing this for us." Ren replied, with Kanon bowing in respect before promptly warping out of the room.

"Like he said, it'll take some time before anything turns up. In the meantime, you four are all welcome to rest here until that time comes." Nymiera offered to the group.

"Ohmigosh, thank you so much! My feet are killing me…" Reina sighed in relief.

"Well I'm not one to knock back someone's kind offer, I thank you very much for your generosity." Julius replied, with Ren shooting him a look of slight confusion.

"Nymiera, there's something I wish to speak to you about." Anju spoke quietly to her friend's ear.

"It's about Vivian, isn't it?" The brown-haired woman replied, with her friend nodding quietly in response. "I…I already know. I don't wish to speak about it at this time."

"Understood. In that case, I'll be taking a stroll through the city." The blue-haired woman stated, quietly making her way out of the small house. From there, the group of four went their own separate directions, with Julius taking a seat to mull over a few things. There have been several new revelations that have surprised him these last few days, but none more so than the fact that Kanon wasn't an actual human being, but a homunculus created by some Garufan spell. Does that mean that the Kanon that he knows was the same, rendering all his prior knowledge of him null and void? Just how would Melia take the news that one of the very few people who supported her during her first trip into the past was nothing more than a "maid" created to serve their master? His train of thought was soon interrupted by someone taking a seat beside him.

"Hey." Ren greeted, with the young teen greeting him back. "Is everything alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I was just thinking about a few things. Why'd you ask?" Julius replied.

"I've noticed something odd about you back then; you were willing to accept Nymiera's offer to rest here. This isn't like you at all; I still remember when you freaked out over the idea of Melia paying for your admission in the Magnolia Library, back before all this happened." The raven-haired teen replied. "Have you had a change of heart while we were…separated?"

"I…" The young teen began, taking a deep breath to settle his nerves. "You're right, I did have a change of heart. It was thanks to Melia that I'm no longer wallowing in a pool of self-pity and loathing. I learnt that there's nothing wrong with taking someone up on their kind offer, as long as you don't exploit it or take it for granted."

"I see." Ren replied, mulling over how he could apologize to Melia for his betrayal, before opting to change the topic. "I saw something interesting while everyone was talking. Wanna take a look?"

"Alright then, lead the way." Julius agreed, the duo hopping off their seats as Ren escorted him to one of the southern rooms in the house. Upon arriving there, the raven-haired teen gestured his friend to look at the paining on the wall, which depicted a 'cross' with four different colored arms, consisting of deep blue, red, purple and green. Additionally, there was what looked like a white square resting on its corner, with one of the arms coming out from each side. "It looks great, but what is this, exactly?"

"I believe it's meant to symbolize the four keys of the Reborn Region. You've heard of it, have you?" Ren inquired.

"Bits and pieces of it. Supposedly, it's this region that was flourishing at one point, but a series of unfortunate disaster caused the region to fall to ruin. Following the disasters, a woman named Ame made a vow to restore the region to it's former glory and is working alongside a crew of hand-picked trainers to form a functioning league. From what I've heard, it's supposedly on the same level of difficulty, if not, harder than the Aevium league." Julius answered, turning to face the painting once more. "As much as I would want to visit the region and take on its league, I might kick up my legs and take a nice vacation once I'm done with the league here. It was a lot harder than I expected, on account of all the interruptions in my path."

"A fair call. Personally, I'm hoping to visit the region and take on its league as well. The only trouble is, you'll have to start over from scratch in terms of items and Pokémon. Maybe you'll get away with it if the Reborn region is interested in introducing Pokémon from Tandor, like Professor Jenner was when you came here." The raven-haired teen commented. "By the way, I say Huey gazing in awe at a set of paintings in the back room. Perhaps you might want to check up on him."

"I'll go do that. If you need me, you know where I'll be." The young teen replied, leaving Ren to himself as he made his way to the back room. In there, he saw Huey gazing at a set of paintings, an intrigued look on his face. "Ah, Huey. How are things going?"

"I'm fine, thank you very much. I'm busy staring at these pictures; what do you make of them?" Huey replied, asking Julius for his two cents.

"From the look of things, they're meant to tell a story. Perhaps if we asked Nymiera—" Julius began.

"Did somebody say my name?" Nymeria inquired, causing the duo to jump on the spot as she approached them. "Sorry about that, but I see you've taken an interest in them. Would you like me to tell you the story behind them? I warn you, it's a bit of a long one."

"By all means, go ahead. I'm really curious." The redhead chimed in, the trio taking a seat to get themselves comfortable.

"Truth be told, I'm not all that fond of it as it isn't a happy story, but since it's history it needs to be told." The brown-haired woman began, gesturing the duo to look at the painting that depicted some almighty deity hovering over the mountainside, illuminated by the sunset. "This is the tale of how this world came to be, how good and evil began. It all started when a deity descended unto the earth at the beginning of time. the being was so powerful and great, light itself would bend at its presence. It was a kind and benevolent spirit though, but very lonely. It wished for companions to love. Creatures that would flourish under its light. Because it demanded it, a woman and a man were born into the world. The deity thought of them as its own children, bestowing them the gift of intelligence and free will."

She then turned to the second painting, which showed the woman and the man frolicking in a lush green landscape, the deity watching with pride as a mysterious light emanated from its body. "Both decided to dedicate their lives to worshiping and praising their creator. Everyone loved one another; the man and the woman married and lived their lives under the powerful deity's protection. Life was a paradise. Together, the two of them would build a family and lead the way for the rest of humanity to prosper."

She then turned to the third painting, which was a more detailed portrait of the deity, its body covered in darkness so as to mask its true identity. "After the deity created humanity, it wished to bring new life. Life which would stand equally to humans. Hand in hand."

Gesturing the duo to gaze at the fourth painting, which showed the deity floating above several species of Pokémon in the same lush landscape as before, only it was at nighttime. "Using its powerful light, it created new beings, all in a variety of shapes, sizes and color. They were perfect. The deity named them Pokémon. Pokémon had wondrous abilities. some could shoot fire. Some could control things with their mind. Some could generate water. Some could even create imaginary worlds and illusions."

She then turned to the next painting, which showed what looked to be the humans interacting with the Pokémon. "The deity's creation soon flooded their gates. From the north, the west, the south and the east…all were welcome. All were precious beings that were given life. That's how the woman saw them. But the man…he thought differently. He thought that humans were superior to Pokémon, questioned why it was them and not the humans who could wield such power. He was jealous and angry at the deity for supposedly putting humans below the Pokémon, but the deity wouldn't succumb to the man's anger. They proclaimed that Pokémon and humans were one and the same, equal beings that roamed the earth in unity. Rejecting this notion, the man left the woman and the deity, forever. The woman tried to persuade the man to stay, but he wouldn't budge. He wouldn't allow his former God to ruin what he thought he had."

Nymiera soon turned to face the next painting, which depicted a meteor crashing into the deity, splitting it into three smaller deities. "Not long after, tragedy struck. Out of nowhere, a meteor struck the deity, splitting the being into three. The meteor dragged one fragment far away. The second fragment was mortally wounded, and could not hold its form for long, eventually disintegrating and fell apart. As for the final one…the last fragment took a new name; it is what we know today as Arceus."

She then turned to the next painting, which showed the humans and the Pokémon praying before what looked to be a pyramid radiating a golden light. "Although it survived the impact, it was greatly weakened. Arceus agonized over the thought of future dangers that may befall its children. Therefore, Arceus made a decision. It told the woman that it cannot stay the way it is for much longer, granting her a final gift. It gave her an object that will act as a conduit between life and its power. An object that will bend the world to its owner's bidding. She was told to take it and store it away, at least until it reawakened. Leaving the world in the hands of its beloved children, Arceus formed itself into an object called the Archetype. It was the embodiment of Arceus' love. A physical manifestation. Both the man and the woman knew that if its existence was found out, it would only create chaos. They both took The Archetype and sealed it away, vowing not to use it for their selfish desires. And it rested peacefully, awaiting the day that Arceus would return to its people once again."

She then turned to the next painting, which showed humans and Pokémon engaging in bloody combat with each other. "Though the two created their pact, it was broken soon after. The man grew lustful for The Archetype's power, still enraged over his former God's "favoritism" towards Pokémon. He stormed the woman's castle, demanding that she surrendered to him. She refused and locked in combat with the man, thus beginning the first Pokémon war. When other regions found out about The Archetype, they joined as well. One war became two, two became four, four became eight…before long, the entire world had become nothing but a cesspool of pain and suffering. The woman, now a queen and her son, a loyal knight, fought for the safety of all beings. All who entered the castle fell to the knight's hand. But even then, the effect of war pressed down deeply on the woman's heart. Countless lives lost for nothing more than lust for power. The war was at a standstill, at this rate, the entirety of the world would soon be nothing. Tired and determined, the woman took matters into her own hands. She decided that she had enough."

Turning to the last painting, which depicted the woman praying before The Archetype as she held it in her hands, while her son was fending off the enemy army, including his own father, Nymiera concluded the ancient tale. "The woman made her way to her castle with the past behind her. She could no longer look back. The deaths of her family and friends pushed her forward. Her resolve was all that she needed to make the final move. She took The Archetype and gave her wish, wanting this bloody way to come to an end. Her wish echoed through the sky and finally, The Archetype responded with an empty glow. It did something she had not expected; it made the humans more intelligent, and stronger than before. Humanity soon began to overwhelm the Pokémon, pushing the woman and her son into their castle. Her son fought valiantly but succumbed to his wounds and fell in battle. The man presented his sword to her in a gesture of mockery, the woman having given up. Her God had betrayed her, her husband turned on her, her only child was killed in battle. As she surrendered, a bright flash of light enveloped the sky; a man named AZ from the far-off region of Kalos fired off the Ultimate Weapon, hoping to destroy all sides of the war, and it worked. The blast was so strong that it pierced the sky and flew into space, rebounding and made its way back to earth. In the light of that confusion, the woman pulled back her bow and fired one final arrow. And the blast from the Ultimate Weapon ended it all."

"Wow…that was the most amazing story I've ever heard!" Huey exclaimed in awe, sitting on the literal edge of his seat.

"I agree; it is rather fascinating." Julius chimed in, mulling over a few details of this story, namely The Archetype itself. If it really was as powerful as the story said it was, then there were several things he could do with it. he could defeat Team Xen once and for all, cure Venam of her petrification, and could bring life back to the Badlands for the sake of appeasing the people there. However, as nice as those things were, it would be awfully easy for him to get consumed by its power and wage war, making him no better than the man in that story.

"That story you were talking about…would it happen to be the Great Pokémon War?" A fourth voice called out, the trio turning to see Reina standing by the doorway, having heard the entire thing.

"Correct. I'm very impressed with your knowledge, Reina." Nymiera offered her a compliment. "Although the first Pokémon war was mentioned, I never mentioned the overall event it grew into."

"I assume you painted these portraits, as a means of showing the events of that story?" The redhead head inquired.

"Yep; one lonely afternoon turned into a bunch of paintings. It happens a lot around here—" The older woman began, only for her trusted assistant to appear beside her once more, catching Huey off-guard. "Ah, Kanon. Have you found anything yet?"

"Forgive me for my incompetence, but I was unable to complete my mission due to interference. A rather embarrassing ordeal, but a certain individual seems certainly fond of me. At every turn, they were there to stop me in my tracks. Unfortunately, I don't have a way to defend myself, hence why I had no choice but to retreat." He apologized, with Nymiera raising a hand to her chin.

"This is troubling news…I can't have you stalked by some creep without any form of protection." She replied, an idea forming in her mind as she gifted the white-haired teen a Pokéball. "Please take this Salamence. He is my dear friend and will protect you."

" _T-There's no way!'_ Julius thought to himself, watching Kanon gratefully accept the Pokéball. The Kanon he knew had a Salamence but lost it in an attempt to thwart one of Gardevoir's plans a long time ago. Was this the decisive proof needed to confirm what he had been thinking; that this Kanon and the one he knew were the same?

"I am honored, Lady Nymiera. I will guard this beast with my life." Kanon pledged, bowing in respect to her. "In that case, I shall be off once more."

"Wait Kanon!" Ren called out, having just arrived on scene and heard what the latter had said. "Before you go, do you mind telling us about this shady person?"

"Yeah, perhaps we can help in someway if we knew who we're going up against." Reina chimed in.

"That is a logical line of thinking. Very well, I'll tell you; the stalker was very…peculiar. He had technology I've never seen before. It looked like he was levitating on some piece of metal resembling a skateboard." The white-haired teen conceded, informing the group on his mysterious stalker as looks of concern grew on their faces.

"Looks like the man who sent us here has no intention of letting us leave. But why he wants us to stay here is unknown; perhaps he wants us to do something in the past." Julius mused to himself.

"A likely answer, but we have no idea who he's working for, or what he wants us to do." The raven-haired teen replied, turning to look at Kanon once more. "Where was the last place you saw this person?"

"I believe it was on Route 5, but I doubt they're still there." He answered. "They've been tailing me for a while and I'm certain they've relocated. As a matter of fact, I have an idea I'd like to present. I could act as bait, enabling the rest of us to conduct our business unscathed. Out of all the options possible, this one has the highest chance of success."

"I don't really like the idea of using you as bait, but if you think it's effective…" Nymiera began, promptly making up her mind afterwards. "Please do so but be careful."

"As you wish. I shall be waiting at the central square." Kanon replied, promptly warping out of the room.

"Alright, everyone! It's about time we caught this bastard and get some answers from him." Ren called out, gesturing the other teens to follow him out of the house, with Nymiera staying behind to keep the house safe from intruders. However, she managed to call out to Julius before he left, causing him to stop as she made her way to him.

"Adrest…is that you?" She inquired, looking at him oddly.

"H-Huh?" The young teen replied, confused at what he just heard. She knew his name was Julius and had even referred to him as such. So why was she calling him a different name when she had the opportunity to do so earlier? "Y-You must have me mistaken."

"No, it is you Adrest. You remember me, don't you?" Nymiera called out to him.

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't know who you're talking about. I really need to catch up with the others." Julius replied, quickly exiting the house as the older woman was left speechless by what had just happened.

"What was all that about…?" He mused to himself, a loss at words as to what had just happened. Why now? Why did she call him by a different name, acting as if they had met before? Who was this Adrest person she was talking about? Just when he thought that he'd be free of the enigmatic questions, some more were soon dumped onto his plate. But they could be dealt with another time, right now he had an important task to complete. Quietly making his way through the secret entrance and out the apartment, he soon joined up with his friends in the central square, a few of them shooting odd looks at him.

"Hey, what took you so long?" Ren inquired.

"My bad, I had…dropped something and had to search the nearby bush for it." The young teen bluffed, not completely ready to tell the others about that strange conversation he had with Nymiera.

"Well it's not like you missed much; that guy has yet to show himself." The raven-haired teen replied.

"Indeed, almost as if he had lost interest in stalking me." Kanon suggested, a small sigh of annoyance escaping from Ren's mouth.

"That's annoying…I was looking forward to kicking his ass." He sighed.

"Is there anywhere else we can search for him?" Reina inquired, with Kanon mulling over a few ideas.

"Well the main part of the city is blocked off due to the festival preparations. But there is a shuttle that takes you to the northernmost part of the area, that being Hiyoshi Pass. One of us could check that area out." He proposed.

"How about Julius? I'm more than confident that he could stand up to that loser!" Huey chimed in.

"Works for me. After all, he's managed to build himself an impressive reputation thought his life." Ren agreed, turning to face his friend. "Are you fine with this idea?"

"I'm fine with it, that guy doesn't stand a chance against me. But in the off-chance that I don't comeback within say…half-an-hour, would you come check up on me? Better to be safe than sorry, I say." Julius requested.

"Not a problem at all." The raven-haired teen accepted the request.

"Then it's settled. Julius will investigate Hiyoshi Pass while the rest of us will investigate the city. Agreed?" Kanon went over the plan, with everyone agreeing in unison.

"Good luck, Julius! Make sure you scream really loud if you find our guy!" Reina called out.

"Not before you punch him in the gut! Actually, make it two, just for me!" Huey chimed in. Giving the duo a nod of confirmation, the young teen picked up his bag and made the trek north of the city and towards the shuttle to Hiyoshi Pass.

 **0000**

Hazuki had been waiting patiently at the bench in the small park for her special guest, having spent the last 20 or so minutes on her own. But her patience was soon rewarded when she heard someone approaching her bench.

"Hazuki, my darling. I'm finally ready!" A voice called out, the brown-haired woman turning to see a tall man with short black hair, his eyes covered by a pair of tinted sunglasses. His outfit was a lavish five-piece suit, the sort that only those with a lot of money could buy.

"Th-Thomas!" Hazuki called out in joy, watching her boyfriend making his way to her. "I-I thought you were going to abandon me."

"Why would I abandon you? A Blakeory never falls back on their word." Thomas smiled at her, though its sincerity should be questioned.

"I know, it's just that I'm so caught up in protecting others that I forget that…I don't know, I'm an idiot." The brown-haired woman replied, mentally kicking herself for doubting him.

"No, you're not. You're my sparkling water, sunshine. You're always off doing your duties protecting people, but who will protect you? That person's going to be me, understand? I'll be there for you, my flower." The rich man lavished her with compliments, winning her over easily.

"Y-You'll protect me? No one's ever said that to me before." Hazuki inquired, a warm smile forming on her face. "Thank you for your words, Thomas. They brighten up my day. but I must go now, I have duties to attend to."

"Leaving already? That's a shame. I get it though, you're a hardworking woman. Lemme at least give you a little kiss before you go." Thomas said, leaning over and gave her a small kiss on the cheek and petted her on the shoulder, as a fierce blush soon formed on her face.

"I-I love you, Thomas! Goodbye my love!" Hazuki smiled, the duo waving each other farewell as she left the park. Once she was gone however, the smile dropped off of Thomas' face as he began retching on the spot.

"Blegh! I can't believe I actually did that…" He grimaced, wiping his lips before calling out to a nearby tree. "She's gone now, you can come out of hiding."

Right on cue, a pair of ominous figures appeared out of nowhere, that being Indriad and Gardevoir, a sinister smirk on the latter's face. "Did you put the tracker on her like I instructed?" Gardevoir asked in her usually twisted tone of voice.

"Yeah, yeah. like I said before, a Blakeory never falls back on his word. It was so damn easy; girls like her are too easy. You just tell them what they want to hear and they're yours." Thomas answered casually, turning to face them. "But what about you? Did you do your part?"

"Of course. Your father, Mr. Blakeory is no more. The Blakeory fortune and company is now in your hands, Thomas." Indriad replied, a smirk forming on Thomas' face. "Just to make sure we're clear. If I see you again, I will kill you."

"You told me that last time, I got it." The young man replied rudely.

"Good, not let's go M—" Gardevoir began, only to realize that Indriad had already teleported away from the area. "Yes…well we won't be seeing each other again, Mr. Blakeory. Ta-Ta!"

Watching Gardevoir disappear as soon as she left, Thomas began mulling over his actions to himself. "I feel bad for deceiving such a pretty face, but hey. I may end up marrying her and merging her fortune with mine. Only one thing left to do…" He mused to himself, quietly making his way out of the small park.

 **That's it for this chapter, everyone. I hope you liked it. Regarding the idea of Julius taking on the Reborn League, I don't think it's gonna happen. Don't get me wrong, I do plan on writing a story about Reborn, but it will most likely feature a different character as the main protagonist. Now the next part will delve into the portion where you get to play as Ren, so that'll be something to look forward to. Thank you all for reading and supporting my story, I'll see you in the next chapter.**


	53. Chapter 53

**Yagami Kuzuki: I apologize if you aren't keen on my idea regarding the Reborn fic I plan on writing. I understand that you want to see Julius take on the Reborn Region, but it wouldn't feel right to have him take the spotlight all the time.**

 **Welcome to the next installment of Rise from the Ashes. When we last left off, Julius and his friends were dumped into the past once more and met up with Nymiera and her friends. Now we'll be starting off with Julius' investigation of Hiyoshi Pass, searching for the one who had sent them into the past.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Hiyoshi Pass**

Having arrived at the pass, Julius promptly hopped off the shuttle, giving his thanks to the driver before walking off to the east in search for the mystery man who sent him and his friends here. The pass was a lot quieter than the city, ideal for those who preferred the tranquility of nature to the hustle and bustle of the city. Turning momentarily to the west, he saw the massive Rejuvenation building looming over the area, where Katsu and her employees were most likely working on their project to restore the Meira Region to its former glory. Who knows, maybe he could get some further answers about the Meira region once he was done with his current task. Turning back to the task at hand, the young teen continued down the path in search for his target when he was suddenly struck by a dull pain in his head, a few words echoing in his mind.

' _I love you all…I love you all…Please…Don't…Don't…'_

"What the…?" He commented, looking around him for the source of the voice, only to find nothing. The voice wasn't one that he recognized, so he had no idea who said that to him, or why. Staggering to the side, the young teen soon fell to the ground and saw a small tombstone on its own, dedicated to someone called Ana. Ana…that name felt…familiar somehow; he had no idea where, but it was as if he had heard that name before. Getting back up and dusted himself off, Julius opted to put the tombstone aside and make his way back to the path, hoping that it led to something of value. And it did, sort of; there was a large mansion at the end of the path, an empty swimming pool at the front alongside a set of picnic benches. Quietly making his way up the stairs, he started to approach the mansion when he was soon struck by another headache, this one more intense than the last one.

' _We were supposed to be friends for life. F…..ri…..e….n…d….s….f….o….r…We promised….We promised….We promised….All of us….All of us…..All of us…'_ The same mysterious voice as before echoed out in his mind, the young teen clutching his throbbing head as he staggered back and turned to the pool. _'Everyone! Let's go for a swim! We can stay in all night if we wanna!"_

"W-Who are you…?" Julius asked weakly, falling onto one knee as the unrelenting voice continued to assault his mind.

' _Kee….p….it….to….g….e….th…..e….r….WE HAVE TO KEEP IT TOGETHER!'_ The voice screamed to him, an ethereal, faceless ghost soon appearing in his mind.

' _I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…"_ A voice sniffled, thought whether or not it came from the ghost could be determined.

' _It's okay, don't cry…I'm here, just like I promised.'_ A face of content soon formed on the ghost's face as those words were spoken. _'Please, don't cry…'_

' _I'm sorry, it was just too painful.'_ The second voice whimpered quietly.

' _I understand, but we have to keep it together…if not, we'll fall apart; we need each other.'_ The ghost consoled their friend.

' _A-Are they here too?'_ The second voice inquired, a small smile forming on the ghost's face.

' _Yes, they're listening as well.'_ They replied.

' _What…What do you think of them?'_ The voice inquired once more, an uncertain expression soon forming on the ghost's face.

' _I don't know…I don't know what their intentions are.'_ They answered back quickly.

' _I see…'_ Was all the second voice could say, only for the ghost to begin wincing.

' _I'm so sorry…I can't…I can't go on…'_ They called out, no doubt having pushed the limit on how long they could appear for.

' _Wait, please!'_ The second voice called out desperately, watching their friend disappear into the light as yet another blinding headache struck Julius, the pain too much for him to bear as he promptly collapsed onto the ground, his eyes slowly closing as he drifted off into a state of unconsciousness.

 **0000**

"It's been over half-an-hour since we sent him off, better check up on him." Ren spoke to himself, arriving at Hiyoshi Pass and began searching the area for him. The raven-haired teen knew just how capable his friend was, so to have him take this long means that something serious must've gone down. The path to the mansion didn't take long for him at all, given how he wasn't assaulted by a barrage of headaches and voices. Soon enough, he arrived at the mansion, where he was promptly greeted to the unconscious form of his friend sprawled out on the path. "Julius!"

Quickly running over to him, he began nudging his body lightly to get a reaction out of him, but to no avail. He then opted to check his pulse, breathing a small sigh of relief upon finding one. But asides from that, there were no signs of life coming from him; almost as though someone had snuffed him out in the blink of an eye. "Hey…hey! What's wrong? What happened? C'mon, talk to me!"

"I'm afraid that one is out like a candlestick at dawn's peak." A familiar voice taunted, with Ren abruptly turning to see the hoverboard dude slowly approaching the duo.

"You! You were the one who did this, didn't you?!" Ren shot back, a look of intense anger in his eyes.

"Woah, woah, woah. Let's not jump the gun here, I had nothing to do with this. It's not my fault they reacted the way they did." The older man defended himself adamantly. "Though, keeping repressed memories like that really isn't healthy. Messes up your psyche and all that, you know? No one ever cares about mental health."

"Liar! You shut your mouth right now!" The raven-haired teen demanded, promptly sending out his Greninja who got into a combative stance.

"Didn't I tell you to keep your claws hidden, kitty cat? You may cut someone." The mysterious man chuckled, taking a Pokéball from his own pocket. "But if a scratching board's all you need, I'm welcome to oblige. Though do be careful, this scratching board scratches back!"

With a quick flick of his wrist, the mysterious man sent out his first Pokémon, the Alolan Raichu chirping happily and hopped onto its tail in an affectionate imitation of its trainer. Both Ren and his Greninja knew that Alolan Raichu were no joke despite their cheery demeanor and opted to get serious. With a quick leap in the air, the Greninja's vivid pink tongue soon turned a dark shade of black as the frog conjured up a ball of eerie energy, firing it in a pulsating beam that struck the Raichu head on. The Mouse Pokémon was knocked off it's tail from the attack but was able to quickly get back up on it, it's short arms poised in the air as it began to channel it's mental energy into a bright orange ball. Once the ball was sufficiently charged, the Raichu flung it towards the Greninja at impressive speeds, with the frog being able to dodge the incoming attack, but the result explosion sent it flying towards the ground and skidded for a few feet.

Getting back up and brushed the blades of grass off its body, the Ninja Pokémon pressed its hands together, it's tongue turning a shade of deep green as the ground started to tremble slightly. Just then, a set of thick vines emerged from beneath the Raichu, tripping it off its board and snared its feet firmly, leaving it vulnerable. Now that it's foe was vulnerable, the Greninja had a perfect opportunity to finish off it's opponent, the frog Pokémon leapt up into the air, channeling a ball of frozen energy as it's tongue turned a shade of icy blue. Soon enough, it fired the beam of frozen energy at the Raichu, striking it dead on as the Mouse Pokémon was soon encased in ice, trapped in a frozen prison of sorts.

"Heh, those claws of yours are pretty sharp…" The mysterious man chuckled, recalling his defeated Pokémon before quickly selecting his next option. "But as the old saying goes; the best way to deal with a rowdy cat is to spray it with water!"

The man promptly threw his next Pokéball, a Swampert emerging from the device as it let out an intimidating bellow. But the Greninja wasn't fazed by its enemies display of power, the frog content with gazing at it quietly. Raising its fist in the air, the Swampert slammed it on the ground, creating a powerful tremor that shook up the place, the Ninja Pokémon staggering slightly on the spot. Seizing this opportunity, the Mud Fish Pokémon lunged at its opponent, its fist cloaked in ice as it dealt a powerful punch to the Greninja, pushing it onto the ground. But the Greninja wasn't down for the count yet, promptly getting back up on its feet and went for another Grass Knot. However, the Swampert anticipated such an attack, taking a light green berry it had kept safe and quickly consumed it as the vines snared its feet and tripped it over. Though the attack did hurt the Swampert a fair bit, the nutrients gained from eating the berry greatly reduced the damage it would've taken.

Tearing the vines off its feet with its powerful arms, the Mud Fish Pokémon got back up on its feet and cloaked its body in water, charging at the Greninja and tackled it harshly, following up with a swift punch to the stomach that took the wind out of the Greninja. Weakened from the assault, the frog Pokémon slowly got back up on its feet, a determined look in its eyes as it leaped back a few feet, its tongue turning a shade of black as it fired another Dark Pulse at the Swampert. The attack struck it head on, causing it to stagger as a wave of uncomfortable thoughts plagued its mind, flinching it momentarily. Seizing this opportunity, the Ninja Pokémon leapt up into the air, it's tongue turning a vivid shade of green once more as some more vines emerged from beneath the Swampert, picking it up in the air before slamming it harshly into the ground, creating a small crater as some dust permeated over it. When the dust died down, it showed that the Swampert was unable to continue battling.

"Hah…how'd you like that?" Ren inquired, his Greninja panting lightly with exhaustion as his enemy recalled his Pokémon.

"Not bad, not bad at all. But you'll be shivering in fear at the sight of my next Pokémon. Xurkitree, go!" The mysterious man called out, sending out his third Pokémon as the sentient collection of power cables let out an ear-splitting screech. The raven-haired teen eyed it up cautiously; he had heard about its kind from Nastasia, who referred to it as an Ultra Beast. Supposedly, a whole lot of them invaded the Alola region from a different dimension several years ago, but the incident was kept a secret. When asked if Team Xen had any plans for them, she promptly told him to mind his business, leading him to think that they played a key role in their operations. Regardless, he knew that they were very strong, almost on the same level as Legendary Pokémon, so he had to act cautiously.

"Greninja, cripple it with a Scald!" He called out, hoping to inflict a burn on it so he could start playing a game of attrition. Leaping up in the air, the frog Pokémon spewed a stream of boiling hot water from its mouth, striking the Xurkitree head on as it hissed loudly in pain, a few small burns appearing on its body. Though crippled, the Glowing Pokémon still had energy to spare, rearing its arms up in the air as it channeled a wickedly powerful bolt of lightning at the Greninja, striking it head on as the frog Pokemon was blown back several feet, crumpling on the ground and was unable to get back up. "Greninja!" The raven-haired teen cried out in concern, running up to his injured ally and checked up on it.

"See? I told you this scratching board scratches back!" The mysterious man taunted, with Ren consoling his injured ally as he recalled it, his glance shifting to see the Xurkitree bobbing up and down on the spot in what could only be determined as a joyful expression. He knew that the Ultra Beasts grew more powerful the more foes they defeated, so defeating one quickly was a top priority. However, with his fastest Pokémon knocked out, his opponent now had the advantage in speed. Still, there was a way he could salvage this situation.

"Flygon, let's teach this creep a lesson!" Ren called out, sending out his next Pokémon as the Mystic Pokémon let out a quick cry of determination, flapping its wings at a rhythmic pace. He figured that if speed couldn't win the battle, then a type advantage would, on top of the burn his Greninja had inflicted as a "parting gift". Taking to the skies, the Flygon flew up quickly, flapping its wings quickly as it performed a special dance to boost its power and speed. The Xurkitree outstretched its arms, channeling its inner power as a series of ice blue balls formed around its body, the Glowing Pokémon soon slamming its arms on the ground as the balls of energy flew towards the Flygon. However, the Mystic Pokémon was able to dodge them quickly, swooping towards the ground and slammed its tail into it, creating a powerful tremor that struck the Xurkitree, causing it to stagger on the spot. The Flygon then lunged at its foe, slashing it with its sharp claws as the Glowing Pokémon was blown back by the combo attack, crumpling on the floor as a shocked expression appeared on the man's face.

"To think that my best Pokémon could be defeated…" He spoke to himself, shaking his head to break free of his stupor as he promptly recalled it. "I've still got one more Pokémon left, and it'll blow you away. Clawitzer, ready yourself for battle!"

Emerging from its ball, the shrimp Pokémon let out a low gurgle, aiming its massive claw at the Flygon who gazed at it calmly. Charging up a ball of frozen energy in its claw, the Clawitzer took aim and fired a beam of energy at its foe, the Mystic Pokémon dodging it effortlessly only for the Clawitzer to keep firing. It seems that the Howitzer Pokémon's strategy was to wear its foe out with repeated attacks from long range before dealing a finishing blow to it. If Ren was to win the battle, he would have to close the gap quickly, since Clawitzer were very weak in close range battles. Going over his plan with his Flygon, the duo were ready to initiate the strategy, the Mystic Pokémon flying up into the air to perform another rhythmic dance.

The Clawitzer saw this opportunity to attack and began charging up another salvo of Ice Beams, which was when the Flygon ceased its dance and swooped down towards its foe. This had caught the Howitzer Pokémon off-guard, the shrimp Pokémon now realizing that it was vulnerable while charging up its attack. Quickly closing the gap, the Flygon slashed at the Clawitzer before using its tail to fling it into the air. It then finished off the assault by flying into the air and struck the Clawitzer with its tail again, sending it hurtling towards the earth as it crashed into the ground, kicking up some more dust as the Mystic Pokémon flew to its friend's side. When the dust died down, it showed that the Clawitzer was unable to continue battling.

"You done yet, kitty cat?" The older man taunted, quickly recalling his fainted Pokémon.

"Just what is your problem?! Why did you send us here?!" Ren demanded, wanting answers right now.

"Hey now, don't be mad. I figured you'd be appreciative of my…service." The mysterious man replied calmly, looking around the area. "This is a pretty nice spot, isn't it? Julius thought so as well."

"You have no right to talk about Julius after what you did to him!" The raven-haired man retorted viciously. "It's your fault we're all in this mess in the first place!"

Lunging towards the man, Ren attempted to sucker punch him, only for the latter to bring out a taser and jabbed it in his side, the raven-haired teen wincing in pain as he staggered back a few feet. "It's my fault? Is that so? Look who's talking. I'm not the one wearing that disgraceful uniform." The older man shot back, pushing Ren to the ground as a chuckle of contempt escaped his mouth. "And to think that this cat thought he was worth something. You're just playing a game you never owned. A party you weren't invited to. So then tell me, why are you lot here? All of a sudden?"

"W-What are you talking about…?" The raven-haired teen asked weakly.

"I'm talking about fate, kiddo. Everything's on a predetermined path. At least, that's how it's supposed to be. Maybe you should ask Julius when he wakes up." The mysterious man started rambling.

"You're talking utter nonsense, you psychopath!" Ren hissed, glaring at his adversary.

"Call me what you want. I know what fate has in store for me. Or at least, I did. We'll speak again, kitty cat. I've got to dip for now." The older man replied, a low revving noise emanating from his board.

"Don't run away from me you bastard…" The raven-haired teen called out, getting back on his feet only to see the man fly off at lightning-quick speeds. "Ugh…this isn't over you freak."

"Fly~" His Flygon chirped, pointing towards Julius' unconscious form.

"R-Right, I've got to help my friend first." Ren replied, making his way to the fallen teen as the duo lifted him off the ground and began the slow trek back to Hiyoshi City.

 **Hiyoshi City Hospital**

Ren, Reina and Huey were waiting patiently in the hospital lobby for news regarding Julius' condition, the latter two clasping their hands firmly together. They were horrified to hear the news from Ren when they saw him arrive back to the city, his friend's body in his arms. A few minutes later, a young nurse made her way from the back rooms and approached the trio.

"How's Julius doing? Is it serious?" Ren inquired.

"Your friend is doing just fine, he only passed out due to exhaustion. He's resting right now, but once he wakes up, he's free to leave." The nurse smiled at them, the trio breathing a sigh of relief upon hearing the news.

"That's a relief. I'll be back to check on things if you don't mind." The raven-haired teen replied, the nurse nodding in confirmation as she made her way back to the back rooms.

"Thanks goodness he's going to be fine. I was on the verge of puking from fear and anxiety." Huey chimed in.

"I don't think we needed to hear that…" Reina retorted, turning to face her older brother. "Jokes aside, I'm glad Julius is gonna be alright."

"I'm glad he's fine as well, but we're in a bit of a situation now. Since we're down one man, we cannot progress through our investigation as much as I wanted to. Which means that we're gonna have to lay low for a while, at least until Kanon finds a way back for us." Ren told the other two.

"But what are we going to do while we wait? Just stand around and suck on our thumbs?" His younger sister inquired.

"I'm sure there's something to keep you two occupied in this city. Jeez, you traveled back several decades in time and you're still bored…" The raven-haired teen sighed in slight exasperation.

"Hahaha, good point. If you really think about it, most people here would be old or dead in our time! Isn't that hilarious?" Huey chuckled lightly, but the deadpan expression from the two siblings indicated that his joke was a complete bust.

"Alright, that's enough from you two. I'm gonna head out for a bit." Ren began, making his way to the exit only for Reina to run up towards him.

"Can we come with you, please?" She requested, only for him to shake his head back at her.

"That's a no from me, sis. Just hang out with Huey or something." He knocked her request back, briskly making his way out the hospital to the chagrin of his sister. Once he was on his own, he checked to see if the coast was clear before briskly hiding behind a tree. Peering from behind it, he saw Reina and Huey quickly making their way out the hospital.

"Are we seriously doing this again, Reina?" The redhead asked her.

"I'm not following my brother if that's what you're thinking. I heard that you could take the shuttle to a lake north of here, if you ask them to. I was thinking we could check it out or something?" She replied, catching him off-guard with her answer.

"Oh, my bad. I'm fine with your idea as long as it involves no stalking." Huey said.

"Relax, I'm over it. I just want to get my mind off of things for now." Reina admitted, the duo quietly making their way down the path as Ren soon emerged from behind the tree.

"Huh…guess she really wasn't following me after all. Guess she's finally starting to grow up." He spoke to himself, a little surprised over what he just heard. But as he was making his way back on the path, the speaker phone attacked to his wrist started ringing, the inbuilt screen indicating that Nastasia was the one calling him at this time. A little surprised at how he was able to receive a call from her despite being 30 years in the past, he accepted the call and began speaking to her. "Yes, this is Ren here. What do you want?"

" _Ren!"_ Nastasia snapped at him, the screen showing that she was very angry at the young teen. _"I've been trying to contact you for ages. Why haven't you picked up?"_

"That's because I haven't actually gotten a call from you recently. In fact, I'm not even sure how this one was able to go through considering where I am." He replied cautiously, knowing that a wrong move would cost him dearly.

" _I configured that device to have reception literally wherever you went. So there's no way my calls wouldn't make it!"_ The older woman retorted.

"Well…what if I said that I wasn't even in the same time period as you?" Ren spoke, with Nastasia calming down upon hearing what he said, or so he thought.

" _Ren, where are you right now?"_ She inquired.

"Somehow got myself stuck in the past with my sister, a guy named Huey and Julius, who happens to be unconscious right now." He answered, his words seemingly having no effect on the older woman.

" _That's awkward; don't you have a way back?"_ Nastasia inquired, seemingly unfazed by what she had just heard.

"Unfortunately, I don't. Truthfully, I thought you would've been surprised over what I just told you." Ren commented.

"… _Did you say something? Sorry, I was thinking to myself."_ The purple-haired woman replied. _"Well since you're stuck there, we may as well get some work done. Describe the surrounding area to me."_

*Sigh* "As you wish…" The raven-haired teen sighed, upon hearing that he had work to do. "I'm in a place called Hiyoshi City. Does the name ring a bell or anything?"

" _I-Interesting…I see…"_ Nastasia began, a little taken aback by what she had just heard with Ren noticing her slight stutter. Was there something about this place that meant something to her? Or was his mind playing tricks on him? _"Yes, I believe I know where exactly you are now. It's a large city by the coastline, right?"_

"Y-Yeah…how'd you know that?" Ren asked.

" _Where else? The internet."_ The older woman answered bluntly. _"Anyway, I know the place I want you to visit. North of Hiyoshi City is the Rejuvenation Corp building, right?"_

"If my memory serves well, then yeah it's up there. I dunno, I haven't looked up north that much." The raven-haired teen replied.

" _Good. Once you're there, call me again for the next part of your assignment."_ Nastasia ordered, promptly hanging up as a small sigh escaped from his mouth.

"Looks like I can't get out of working for Team Xen, even in the past." Ren muttered to himself, making his way towards the shuttle to the north. But before he could do so, he was caught off-guard by the sound of a crowd murmuring amongst themselves. Turning to the source, he saw what looked like a well-dressed businessman atop a stage with a Hippopotas and what seemed to be his family. Making his way into the crowd, the young teen figured that he may as well listen to the presentation.

"Hello citizens of Hiyoshi City, it's your beloved mayor here and I would like to welcome you all!" He began, with the crowd politely clapping for the middle-aged man. "I am very excited to unveil a project me and my team have been working on for many years. Just five years ago, Hiyoshi City was constructed after our beloved home region was destroyed. Even in the face of adversity, we move on! Before we continue, our town mascot, Gloria the Hippopotas, would like a few words."

"Hippaa~…" The small hippo called out, gazing calmly at the crowd as they all applauded her like crazy.

"Now then, allow me to present to you our new project in the works!" The mayor continued, removing the cloth over the billboard and revealed an advertisement for a place called Grand Dream City, the crowd cooing in awe as Ren grew wide-eyed at the sight.

"No way…" He spoke to himself.

"From the very beginning, we knew that we wanted a safe haven for all inhabitants, be they people or Pokémon. And that city will be a new form of Hiyoshi! Construction begins after the festival has concluded. Of course, we planned things so that our construction won't be a bother to anyone living here. So, that being the case—" He continued.

"Is that really all you got?" A voice rudely called out from the crowd, the crowd turning to see Thomas Blakeory make his way to the stage.

"Oh, it's you Thomas. What do you want now?" The mayor inquired politely.

"This is what you've been working on for so long, Mayor Rafael? Really? After everything that's been going on here?" The younger man opted to press him for answers.

"W-What are you talking about? Please get off the stage." Rafael requested.

"Everyone, this man is nothing more than a greedy man who wants nothing but to drain your banks accounts! The past few weeks have been catastrophic! Earthquakes, weather abnormalities, HEAT WAVES! Is this not a sigh for the imminent end of this region? Why is this man not working towards a solution to this issue?" Thomas ranted, causing the once cheery crowd to begin muttering among themselves.

"Please, compose yourselves everyone. An emergency plan has already been put forth. In the time of a catastrophic event, evacuation ships have been docked at—" The mayor began once more.

"You hear that? In the event that this happens! That means he won't even do anything UNTIL it happens!" The younger man retorted.

"Y-You're twisting my words, Thomas!" Rafael retorted.

"Are we just going to let this man trample over us? I guarantee you that the first person who would be off this stupid island is the mayor and his…disgraceful family!" Thomas retorted back, with the fury of a power-hungry demagogue.

"How dare you talk about us like that you scoundrel!" The mayor's wife snapped at him, holding her young daughter close to her, a look of fear etched on the young girl's face. "Don't worry Sandra, everything will be ok. We just have a rabble-rouser who wants to make the show about himself."

"You know what I think? I think we should throw them all in prison. Until he shows his citizens respect, I demand that he be held in contempt!" Thomas rallied to the crowd, who all began to express their support for him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please! Do not be manipulated by this man! Your safety is my number one priority! Nothing is going to happen, please just—" Rafael pleaded to the crowd, only to get interrupted by a surprise snowfall. "W-What the…snow?"

"Do you see this? Snow is falling during the hottest season of the year! This is unprecedented! We need to throw this man in jail for keeping us here for so long!" The younger man began, with the crowd hollering in anger as they bum-rushed the stage, dragging the mayor and his family away as they tried desperately to get the crowd to see reason.

"I've never seen a speech go downhill so quickly." Ren muttered to himself, a hint of sadness in his tone. "That was depressing to watch, just what the hell happened?"

"Heh, like taking candy from a baby. Looks like mother nature is on my side and wants to spend the night with me…what a peach." Thomas chuckled to himself, making his way off the stage only to bump into the raven-haired teen. "What? You're still here? Go home kid, this presentation's over."

"Don't think I can't see through your bullshit! You're a con artist; a sleazy opportunist who exploits people's fears and insecurities for personal gain." Ren growled at the older man, who chuckled lightly in contempt.

"Smart kid. Too bad for the mayor that everyone else in this city is a half-witted troglodyte. Who knows? Maybe I'll be their mayor one day…until then, stay cool." The older man sneered, briskly making his way down the path as Ren watched him go.

"Now that I'm free from that bastard, I should make my way to Hiyoshi Pass." The young teen sighed to himself, quietly making his way to where the shuttle was parked.

 **0000**

Upon arriving at the pass, Ren thanked the driver before hopping out of the shuttle and onto the path. Almost immediately, he saw what appeared to be an older woman walking briskly to the left, a few quiet sobs escaping from her mouth. "Something must be seriously upsetting her; the economy must be going down quickly no thanks to all the disasters and whatnot. Something's going to happen, and it will not be good." He mused to himself, opting to follow her to see if there was a way he could cheer her up. A few minutes later, he had crossed a fairly large bridge and arrived on a small island, where a massive building towers over the entire area.

"This must be it…Rejuvenation Corp. Better give Nastasia a call." Ren commented, quickly dialing the phone for his boss as it began to ring. Soon enough, the older woman picked it up and the duo were conversing with each other once more.

" _Ren, I've calculated the time it would take for you to get to the building. According to my calculations, you should be there by now."_ She informed him.

"That would be impressive if it weren't for the fact that I got held up for a bit." The raven-haired teen replied, choosing to omit the fact that he attended the presentation.

" _Well truth be told, I predicted that you would've gotten lost, so I added half an hour to the total."_ She replied in a somewhat snarky tone, the young teen unamused by her comment.

"So what do you want me to do then?" Ren inquired.

" _You've seen the actual building, yes? I'll need you to infiltrate the building and gather a certain file for me. I'll give you some more details when you're inside."_ Nastasia ordered, with Ren giving her a small nod of understanding.

"It'll be easier said than done, but I'll see what I can do." He replied, with the older woman promptly hanging up on him. "Just go into the building, she says. Gather info for me, she says."

Making his way to the front gate, he saw a pair of guards stationed by the area. Quietly approaching it in the hopes that they allowed visitors to access the ground floor at least, he was disappointed when he saw the duo stand before him. "Halt! Authorized personnel only!" The first guard barked firmly.

"S-Sorry, I'll be on my way…" Ren apologized, quickly retreating from the gate and hid behind a tree before pressing on his speaker phone once more. "C'mon Nastasia, please pick up…" He whispered.

" _What is it, Ren?"_ She asked in an impatient tone, the young teen sighing in relief that she actually picked up.

"The guards won't let me in. do you know another way to get inside?" He asked her.

" _Are you—of course they won't let you inside!"_ She snapped in frustration at him. _"Do you not know what infiltrate means? It means to enter or gain access to a place discreetly. How you get anything done without me is a mystery even to me."_

"Ok, I get that I messed up. But are you going to give me a hand or not?" Ren inquired.

" _You'll have to brainstorm an answer for that one; there's not much else I can do."_ Nastasia told him, promptly hanging up on him as Ren sighed in defeat.

"Ugh…this day just keeps getting better and better." He grumbled to himself, stepping back from the tree and surveyed the building for a few minutes. "I could probably get over the wall and on the rooftop no problem with the equipment Nastasia gave me. But that'll be too obvious; someone's bound to see me doing that. Perhaps someone in the city might have an idea on what to do…"

Making his way from the area, the raven-haired teen began the short trek back to the city, hoping that he might find an answer to his current predicament.

 **0000**

Upon arriving at the city, the first thing he noticed was a young woman ranting about her boyfriend not showing up for the meeting with her, throwing something to the ground before storming off somewhere else. Eyeing it up curiously, he saw that it was a ticket advertising a free tour of Rejuvenation Corp, the raven-haired teen's eyes sparkling as an idea was presented before him. But before he could pick it up, it was snatched up by a young girl with short purple hair, who giggled at him before promptly running away.

"H-Hey, give it back!" Ren demanded quickly chasing after her, with the young girl running off at surprisingly quick speeds. He was a little alarmed that someone who was less than half his age was able to outpace him; perhaps he needed to work out for a bit once he was back in his time. Noticing that she was making her way to Route 5, he continued his pursuit of her past the gate to the city and onto the route itself. Soon enough, he found her making her way to what seemed to be a small outlook beside the lake and was able to corner her. "Look, missy. Stealing is wrong, you know that? If you give the ticket back to me, I won't tell your parents about it."

"W-Wait, I have a deal to offer you…" The young girl offered, intriguing the young teen. "I need your help, mister. I-I want to confront my m-mommy about a few things; she's the President of Rejuvenation Co. I can help you get in without any problems. I need you to be there just in case mommy gets mad at me."

"So you want me to be your body guard?" He deduced, the young girl nodding in confirmation. "Yeah, I can do that for you. But I would've helped you if you had just asked me back then."

"I'm sorry, I won't do it again mister…" She apologized, looking at him in confusion. "What's your name."

"The name's Ren. What's yours?" He answered, getting on one knee.

"I'm Anastasia!" The young girl smiled at him.

"Alright Anastasia, let's go meet your mother." Ren stated, gesturing her to follow him as the duo made their way back to the shuttle, a few thoughts coursing through his mind. If her mother really was the President of Rejuvenation Co., then she might know a password or two to a restricted area. But it was another thought that stood out the most; didn't Julius help out a young girl in confronting her parent back then? Yes, he did; Maria was her name if he recalled. A small chuckle escaped from Ren's mouth; guess he and his mate were more alike than he initially thought.

 **Outside Rejuvenation Co.**

Having arrived at the towering building, the duo stopped right beside the front gate, with Anastasia thinking of a way to get inside the facility. "Just follow my word and everything shall go smoothly. We need to act professional." She told the young teen.

"Lead the way, princess." Ren smiled at her, with the young girl gesturing him to follow her. The duo made their way towards the gate, with Anastasia attempting to pass by the guards, only for them to halt her in place.

"Halt, where are your parents young one?" A guard inquired firmly, yet gently.

"I-I'm here with my friend." Anastasia answered, gesturing at Ren as the guards turned to face him, their eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"Hmmm…you look familiar. Have we met before?" The second guard asked, the raven-haired teen freezing on the spot as he realized his previous attempt could come back to bite him.

"N-No, he isn't. He's a really nice guy; I'm sure you haven't met him yet, but once you get to know him, you will." The purple-haired girl replied, a sudden realization soon forming on the first guard's face.

"Y-You're the President's daughter! The same one who's been missing for a few months!" They exclaimed in shock, the duo stepping back a few feet.

"You need to come with us; your mother is worried sick about you!" The second guard ordered, the duo slowly advancing upon her.

"W-Wait!" Anastasia called out, halting the guards in place. "I-I wish to see mommy with my friend. I…I want to speak to her about something."

The duo ceased moving, cautiously eyeing up Ren as they began whispering among themselves. A minute or so later, the duo had come to a conclusion. "Fine, you can see her on your own. But once this is done, your friend has to vacate these premises, understood?" The first guard conceded.

"Understood. Come along, Ren." The young girl agreed with these terms, gesturing the raven-haired teen to follow her into the building.

"I've gotta say, that was some impressive negotiation skills back there." Ren complimented her, the duo taking their first steps into the highly technological building.

"Thank you. But it's not just negotiating I'm good at; I'm also very good at Pokémon battles." Anastasia smiled at the older boy.

"I see. So where'd you train your battling skills?" He asked her.

"At a Gym in Kugearen, but it's been abandoned for a while. I would hide in there and train all by myself. Well not by myself; I was with my other friend, Squiggles!" The young girl continued. "But Squiggles is really shy; he only comes around when he wants to. He hides in some shiny gemstone, but when he comes out he's all squiggly!"

"I see…" Was all Ren could say, his mind running wild with speculation. Just what kind of Pokémon was Squiggles supposed to be, if it was even one in the first place? Furthermore, he could shake the fact that there was something…familiar about this girl, almost as if he was one key detail away from uncovering her true identity. He had a hunch on who she was, or will be in the present time, but he simply needed more evidence before he could arrive at that conclusion.

"If I know mommy, then she's most likely on the rooftop. That's her favorite spot to go whenever she's stressed out." Anastasia informed him, the duo making their way to the elevator as Ren suddenly received an email via his speaker phone. Opening it discreetly, he saw that it was from Nastasia, the Xen Admin giving him the details about the file he was looking for and where it was. "Is something wrong, Mr. Ren?"

"N-No, everything's fine. Anastasia." He replied, quickly hiding the email before pressing on the elevator button, the duo waiting patiently for it to arrive. But after a few minutes, the elevator hadn't arrived at their floor, indicating that it was nonfunctional. "Bummer. Looks like we'll have to take the stairs."

"Not to worry, Mr. Ren? I know a way we can fix this issue." The purple-haired girl reassured him, gesturing him to follow her once more. While they were walking through the building, they duo opted to engage in a bit of small talk in order to pass the time. "What's your favorite flavor of ice-cream? Mine's vanilla with a hint of blueberry in it."

"Well…this'll be controversial, but I'm rather fond of mint-flavored ice-cream." Ren admitted, the young girl giving him a look that indicated that she sincerely regretted bringing up this conversation. Noticing this, Ren opted to talk about something else. "So err…what's your favorite color? I'm not too sure what mine is, but it'll most likely be red. Or blue, or even green."

"My favorite color? An easy question; it's purple for me!" Anastasia chimed back, grateful that she no longer had to hear his heretical beliefs about ice-cream flavors. Soon enough, they arrived at a second elevator, placed right before the inside dock where supplies are shipped from and to the facility. Pressing the button, the young girl sighed in relief to see the doors open, the duo stepping inside as Ren made his way to the button panel.

"Sorry Anastasia, there's something I need to do before I can take you to the rooftop…" He apologized, pressing on the button to the 64th floor as the elevator doors started to close.

"Mr. Ren, that's not the floor to the rooftop…" The young girl reminded him.

"I hope you don't mind if we take a little…detour first." Ren requested, with Anastasia gazing at him in confusion before accepting his decision. The elevator soon arrived at its destination, the raven-haired teen gesturing for Anastasia to stay behind as he stepped onto the floor. Quietly, he made his way to a room where the archives are kept, making his way to the small computer at the back as the young girl managed to follow him without getting detected. Typing away at the keyboard, he began searching the computer for the file he was after, the small girl creeping up behind him.

"Mr. Ren! A-Are you stealing from the company?!" She exclaimed in shock, giving the young teen the fright of a lifetime as he quickly turned around to face her.

"G-Gah! I thought I told you to stay behind." He replied, realizing the magnitude of the situation he was in. "I-I'm not stealing from the company…technically."

"Y-You told me that stealing was wrong, yet here you are stealing things! Well I won't help you out, Mr. Hypocrite!" Anastasia huffed, taking a seat on the couch as a sigh escaped Ren's mouth.

"First, I gotta babysit my sister, then I gotta babysit Huey. Talk about ten jobs in one, how the hell can someone need to eat so often? And now I'm breaking into Rejuvenation Co. with the President's daughter in tow…" He mumbled to himself, scanning through the files until he finally came across the one he was looking for. "Aha! There it is. Now to go to the mentioned shelf and take it…"

"Mr. Ren, are you done being a criminal?" The young girl asked sarcastically, watching the raven-haired teen make his way to a shelf and take a file from it.

"A criminal? I am not a criminal!" Ren defended himself quickly, quickly tucking the file away somewhere safe. "There we go. Now to see your mother."

Her mood improving somewhat, the young girl hopped off the couch and followed him to the elevator, stepping onto it and pressed the button for the 73rd floor. As the elevator slowly rose up to its destination, the young girl began clenching her fists tightly, a few beads of sweat on them. She knew that she was terrified of what might happen, but this was something that had to be done. Eventually the elevator arrived at the rooftop, the duo hopping off it and stepped onto the roof, with Ren taken away by the amazing view of Aevium he was given.

"Wow…no wonder your mother goes here to cool down." He spoke softly to Anastasia, noticing that she was a little nervous about what was to come. "Hey…no matter what happens, know that I'll be there by your side, got it?"

"T-Thank you, Mr. Ren." Anastasia smiled at him, the duo making their way to the ledge where Katsu, Anastasia's mother liked to look over the region. As the young girl had expected, her mother was quietly overlooking the region, the purple-haired girl taking a step forward. "Mommy…" She began, causing the older woman to turn around abruptly.

"A-Anastasia!" Katsu exclaimed in shock, stepping forward to approach her, only for the young girl to halt her in place. "W-What?"

"I didn't come back to be with you again. Ever since I left, I've been really scared. I was out alone…I had no idea what to do with myself. But I did it because I didn't want to be with you, I couldn't…When I was stuck with something, it was Maria who helped me out, not you! But now a bad Pokémon took Maria, and she's not here to help me anymore. So I've been training out here, getting stronger so that I can save Maria." Anastasia began to speak, her mother left speechless for the most part.

"Anastasia…" The older woman began, a few dry tears staining her cheeks.

"For the longest time, I thought you hated me. I thought you were sheltering me because you were embarrassed of me. But all your sheltering did was foster a sense of insecurity inside me. Well not anymore, I'm much stronger now! I've been through so much! I can be on my own and I'm not living in fear anymore!" The purple-haired girl continued.

"Well if you're not here to stay, then why did you come back?" Katsu inquired.

"Because…I heard you worrying about me back on Route 4. It sounded genuine. For the first time, I knew that you loved me. But then the meteor hit and I didn't want to reveal myself. I came back so you would stop worrying. I'm fine, mommy! You don't have to cry anymore, I'm fine!" Anastasia answered.

"I'm so sorry Anastasia…I was so caught up in my work, my dream that I took out my frustration on you. I never considered how you felt or how you perceived me. I only wanted to make you a better person, so that you could lead the company one day. But I never asked if that was what you wanted. I know I can never take back what I did, but I know I can be better. Please, forgive me, Anastasia." The older woman apologized, the young girl shooting her a smile as she approached her mother, the duo soon embracing each other in a warm hug.

"Heh…looks like you didn't need me at all, kiddo." Ren chuckled to himself, quietly making his way to the elevator, only for Anastasia to call out to him.

"Thank you for everything, Mr. Ren!" The young girl called out to him.

"Yes, thank you very much for keeping an eye out on my daughter." Katsu expressed her gratitude as well.

"It was nothing. I hope everything goes well for you two." He replied back, only for a quick tremor to rock the nearby area. "W-What was that?"

"I-It's her…" Anastasia began cautiously, the trio looking to the side and saw Kanon running away from something.

"Why must they always run away?" An ominous voice called out to the retreating figure, as Gardevoir soon appeared right before the white-haired teen.

"I-If you think you'll get Nymiera's location out of me, then you're a complete imbecile…" Kanon panted lightly, exhausted from all the running he had done.

"I was wondering how you were able to escape my execution back at the mansion. But seeing as you're Nymiera's slave, it's not so surprising anymore." Gardevoir chuckled at him.

"Ignorant fool, I am her humble servant, not her slave!" He retorted back at her.

"Call it what you will, the truth rises above all else. Now, be a good slave and come with me." The wicked Pokémon outstretched her arm, enveloping the white-haired teen in a mysterious ball of black energy that sucked him up and took him elsewhere.

"K-Kanon!" Ren exclaimed in a mixture of surprise and fear.

"S-She's the bad Pokémon that took Maria! That must mean she's around here somewhere…I must go and save her!" Anastasia began.

"Wait! I know you care about your friend, but this is so dangerous. As a mother, I cannot allow yourself to get involved in something like this!" Katsu called out to her, only for the young girl to shake her head.

"I'm sorry mommy…but I have to help Maria." She stated, quickly making her way to the elevator.

"Ren…please look after my daughter. Make sure she doesn't do something stupid!" The older woman requested, turning to face the young teen.

"You got it, ma'am! I'll make sure no harm befalls her!" Ren pledged, making his way to the elevator and hopped on it. A few minutes later, he arrived back on the ground floor and made his way out the building, his speaker phone ringing once more. Accepting the call, he saw that it was from Nastasia, as he had expected.

" _Did you get the file I asked for?"_ Nastasia inquired, with Ren taking the physical copy from underneath his tattered cloak.

"Yep, I have it here. I also have a PDF vile on my device just in case." He answered.

" _Good."_ The older woman replied, as an odd question formed in her mind. _"Did…Did anything else particular happen down there?"_

"Yeah, and it's something I need to talk to you about. This might be really stupid of me to do, but there's this little girl I found. She said she needed help finding a friend, Maria her name was." Ren stated, noticing an…uncomfortable expression forming on his bosses' face. "Additionally, I've noticed some similarities between her and—"

*click* The phone call ended suddenly, catching the raven-haired teen off-guard. "She ended the call…" He mused, his mind wandering towards his next task. He should let Nymiera know about what happened to Kanon. Tidying himself up, Ren began the trek back to the shuttle to Hiyoshi City, knowing all too well that something serious was going to go down soon.

 **And that wraps up another great chapter; wasn't it nice to see things from Ren's perspective? As the end stated, some serious business will go down in the next chapter, so I hope you'll be looking forward to it. Thank you all for reading and supporting my story, I hope you all stay safe and healthy in these trying times.**


	54. Chapter 54

**Welcome to the next chapter of Rejuvenation, where we'll be treated to a series of epic events. I hope you all enjoy what's coming up in this chapter, as I know I will.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Hiyoshi City**

Having made his way back to Hiyoshi City, Ren was planning on informing Nymiera on what had happened to her trusted friend, Kanon. However, he figured that it wouldn't hurt to check up on Julius beforehand, given that it would only take a minute or so. Making his way to the hospital, he promptly entered the front lobby, only to see his friend signing something on the front counter.

"There you go." Julius said to the receptionist, handing over the document that indicated that he was ready to be discharged. "I thank you all for keeping an eye on my while I was out."

"Not a problem, mister. If anything, you should be thanking the young gentleman who brought you here…as a matter of fact, he just stepped through the door." The receptionist smiled at him, the young teen turning to see Ren approaching the counter.

"Julius! It's such a relief to see you're well again!" The raven-haired teen smiled, the duo giving each other a firm handshake.

"I owe you one, Ren. I don't know when I can repay you, but I'll find a way." Julius promised, only for Ren to brush it off.

"No need to repay me, I was just doing the right thing. That being said, we really need to head over to Nymiera's place as soon as possible." Ren stated, gesturing his friend to follow him out the hospital.

"So what exactly happened while I was out of commission?" The young teen inquired.

"Long story short, I helped a young girl named Anastasia confront her mother over some misgivings in their relationship. Things went better than expected as she didn't even need my help to stand up for herself." The raven-haired teen began to explain.

"By any chance, was her mother's name Katsu?" Julius inquired, catching his friend off-guard.

"Y-Yeah, how did you…" He began.

"I had a brush with her a while ago. It's good to see that they buried the hatchet and decided to start over again." The young teen chimed back. "Did anything else happen?"

"Yes, right after they had sorted out their issues, I saw Kanon get captured by some evil Gardevoir. That's why I have to warn Nymiera; she could be in danger." Ren continued, with Julius raising an eyebrow in concern.

"Then we have to get a move on; that Gardevoir is no joke. She's a manipulative witch who nearly got Kugearen City destroyed in an explosion." He informed his friend, the duo beginning to sprint towards Nymiera's house and entered it abruptly. From there, they made their way to the back room, where they saw Nymiera having a pleasant conversation with her friends.

"I had this pendant custom made for me and my family on Kristiline Island. Hopefully my son will like it when he grows up." Anju stated, showing Nymiera and Hazuki a wondrous blue pendant that bore a striking resemblance to the one that had materialized in Julius' bag somehow, something he still needed an answer for.

"Sorry to break your conversation up, but I need to tell you something. Kanon has been captured!" Ren informed the trio, who were taken aback by the news.

"Captured? Shall I go search for him?" Hazuki inquired, only for Nymiera to raise a hand in the air.

"While appreciated, it isn't necessary. After all, I can just call him and he'll appear soon enough." The black-haired woman reassured her, promptly calling out to Kanon. Seconds went by, seconds that soon turned to minutes, however Kanon did not show up at all. "That's odd…he should be here by now."

"The one responsible for his capture is no ordinary being; she has dark powers that can ensure that he remains a prisoner. Hence why we need to rescue him right now." Julius stated, alerting the older woman of his presence.

"Adr—Julius. It's so good to see that you're alright again!" Nymiera smiled at him, managing to cover up her initial slip-up as she turned to face Ren. "Who is this being that he's talking about? Surely you must know something about it?"

"I don't have much to go on, but his captor was some red and black Gardevoir. Julius just told me that she's no laughing matter, given how she nearly orchestrated the destruction of Kugearen City." Ren answered her question.

"That's not the only thing she did; she attacked Vivian while she was performing an important ritual to save the region." Anju chimed in, turning to see that Nymiera was…shaking on the spot slightly? As if she was shivering from the cold or something? "A-Are you alright."

"Y-Yes…everything is fine. Please, wait for me outside." She requested, the group giving her a quick look before promptly making their way outside the apartments. Once she was alone, Nymiera was free to speak to herself.

"Why…? I've tried so hard to move on from that time. I thought you did, too. After I thought you found a wife and finally settled down…you won't give up. You've never given up. Not once. And you know something? I can't blame you, either." She began, making her way to the paintings that depicted the history of the world's creation. "How many times have I tried to forget the past? But it's something you can't forget. It's etched into the hearts of each and every person on this planet. The past has a funny way of creeping up on you. But that's just how destiny works, right? The end is near. And I will be the one to end it. once and for all. For everyone who has died by your hands, Vitus!"

 **0000**

The group of four were waiting patiently outside, hoping that Nymiera wouldn't take too long in getting ready. Luckily, they wouldn't have to wait any longer as their ally promptly exited the apartment complex, having changed out of her usual outfit into the reddish-pink robe that Julius saw in that painting back then.

"Everyone, this is it. We're looking for Vitus' lair. It's hidden somewhere in this city, we just have to find it. And when we do, we'll rescue Kanon and end Vitus once and for all!" Nymiera pledged to her allies. "The crimes he's committed upon this world are inexcusable. What he did to push Vivian was unforgivable; we will avenge her, and everyone who lost their lives to his evil. People and Pokémon alike!"

"Vitus? Who is she talking about?" Ren whispered to Julius.

"Let me explain; Vitus, or Indriad as he's calls himself these days, was a young father who was pushed over the edge by the murder of his wife, an act orchestrated by his very own Gardevoir. He is the one who had inflicted so much suffering on Maria, and for that, I won't forgive him!" Julius answered, a hint of firmness and venom in his tone as he saw the older woman turned to face the two teens.

"Ren, Julius, I must ask you two for your assistance. Gather your friends and aid us in our search." She requested.

"Yes ma'am!" The raven-haired teen replied firmly.

"Anju, you will search the south western section of the city. Hazuki, I want you to search this area. There's a chance the enemy could be lurking beneath us without our knowledge." Nymiera asked her friends.

"Understood, Lady Nymiera." Hazuki pledged, bowing slightly in respect.

"This will be our final mission. Move out!" The black-haired woman called out, with the three women heading off in separate directions leaving the two teens to themselves.

"Since she asked us to find Reina and Huey, I suppose we should go do tha—" Julius began, only to get interrupted by two mysterious figures tackling him to the ground. "G-Gah! Be gentle with me…"

"Julius! I'm so thankful you're alright; I came this close to puking when I heard what happened to you…" Huey admitted, the duo helping their friend off the ground.

"I'm glad that it didn't end up going that far. All jokes aside, I'm relieved that you're much better now. But what happened to you back there? Did that mysterious man really ambush you from behind?" Reina inquired.

"No, he wasn't the one who put me in that state. When I investigated the mansion in the pass, I was struck by a series of painful headaches. During those headaches, I heard voices…voices that sounded familiar, but I can't put my finger on why. I don't know what they were talking about, but it had to involve me somehow." The young teen explained, a sense of curiosity and intrigue welling up inside the others.

"Seems that guy was right when he denied any involvement in your injuries." Ren stated, his mind mulling over something that man had told him. From the way he talked about Julius, it was as if he was someone that could alter the course of fate. He was sorely tempted to ask his friend for any ideas what he could've been talking about, but he didn't want to risk another incident like the previous one. "That being said, we were just looking for you two. Things are starting to get serious, and I'm sure you know what I said before. If things get too rough out here, I want you two to stay out of it."

"Ren, you know me; no matter what you say about it, we'll ignore it and stand by your side." The raven-haired girl replied quickly.

"I figured you'd say that; hence why there's no point in fighting over it. I need your help once more; specifically, to look for an underground base. Have either of you seen anything like that?" Her older brother asked, the duo mulling it over for a bit.

"Well…there were these weird people at the lake Reina and I visited. They were dressed up as maids and were standing around as if waiting for something. However, they both returned to the city so I doubt we'll get anything by investigating the lake." Huey informed him.

"They must be some of Indriad's followers; we find them and we'll most likely find their base." Julius deduced, turning to face the young duo. "You two stay here just in case the maids flee in this direction. With any luck, we can set up an ambush and capture them."

"Can't say I like the idea of waiting around here for the enemy to come to us, but I suppose we have no choice." Reina sighed lightly, having accepted the plan quicker than her brother had expected. "We'll wait here, but if you find the base, you WILL let us know. Got it?"

"I understand. Come, Julius." Ren told his friend, the duo making their way to the city center and began their search for the maids. However, it was a task easier said than done; finding a specific pair of people in a city as large as Hiyoshi was no easy task. They spent half-an-hour searching various shops and buildings for the elusive duo, scouring the city from top to bottom the best they could. But just as they were about to give up, fate threw a bone at them for once. While resting on a wooden bench, they caught what looked like a maid whispering to another maid, the duo promptly entering a small park near the mayor's office as the duo got up to investigate them. Crouching behind a small bush, they eavesdropped on the maids, hoping that once of them spills the location of their base.

But instead of talking, the duo quickly made their way out of the park and towards where the duo were hiding. Uttering quiet cries of surprise, the two teens quickly dove into the bush, watching the two maids make their way out of the park before silently emerging from the bush. Once they brushed the leaves off their bodies, they quickly followed the maids through the city before winding up at an isolated bench south of the shopping district. Hiding behind a tree, they saw one of the maids pull on a branch as the ground before the bench opened up, revealing a hidden staircase that lead to who knows where.

"Nice…all we need to do is—" Ren whispered, only for his speaker phone to start ringing as a look of fear formed on his face. "SHIT!"

"C-Can't you turn it off?" Julius whispered back, watching his friend fumble with the device as he saw the two maids approaching the duo. Thankfully, Ren was able to switch his phone off a few seconds later, but their cover was already blown at this point.

"Well, well, well. Looks like we have ourselves some eavesdroppers. Surrender to us now, and we'll finish you off quickly." The first maid warned them, only for Julius to laugh darkly at her. "Oh? What's so funny, young man?"

"What I find funny is the fact that you're not willing to go through with your threat; otherwise you would've done so already. However, I myself have a personal reason for disposing of your master and his twisted Gardevoir. If neither of you step out the way, then I'll just have to add you to the list…" He smirked, reaching for a Pokéball and threw it to the ground, his Chainite emerging from it as it uttered a low growl at the maids. "Now this fella here is looking for the trainer who abandoned it long ago, the same man as the one I'm hunting down. However, it has no issue taking out its anger on anyone it deems to be an obstacle…do you see where I'm going with this?"

"Y-You dare send out your demon to attack us?! Master Indraid is right; you are a wicked child!" The second maid scoffed in disgust.

"If you want a battle, then I'm more than happy to—" The first maid began, reaching for a Pokeball of her own, only to cry out from surprise as she was sent flying into the air. The two teens watched her go in awe, turning around and saw Hazuki standing where the maid stood, her sword drawn out and aimed at the second maid.

"Now, now. There's no need to be so—" She began only for a blast of ice to send her flying to the trees, the duo turning once more and saw Anju and Nymiera approaching the others.

"Woah there, I get that this is a serious issue, but was attacking them really necessary? Mind you, I'm not a fan of what Julius was doing, but I think he was merely threatening them as opposed to actually planning to attack them. Right, Julius?" Ren exclaimed, hoping that his friend would back him up.

"The maids? I have no real grudge against them, so violence wouldn't be necessary. Their master though, I can't say that I wouldn't harm him. As I've said, I have a bone to pick with him." The young teen admitted, his friend shooting a look of concern at him. Just how deep did his grudges cling onto him? In a way, it reminded him of how Goldenleaf Town used to be, stewing in anger over the lives they lost that tragic day. still, it gave him a side-goal of sorts; if he couldn't save his hometown from their grudge, then perhaps he could save his friend from his grudge.

"Your concern isn't needed Ren, those maids were just familiars. They weren't real people." Hazuki reassured him.

"Exactly, they've been manifested through Garufan magic. They'll just fizzle away into nothing when destroyed." Anju chimed in.

"We don't have much time; Kanon must be saved and Vitus must be dealt with. Otherwise, he will destroy everything we know and love." Nymiera reminded the younger duo.

"Agreed. He will pay for his crimes, even if it's by my hand." Julius pledged, with Chainite letting out another growl of support.

"In that case, we'll split off into two groups. You two will gather your friends and join us, while we'll be making out way through the base." The black-haired woman told them, gesturing her friends to follow her down the staircase.

"Hey, Julius. You mind giving my sister and Huey a ring? I've got a call to attend to as you may've heard." Ren requested, his friend giving him a quick nod as he took out his CyberNav and began dialing them up. The raven-haired teen took this time to call the number back, only to see that it was Nastasia once again; as he expected, she was less than impressed that he ignored her call. "Look, sorry about ignoring your call, but I was trying to be discreet and the ringtone gave my position away. And to be honest, after you hung up on me before, I don't think you have much room to complain."

" _I suppose that's an adequate reason for your actions. My apologies for hanging up on you before. I got a bit…unstable."_ Nastasia accepted his excuse.

"It's water under the bridge. Right now, I'm about to do something really dumb; I'm sure I told you this before." Ren informed her.

" _Yes, yes. You've told me this before. Listen, I know that being stupid is in your nature, and I respect it. Just don't die on me, okay."_ She told him.

"Awwww, do you care for me…?" He cooed affectionately in a joking manner, only for his boss to frown viciously at him.

" _F-Forget what I said; you can die in a blaze of glory for all I care!"_ Nastasia snapped at him, promptly ending the call as a sigh escaped from his mouth.

"Jeez, I was only kidding…" The raven-haired teen commented, turning to face his friend who tucked his CyberNav away. "Any luck getting in contact?"

"Yes, I was able to tell them about what we found. They should be arriving here…now." Julius replied, the duo watching their friends arrive just on cue. "Ah, seems I was spot on."

"Heya! I'm glad you kept your promise to me!" Reina smiled at the duo, turning to see the opening that he had mentioned in the call. "Who would've thought something like this would be so close to the city?"

"It looks a little scary, to be honest…" Huey eyed up the staircase wearily.

"Here's the plan; Kanon has been captured by some evil Gardevoir and we're here to rescue him. Nymiera and her friends have already entered to confront her trainer, Vitus, while the two of us waited here for you two. Neither of you have to follow us down there if you don't want to." Ren informed the duo about the situation.

"Oh brother, you know me so well. I'm not afraid of some evil Gardevoir! Come, Huey!" The raven-haired girl called out to the redhead, the latter following her cautiously down the staircase. Turning to face Julius, the two teens gave each other a nod as they followed their friends down the staircase.

 **Underground Sanctuary**

Upon stepping into the underground sanctuary, the first thing they notice was the oppressive atmosphere in the air, the dark corridors dimly lit by a series of torches hanging off the walls. There were numerous images of Unown on the walls and floor of the sanctuary, and the area itself was surprisingly cold.

"Th-This place is way too spooky for me…I think I'm gonna puke again." Huey shivered in a mixture of cold and fear.

"Again…?" Ren inquired out of curiosity.

"He puked while we were at the lake." Reina answered quickly, shooting a look at her weakened friend.

"I-I get squeamish whenever I get nervous…" The redhead admitted, turning to face her. "What about you, Reina? Are you scared?"

"Not really, but that's because I don't really understand what we're up against." The raven-haired girl answered his query.

"What we're up against is a foe who has no problem harming young children in order to achieve their goals. Therefore, I suggest you take extreme caution in this place." Julius informed her.

"But if that's not a sufficient indicator on how scary our foe is, think of Uncle Leo at Aunt Lisa's wedding when he didn't get his meds or slice of dulce de leche cake." Ren added, only for his younger sister to jump in fright.

"H-Holy shit, my heart just dropped. It's literally in my ass right now." Reina exclaimed, the young teen raising an eyebrow at her response. Whatever happened at that wedding must've been terrifying to warrant such a reaction. "Y-You can't just drop a bomb like that on me, brother!"

"Heheheh, that was funny. Well what are we waiting for, let's explore this place already!" Huey called out, as he and Reina made their way through the dark tunnels and into the darkness that permeated the area.

"I'm beginning to regret letting them come along…" Ren sighed in a mixture of annoyance and weariness.

"Understandable, but they would've followed us here whether we invited them or not." Julius chimed in, resting his hand on his friends' shoulder.

"Good point Jul—G-Gah!" The raven-haired teen began, only to cry out in pain as his body was soon coated in a thin layer of electricity, with Julius stepping back in shock. "Instantly regret…instantly…regret…instantly regret…instantly…regret. W-What about you, Reina?"

"H-Huh?" The young teen mused to himself, wondering what exactly was happening to his friend. But as suddenly as it began, it had ended, leaving the duo more confused than before. "R-Ren! Are you okay? What happened there?!"

"I…I don't know. It must be…must be the atmosphere that did something to me. It's not worth worrying about, though. We best get a move on." Ren began, keeping the fact that he glitched out at the Voidal Chasm as well.

"A-Alright then." Julius replied cautiously, watching his friend make his way through the dimly lit tunnels. From the way Ren brushed off the incident, it was as if it were a normal occurrence to him. But there was nothing normal about what just happened; somehow Ren must've experienced a temporary glitch in the matrix that had affected him greatly. Either way, he knew that such topics are best saved for later, the young teen making his way deeper into the dark tunnels in the hopes of catching up with his friends.

 **0000**

"I hope he's gonna be alright…" Ren sighed to himself, having narrowly avoided a steel gate closing down upon him. The raven-haired teen knew that his friend would have to find another way through the sanctuary, if one existed that is. But the only thing he could do know was move forward and hope that Kanon was alright. After a few minutes of walking, he emerged in what looked the ceremonial room, with a few pathways leading to the large altar in the middle that served as the rooms floor. Stepping onto the altar, he saw that both Huey and Reina were looking around the place, the trio soon getting alerted by someone calling out to them.

"Ren!" Nymiera called out to him from the other side of the room. "I want to thank you and your friends for coming this way. But I must apologize and ask that you leave the rest of this to us. When you get back to my house, please check behind the bookcase in my room. Things will be clear when you do that. Goodbye Ren, Reina and Huey. May we meet each other in the future. One more thing…if any of you see Julius, tell him that we will meet again when the Obelisk emerges."

Watching the older woman leave, the trio were stumped at what she was talking about, notably the obelisk she had mentioned. "What does she mean when she talked about the obelisk emerging?" Reina inquired.

"Didn't she want the four of us to help her save Kanon? Why does she want us to leave all of a sudden?" Huey added. "I thought he was the only way back to our time…"

"I don't have an answer to any of those questions; the best thing to do is turn back and search for him our—" Ren began, only to get cut off by a large ball of dark energy materializing over the altar, a familiar foe emerging from the ball of darkness.

"I don't remember inviting you three here…" Gardevoir crooned at the trio, a slight hint of mockery in her tone.

"The people behind RSVPing are always so incompetent. But I can assure you we're definitely on the list" The raven-haired girl scoffed at the Pokémon.

"Yeah, maybe she should check her list again…" The redhead chimed in, only for Ren to shoot the duo a gaze of disapproval. "What? It sounded funny in my mind."

"I don't know about you, but I grow tired of these games. Master Indriad's plan is almost at fruition; I cannot allow anymore interference." Gardevoir stated bluntly, as if she were ordering the trio to leave this place immediately.

"Argh! Forget about Indriad, or Vitus or whatever he calls himself! Where is Kanon?!" Ren demanded.

"Kanon has been stored deeper within the ruins. Originally, I had placed a tracker on Nymiera's lackey to finally reveal her location. But fate granted me with something else, Kanon. And it worked marvelously; like roaches scavenging for food, they all appeared." The twisted Pokémon boasted gleefully, proud of herself for her devious plan.

"I-I don't get it. Why did you want Nymiera to show herself that badly? Who exactly is she?" The raven-haired teen pressed further.

"Bah, I don't see the point in talking to death fodder. Did you really think I'd let you three leave here alive?" Gardevoir stated, using her power to envelop Reina and Huey in the same dark balls of energy she had previously emerged from, taking them elsewhere into the sanctuary.

"W-What did you do to them?!" Ren demanded angrily, his foe chuckling at him in contempt.

"I warped them somewhere else in this place. I'd do the same to you, but there's something about you I find…interesting. Most notably that body of yours; it's artificial, isn't it?" She inquired, catching the raven-haired teen off-guard as she slowly approached him. "I knew it, it lacked a human aura. Care to tell me why you're walking around in an empty shell?"

"H-Hey, I should be the one asking questions around here, not you. Where exactly did you take Reina and Huey?!" He demanded once more.

"E-Enough with these meaningless questions; I've let your kind roam free for far too long. It's about time I got truly serious!" Gardevoir declared, her body soon consumed by the dark energy as she began to change form. The dark energy soon dispersed, revealing her true form; her body was now a mixture of black and white, a pair of shadowy black wings stemming from her back. Her right hand had morphed into a scythe head and was shining in the otherwise dark room. Finally, there was a red halo of sorts hovering over her head that was marked with an ancient rune of sorts, most likely connected to the Garufan tribe of old. "There is far too much on the line to let things continue as they are. I will do ANYTHING in my power to stop anyone who gets in my master's way."

"I don't think you heard me before…What exactly did you do to my friend and sister?!" Ren asked once more, a pair of metallic wings growing from his body as he soon began floating above the ground.

"Ahahahahaha…how interesting. I wouldn't have it any other way." Gardevoir commented, the duo lunging at each other as they began their epic showdown.

 **0000**

"Argh! It feels like I'm going around in circles…" Julius complained, traversing the dark tunnels with his Chainite by his side. Since the steel gates in the corridor were down, he was unable to head straight down the corridor, where his friends had gone down. And while he didn't like the fact that he was separated from them, he can take comfort knowing that the three of them were safe and sound, or so he assumed. Just then, the young teen was struck by another headache, resting himself on the wall as he heard a voice speaking to him in his mind.

" _Your friends are in danger. If you do not hurry, it'll be the end for Ren, Reina and Huey. Let us save them, together…thank you for being there for me, Julius."_ The voice from before spoke to him, fading away from his mind as his headache soon died down.

"T-That voice…it referred to me by name. W-Who was that person? Could it be that Adrest fellow that Nymiera mentioned back then?" The young teen asked himself getting off the wall and continued down the tunnel, only for a second voice to catch him off-guard.

" _Maria, my child…I can feel your presence."_ Anathea called out, materializing from the Soul Stone as the young teen stepped back in surprise. _"It has been a long time since we last met, Julius."_

"It has been a while, Anathea. You said you can feel Maria's presence here, right?" Julius inquired.

" _Yes, I can feel her presence somewhere in this dungeon. Perhaps…perhaps that is why I'm able to appear before you once more. Maria's presence must have awakened me once more! Please, help me find Maria. Together, I knew we can do it."_ The older woman requested.

"Mark my word, we will save her. No matter what I must do, Maria will be saved!" The young teen pledged, the older woman giving him a grateful smile as she disappeared back into the Soul Stone. With a renewed vigor, Julius made his way through the dimly lit tunnels, searching high and low for any nook and cranny Maria could be held captive in. However, a few minutes into his search, he happened to come across…Anastasia? What was she doing here?

"Y-You're Maria's friend!" Anastasia turned to face the young teen. "Are you here to look for her as well?"

"Indeed I am, but I insist that you leave this place. Gardevoir is a most evil foe and she wouldn't hesitate to kill you if she finds you." Julius warned her, only for the young girl to brush his concerns aside.

"I'm not afraid of her anymore; I've grown a lot stronger since we last met!" The purple-haired girl replied boldly. "I'll be fine on my own here; you need to search the deepest parts of this place."

"If you insist…just promise me that you won't get yourself hurt. Maria would be devastated if anything were to happen to you." The young teen requested, with Anastasia giving him a firm nod as the duo went their separate ways. While traversing through these tunnels, Julius had spotted what looked like several pitfalls line with spikes, a heavy stone slab looming precariously over it as if waiting to trap any unsuspecting soul who would fall down the pit. He shivered at the thought of Anastasia accidently falling into one and suffer a most horrifying death, so he opted to get that thought out his head and continued down the corridor. Over the next fifteen minutes, the young teen desperately searched the area for Maria, but wasn't able to find her. Sighing to himself in weariness, he was about to sit by the wall for a quick rest when he suddenly heard a faint cry for help.

"W-Who was that? Is that you, Maria?!" Julius began, quickly running down the corridor, only to find himself in a small room of sorts, a large ball of dark energy floating in the center. Taken aback by the sight before him, he would only be further surprised to see Anathea rematerialize beside him.

" _I can feel a person's aura within this rift. You won't be able to do anything, but I can probably get in myself. This will be dangerous, so step back."_ The older woman warned him, stepping inside the darkness as a distorted voice soon echoed throughout the room.

"What's the point of even acting like I'm happy…? On the outside I act as if I've got no care in the world. But on the inside, I'm torn up. Do you know what I told Rune before she went missing? We got into a fight and I told her that I hated her, and now she's gone. And then Ren and his sister came into the picture. I grew jealous of both of them. So jealous, that I thought…I thought that if I had to suffer, then so should they. I wished they were separated! I'M A TERRIBLE HUMAN BEING…I just want my sister back… I JUST WANT RUNE TO BE WITH ME AGAIN!"

' _That voice…Huey!'_ Julius thought to himself, watching as what looked to be a corrupted version of his friend emerged from the darkness, grabbing a pair of Pokéballs as he sent out an Octillery and a Flareon, his beloved companion, who were also corrupted by the darkness. A plan soon formed in the young teen's mind; if he defeated him in battle, then perhaps Chainite could consume the darkness that clung onto his heart. Taking a Pokéball out of his pocket, Julius promptly sent out his Syrentide, the Siren Pokémon letting out a quick chime of determination.

She opted to begin the initiative by calling forth a tidal wave to flood the area, with the Flareon quickly retreating to high ground while the Octillery was more than content with staying put and allowed the water to flow around it. Using the new source of water to its advantage, the Octillery sucked it up with its mouth before firing it back with incredible force, with Syrentide narrowly dodging the powerful blast of water before countering with a Moonblast that sent her foe flying towards the back wall, leaving a sizable crater as a few stone chips fell to the ground. Seeing that it was on it's own, the Flareon let out a quick cry to bolster it's spirit, cloaking it's body in fire as it tackled the Siren Pokémon, causing the latter to cry in surprise as she was pushed back several feet. However, she was not ready to throw in the towel yet, channeling her inner power to create another tidal wave that swamped the area once more, only this time Flareon wasn't able to escape in time. the corrupted Huey stepped back in surprise, taken aback by how quickly his Pokémon were defeated.

"Now!" Julius called out, his Chainite springing to action as it's shadowy hands held a firm grip on Huey's shoulders, the Retribution Pokémon draining the young man of the negative emotions that had consumed him. Slowly but surely, the rift of darkness that had enveloped him had disappeared, the redhead freed from his corruption as he slowly began to regain his composure.

"Ugh…why? Why were you able to hear that? No one was supposed to know about what I said to my sister…" Huey groaned weakly, rubbing his aching head as he turned to face the young teen. "J-Julius?! For a moment, I thought you were either Ren or Reina…"

"It's okay Huey, I'm here to help you, as is Anathea." The young teen replied calmly, gesturing to the ethereal woman beside him.

" _It's a relief to see that you are unharmed; the name's Anathea."_ She greeted the redhead. _"The both of us had worked together to draw out and eliminate the corruption that had plagued your heart."_

"N-Nice to meet you, miss…" Huey replied nervously, before noticing that his Pokémon were injured. "W-What happened to my friends?"

"You sent them out to attack us while under the corruption. Don't worry, they'll be fine after some rest." Julius informed him, the redhead consoling his injured friends before recalling them back in their balls. "So, do you have any idea what had happened to you?"

"I…I'm not sure myself. I know that Reina's in danger as well, so we need to get a—" The redhead began, only for the area to begin quaking out of nowhere. "W-Woah! Sounds like someone is fighting. Is Ren fighting that evil Gardevoir?"

"If he is, then we need to help him as soon as possible!" Julius called out, gesturing the group to follow him as quickly as they can.

 **0000**

Ren was doing his best to defeat the twisted Gardevoir, but no matter what he tried, she would always find a way to counter his attacks. The duo clashed in midair, hoping to knock the other onto the ground to perform a finishing move, trading quick banter with each other in the hopes of psyching them out.

"Y-You're tough…" Ren panted at his foe.

"What's wrong? Faltering already?" Gardevoir taunted, a low growl escaping from her opponents' mouth as he lunged at her, only for her to dodge it and grab him by the scruff of his neck. "This is all you are? You have the gall to stand up to me? Master Indriad blessed me with this power long ago…allow me to demonstrate!"

With a quick fling of her wrist, she sent the raven-haired teen flying into the wall, the latter crying out in pain as the twisted Pokémon pressed him firmly against the brick wall. "A-Argh! W-Why are you doing this…?" He asked weakly.

"Why I'm doing what I do? It's because Master Indriad showed me this world's filth. Humanity and Pokémon alike, both on this planet…it was never meant to be. We were never meant to be created! We're a putrid plague placed upon humanity that lives to destroy everything!" She began her justification for her deeds, a second wind coursing through Ren as he pushed her off of him. "Somehow, you've shown yourself to be even worse than I thought. You are neither human or Pokémon, but a coward that hides in an empty shell. How could you do such a thing? You were once pure."

"I'll show you who the real coward is!" Ren snapped at her, lunging at her only for the Gardevoir to grab him, lifting him up in the air before throwing him onto the ground.

"Hmph. I'm afraid this pointless skirmish is beginning to wear thin. There's no use dragging it on, I'm willing to end this. Goodbye, Ren." She told him, slowly making her way towards him.

 **0000**

The group had continued to run down the halls of this sanctuary, searching desperately for a way to meet up with Ren and help him out. However, the group soon stumbled upon another ball of darkness in a small room, floating above the group. Given how similar it looked to the previous one, this meant that they had found Reina, the raven-haired girl trapped in the same situation as Huey was.

"Rena must be in there; we have to save her!" Huey called out to the others.

" _Indeed, she is in there. Like before, I will have to step inside and draw her out so that Julius can cleanse her of her corruption."_ Anathea stated, quietly entering the rift as another distorted echoed throughout the area.

"I've travelled the region for so long…to make sure my brother was okay. After so much travelling, I found out that he had joined Team Xen. But then…I find out that everything was just a misunderstanding. But is it?! Is he simply lying to me? To all of us?! He's going to kill us. He's going to kill all of us! I know it! I won't let him do this. I won't let him kill everyone!"

On cue, the corrupted Reina emerged from the rift, taking out two of her Pokéballs as she sent out her Honchkrow and Swoobat. The two Flying types, floating calmly in the air. As his Syrentide was a little exhausted from her previous battle, Julius opted to recalled her, sending out his Frosthra in her place as the fluffy moth quietly flapped its wings in the air.

The Honchkrow initiated the battle by taking to the skies and swooped down on the Frost Moth Pokémon, who dodged the attack and countered by conjuring a chilling cold gust of wind that caused the opposing Pokémon to shiver on the spot. However, neither one of them was ready to throw in the towel yet, with the Swoobat channeling its psychic power to conjure up an orb of energy that absorbed the darkness around it. It flung the ball of energy at the Frosthra, striking it head on as it was sent hurtling towards the ground. But before it was about to crash into the ground, the Frost Moth Pokémon managed to recover and swoop back into the air. A quiet chittering escaping from its mouth, it conjured up another cold gust of wind at its foes, this one much more powerful than the previous one. The attack struck both Pokémon, sending them hurtling towards the ground as they crumpled in a pile.

"Now!" Julius called out, his Chainite reaching over to grab Reina's shoulders as it began to drain her of her negative energy. Like before, the rift soon disappeared, leaving Reina on her own as she held her aching head in her hands.

"Ugh…what happened to me? Why were you all able to hear that? You weren't meant to hear that?" Reina protested.

"Don't worry, it happened to me as well." Huey chimed in, watching his friend tend to her Pokémon before recalling them.

"Now you know…now you know what dark thoughts I was thinking. But they were only thoughts…feelings I would never act on." The raven-haired girl stated. "I don't want Ren to die, no matter what he's done."

"I'm just glad that you're alright now." Julius stated, recalling his Pokémon as he promptly looked her in the eye. "How did you and Huey end up like that anyway?"

"Well…Ren caught up to the two of us and briefly talked to Nymiera about the situation, with her telling us to head back. However, we were soon ambushed by that Gardevoir Ren talked about earlier. She…She…" The raven-haired girl began, a look of concern growing on her friend's face.

"What did she do?" The young teen pressed her further, the latter recalling the unpleasant memory.

"She trapped Huey and I in those rifts from before. Inside, we were corrupted by our own thoughts, our fears; it was a most terrifying experience." Reina spoke softly, with Julius' gaze turning to he ground as he clenched his fists in anger.

"Gardevoir; it's bad enough that you caused Maria and Anathea so much suffering, it's bad enough that you attempted to thwart Vivian's ritual to save the region, but now you decided to put my friends through so much mental anguish?!" He fumed to himself, his fingernails puncturing his palms as thin trickles of blood soon coated his hands. He looked up from the ground, a dark look of determination in his eyes. "It's all the more reason for me to dispose of you, permanently…"

Upon saying that, he briskly walked down the corridor, hoping to enact revenge on the one who has caused much suffering to those around him. _"I sense a lot of darkness within him. I pray that it doesn't consume him…"_ Anathea spoke quietly to herself.

"W-Woah, y-you're an actual ghost?!" Reina exclaimed in surprise, having just nothing the older woman.

" _Ah, where are my manners? The name's Anathea. It's a pleasure to meet you."_ The ethereal woman smiled at her. _"I sense you aren't frightened by my presence?"_

"Considering how me, Ren and Julius all grew up in Goldenleaf Town, ghosts don't bother us that much." The raven-haired teen replied casually.

"W-We should get a move on; otherwise who knows what'll happen to Ren and Julius!" Huey called out, with Anathea disappearing into the Soul Stone once more as the duo quickly made their way through the dark tunnels in search of their friends.

 **0000**

Quickly making their way to the next room, the heroes soon found themselves in the same alter-like room they were in before, their eyes widening in horror as they saw Julius tending to an injured Ren. "R-Ren!" Reina called out, quickly running over to him as she and Huey made their way to his side.

"He's so beaten up…did Gardevoir really do all of this?" Huey inquired, his eyes glancing over the battered body of his friend. The raven-haired teen's wings were badly broken, his outfit was tattered in several places and there were scratches and bruises all over his body.

"I-I need to see if he's breathing!" The raven-haired girl chimed in, quickly checking to see if Ren still had a pulse, only to step back in surprise. "What…what's going on? That is this? This isn't my brother!"

"W-What do you mean?" Julius inquired, having calmed down a little from his initial outburst.

"His body…it's…mechanical. Have a look over—" Reina began, only for the room's atmosphere to grow heavy as a familiar voice mocked them.

"Oh, are you trying to wake him up? It's no use, he's gone." Gardevoir crooned, appearing right before the trio. "And I see you brought Julius with you. What a pleasant surprise."

"Oh it is pleasant alright, but not for you that is…" The young teen retorted, smirking darkly at her. "I've been waiting to make you pay for all that you've done, and if you were the one who did this to Ren, then that'll make your demise all the more satisfying."

"It's not surprising to me that you chose to align yourself with these impure beings, vermin tend to stick together after all." The wicked Pokémon sneered.

"F-Fiend! What did you do to my brother?!" Reina demanded.

"Your brother? That is not your brother, but an empty shell. His suffering is more than deserved for hiding away in the pathetic excuse of a body." She taunted, the raven-haired girl growling in anger as Gardevoir turned to face Julius once more. "Hmmm…that presence. Is that wench Anathea with you? Don't try and hide from me; I can sense you."

On cue, Anathea appeared right before the evil Pokémon, shooting a most vicious frown at her. "Ah, I'm impressed Anathea. It takes true strength to linger on this planet after death." Gardevoir commented in a strange sense of awe.

" _Gardevoir…why are you doing this?"_ Anathea inquired, her frown softening a bit. _"Don't you see? Everything you've done is for what? To protect an evil man like Vitus?"_

"His name is Master Indriad, and you shall refer to him as such. I don't have time for you, Anathea. Disappear!" The wicked Pokémon shot back, causing the ethereal woman to disappear from the area with a flick of her wrist. "Come, the stage shall be set!"

Out of nowhere, four Pokémon appeared from separate Dimensional Rifts; a pair of Ralts and a pair of Kirlia, catching Huey and Reina off-guard by how corrupted they appeared. "W-Woah! What are these things?!" The redhead inquired.

"Beings that reflect my past. Every emotion I've ever felt resides within each one. Julius, it's time to step forward." Gardevoir called out to him, the young teen stepping forwards as requested.

"D-Don't do this! It's obviously a trap!" Reina whispered in his ear.

"It may be, but I've been wanting to deal with her for a long time now, and I won't throw this chance away." Julius replied, stepping forward to confront his adversary. "Well, what are you waiting for? Show me what you've got!"

"I swore upon my Master that I would get my revenge for all the meddling you've done. I have an unbridled hatred for you that will not cease until your blood has been spilled on this floor." She seethed at him, the young teen opening his palm as a few drops of blood from his previous wounds fell to the ground.

"There, my blood has been shed. Now can you put it to rest?" He inquired sarcastically.

"Hah! To be joking in a time like this; I don't know if your brave or stupid, probably the latter. This is the fated moment; the final showdown between you and I. Only one of us will leave this arena alive and by my Master's command, I will destroy you!" The wicked Pokémon declared, with the Ralts and Kirlia standing by her side.

With a quick flick of his wrist, the young teen sent out two Pokémon; his Vilucard and his mother's Sylveon, with the two Ralts stepping forward to confront the duo. The Ralts initiated the battle by emitting a hypnotic wave to lull their foes to sleep, hoping it would grant them an advantage. However, the Sylveon retaliated by emitting a pleasant-smelling mist from her feelers, bringing some light to the otherwise dark room and shielded herself and her ally from the hypnotic wave. Now that they weren't at risk from falling asleep, the Vilucard was able to go on the offensive, launching a barrage of noxious sludge at the enemies that struck them head on. But for some reason, the attack didn't deal super-effective damage like Julius had expected; perhaps the rift had granted them a resistance of sorts to Poison-type attacks.

Mildly fazed by the barrage of sludge, the Ralts were more than willing to launch a counterattack against their foes, channeling their power and the power of the dark sanctuary to conjure up a wave of darkness to strike down their foes. The wave of darkness hit both Pokémon, pushing them back a few feet but were still raring to go. Quickly going over a plan between themselves, the two Pokémon sprang back in action, with Vilucard conjuring its own wave of darkness to attack the Ralts. As expected, the pair of Feeling Pokémon countered the attack with their own waves of darkness, the two attacks colliding in mid-air. But in a twist that caught them by surprise, Sylveon fired a Moonblast into her allies' attack, greatly increasing it's strength and broke through the attack, striking the Ralts head on as they soon disappeared from the room.

"Your resistance, however admirable, is futile. Your life will end here, Julius!" Gardevoir called out to him, gesturing the two Kirlia to step up to the field. The pair of Emotion Pokémon emitted a quick laugh of mockery, gesturing their foes to attack them. The Vilucard was more than happy to do so, leaping up into the air and fired a barrage of sludge at them like before. And while it was able to deal super-effective damage, they were more than capable of handling it. The corrupted Pokémon smirked at this, seeing that their foe was now vulnerable and went on the offensive; with the first one firing a ball of dark purple fire at the Villainous Pokémon, knocking it over. The Vilucard quickly attempted to get back up, only for the second Kirlia to counter with a blast of dark energy, sending the poor Pokémon skidding across the floor, with Sylveon watching in horror.

"V-Vilucard!" Julius called out, quickly running over to his injured ally to check on it. "Th-Thank goodness you're alright. I'll make sure they won't hurt you any further…" He replied, quickly recalling his Pokémon before musing to himself on who to send out next. A bright idea soon formed in his mind, his hand reaching for another Pokéball as he promptly sent out his Yatagaryu to confront the hostile Pokémon.

Gazing at its foes, the Yatagaryu had come up with a way to deal with them, whispering into Sylveon's ear on what the plan is. Nodding in confirmation, the Sylveon opted to stand her ground, using her mental energy to conjure up a wonderous shield of light that protected her from attacks. With the stage set, the Stormbringer Pokémon let out a low roar, causing several dark clouds to form over the arena, the sound of thunder rumbling throughout the room. The Sylveon, from behind her shield channeled the fae energy within her to shoot a powerful beam of bright pink energy into the clouds, amplifying the volume of the thunder within. Just a few seconds later, a pair of wickedly powerful lightning bolts strike the Kirlia, the electricity boosted by the fae energy as both Emotion Pokémon let out distorted cries of pain, their bodies soon fading away as a quiet scoff escaped from the Gardevoir's mouth.

"Seems like I have to do things myself. No matter; I shall enjoy crushing each and everyone one of your Pokémon!" She smirked, taking flight as her entire body radiated dark energy. Within an instant, she swooped down at the Sylveon, striking her head on with a slash from her scythe hand as the Intertwining Pokémon was sent flying back several feet and crumpled on the floor before Julius feet. Caught off-guard, the Yatagaryu attempted to knock it's foe out of the air with a powerful bolt of lightning, the storm clouds boosting its power by a considerable amount. But despite landing a direct hit, the Gardevoir was barely fazed by it at all, easily brushing off whatever paralytic feelings were coursing through her body. A smirk plastered on her face, she conjured up a ball of dark energy and fired it at the Stormbringer Pokémon, the attack striking the serpentine dragon and caused it to fall from the sky, falling onto the ground beside the injured Sylveon.

"N-No way…" Julius began, taken aback by just how easily she was able to defeat two of his strongest allies.

"Now you know…now you know just how futile your efforts are." Gardevoir taunted him, the young teen quickly recalling his Pokémon. "As Master Indriad's personal Angel of Death, I will ensure that all those who oppose him meet their end by my hand!"

"An Angel of Death, you say?" The young teen began, a cold, calculated smirk appearing on his face, a different Pokéball in his hand. "In that case, allow me to introduce you to the Prince of Darkness then!" He declared, quickly sending out his next Pokémon as his almighty Beliaddon stepped onto the field, relishing in the darkness that permeated in the area.

Conjuring up a sword made from the fires of the underworld, the Demon Pokémon lunged at its foe, who countered with a few blows from her scythe. The two Pokémon of darkness swung their weapons against each other for a few minutes, quickly moving around the arena as they waited patiently for that one split-second of hesitance to exploit. However, the Gardevoir had one advantage in her favor; she was more adept at flying than her opponent. Opting to use this advantage now, she quickly grabbed the Beliaddon with her free hand, and began flying upwards, albeit it at a slower rate than usual. Once she was at a sufficient altitude, she raised her scythe in the air, hoping to land a finishing blow, only for the Demon Pokémon to smirk at her. Confused at what it was smirking about, she continued to raise her scythe in the air, only for a searing pain to soon course through her arm.

*Thwack* In an instant, the Beliaddon was about to sever her left arm, freeing itself from her grasp as an agonizing pain coursed through her body. Falling back down to the ground, the Beliaddon took in a deep breath and spewed a stream of intense fire at her, engulfing her completely and damaging her wings and her body as she fell down to the ground and collapsed, only to slowly get back up and glared at her enemy.

"This…can't be possible. I…I am pure! I hold Master's Power!" She panted, her legs having been burnt to ashes as she floated weakly in the air.

"It's because you underestimated us…" A voice called out, the heroes turning to see Ren slowly get back up onto his feet.

"R-Ren!" Reina cheered in relief, as she and Huey helped him stand. "I-I'm so glad you're alright!"

"Yeah…I took quite a beating, but I'll be alright." Ren smiled at her, turning to face Julius. "Thanks for stepping up to the plate, my friend. I knew I could count on you."

"No problem. Besides, it allowed me the opportunity to finish off this worthless piece of garbage!" Julius replied, shooting a look of contempt at the injured Gardevoir.

"Y-You! How are you still standing…?" She hissed at the raven-haired teen. "I…I've spent far too long and worked far too hard only to die here…"

"You know, I've heard enough out of you." Ren began, slowly making his way to Julius' side turning to face him. "What do you say? Shall we finish this together?"

"I was hoping you'd say that! This witch will pay for all that she's done and now that she's weakened, it's about time we finished her off for good!" Julius chimed in.

"Yeah, Ren's right! We will finish this together!" Huey voiced his support.

"You can do it, you two! Make sure she doesn't mess with anyone again!" Reina voiced her support as well, the raven-haired girl shooting a smug grin at her enemy. "You may be able to pick us off one by one, but together we cannot fall!"

"I still have some of Master Indriad's power left! This fight isn't over, not by a long shot!" Gardevoir snarled at the heroes in anger.

"That's too bad. Because this isn't a fight anymore…this is an execution!" Ren declared, promptly sending out his Greninja. "Julius, let us send this witch back to hell!"

"Hell yeah! And once we're done, I'm totally stealing that badass boast for myself!" The young teen smirked as his friend, with Beliaddon letting out a boastful chuckle at its adversary.

A low growl escaping from her mouth, the Gardevoir flew into the air and swooped down at the Demon Pokémon, only to get struck from behind by a series of Water Shurikens the Greninja threw at her. Turning around, she raised her scythe in the air and swung it down, the blade of dark energy hurtling towards the frog Pokémon, only for the attack to get intercepted by a blast of wind from out of nowhere.

"Did you really think we'd sit on the sidelines and do nothing?" Reina chimed in, her Swoobat letting out a quick chirp as Huey's Flareon growled at the twisted Gardevoir.

"Send out all the fodder you can; they will fall to Master Indriad's power!" Gardevoir seethed at the heroes, flying slowly into the air as she channeled her inner power in the hopes of finishing off her enemies at once. Raising the ball of dark energy in the air, she flung it towards her foes as the four Pokémon countered with their own attacks. Flareon counted with a stream of fire, Swoobat countered with a beam of psychic energy, Beliaddon countered with a blast of dark energy, and Greninja countered with a stream of hot water. The attacks collided in midair, with both sides battling for dominance over the other. But her previous injures had weakened the Gardevoir, enabling her foes to overpower her as she was soon consumed by the combined attack. The wicked Pokémon let out a scream of pain, her already weakened body further damaged by the powerful blast of energy.

"I can't…I can't go on like this…" She groaned weakly, falling to the ground before slowly floating just above the ground.

"You're done for! Now to take you down for good!" Ren declared, his left arm soon transforming into a portable blaster of sorts, causing the other three to jump back in surprise.

"S-Since when did you have a laser cannon in your arm?!" Julius exclaimed in surprise.

"That's not important right now. All I need is a little time." The raven-haired teen began, his laser cannon collecting energy as fast as it can.

"P-Perhaps I truly cannot win, but I can still escape to fight another da—" Gardevoir began, only to get blocked off by a wall of fire. "W-What is this?!"

"Nuh-uh! My Flareon won't let you get away so easily." Huey boasted, his Flareon letting out a quick chirp of happiness. "But just to be on the safe side…do it Julius!"

"You got it! Beliaddon, Infernal Blade!" The young teen called out, his companion twirling its sword in the air before flinging it at the Gardevoir, severing her right wing as she soon fell to the ground.

"Let's go for a hat trick. Swoobat, Imprison!" Reina called out, her Pokémon chirping back at her as it used it's mental energy to encase Gardevoir in a prison made of light.

"S-Stop this…" Gardevoir demanded weakly, noticing that Ren's laser cannon had finish charging.

"E-Everyone, to me!" He called out, the three trainers making their way to him and held a firm grip on him, their Pokémon standing back as the raven-haired teen mustered up all his energy to fire the finishing blow. The blast struck Gardevoir head on, causing a series of explosions to rock the area and conjured up a large cloud of smoke. When the smoke died down, it showed that Gardevoir had reverted to her normal form, her eyes closed firmly as her tattered body was in complete ruin. "It's over…you've lost Gardevoir. That's all there is to it."

"I've…lost…Hahahahahaha…" She chuckled weakly. "It's been so long since I've felt…defeated. I've worked so hard to get where I am, and it all came crashing down within a single moment."

"Maybe this wouldn't have happened if you had put all that effort into something good. I'm still not 100% sure who this Vitus or Indriad person is, but…just look at where you are because of them." Ren told her, turning to face his allies. "Come, we should head deeper into the ruins."

"B-But Nymiera said to leave the rest to her." Reina protested, catching Julius off-guard.

"W-What? Why would she say that?" He inquired.

"Perhaps she didn't want us to get in the way, which is understandable I suppose." Huey answered, shooting a quick glance at Ren. "Besides, his body took quite a beating. I doubt he can continue in his current state."

"B-But what about—" Julius began.

"Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be able to rescue Kanon. Just put your faith in her and everything will be alright." The raven-haired girl reassured him.

"I-If you say so…" The young teen sighed dejectedly, given that Kanon wasn't who he was talking about. "Well, shall we head ba—"

"M-Master…" Gardevoir called out weakly, looking around the area desperately. "Why did you abandon me? I spoke to all the boys and girls… I made them laugh, didn't I? I made everyone laugh. Why did you leave me all alone…?"

"W-What's going on here?" Huey inquired, with a rift soon engulfing Gardevoir as Anathea appeared before the group once more.

" _How pitiful…she has taken refuge within a Rift. But she cannot hide while I'm here. I don't think she'll put up a fight. I don't think she can. We shall enter nevertheless."_ She told them, the group of five entering the rift to see what exactly she was hiding.

 **Flashback**

" _Mr. Luck…why are you leaving me here?" A Ralts inquired, no doubt being Gardevoir when she was younger. The both of them were in a forest during a rainy night, the man she was talking to wearing what looked like an old ringmaster's outfit._

" _The people in the surrounding areas just don't care about the circus anymore." The man named Mr. Luck sighed wearily, looking up to the stars. "The colonies around Miera have moved on, and so shall we. That's just how things go in show biz, I guess. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find a wonderful owner."_

" _Please…take me with you…" Ralts pleaded desperately, only for the man to shake his head sadly._

" _I'm sorry, but I can't. Things just can't work out the way you want them to. Perhaps one day we'll meet again. Until that day, this is it." The man replied, tipping his hat as her as he slowly left the area, with Ralts watching him go._

" _Why…I don't want to be alone." She called out, shivering to herself in a mixture of sadness and the cold. However, she wouldn't be alone for long, as she saw a second man walking down the dirt path._

" _Your worth…Do you not see it?" The man inquired, crouching down to her level._

" _H-Huh…who are you?" The small Pokémon inquired._

" _Tell me…were you left out here to fend for yourself?" The man asked her, running a hand through his blond hair to wipe the water away._

" _Y-Yes…I'm here alone." Ralts replied to his question._

" _And this has led to you seeing yourself as a worthless being?" He pressed her further, the small Pokémon nodding slowly in confirmation. "Nonsense, I can see your potential."_

" _M-My potential?" She asked._

" _Of course…After all, you have gained the ability to speak with the power of your mind. Even for a Psychic Pokémon, that is rare." The blond man spoke kindly to her, an idea forming in his mind. "I can give you worth. I can give you the power you need…to prove yourself worthy to everyone."_

" _You can…?" Ralts asked him, a light chuckle escaping from the man's mouth._

" _Come with me, and you'll never be alone ever again." He offered, the small Pokémon quickly making up her mind._

" _I'll never be alone…Please, take me with you." She requested._

" _Good…in that case, you shall feel the power flowing through you. It is yours for the taking." The blond man told her, the small Pokémon feeling a wondrous source of energy flowing through her body._

 **End of Flashback**

"Yes…That's right! My true Master has shown me my worth!" Gardevoir declared, the rift disappeared as she gazed upon her adversaries. "Master Indriad was the only one who ever cared for me! Thousands of years ago, when I thought I was nothing, he showed me that I was…that I was worth something! And now I must repay him for everything he's done. But no longer…I shall perish and wither away into nothing. However, I can still give back to my Master one final time."

Upon saying this, she called forth the last of her energy to create a massive rift, catching the heroes off-guard. "Woah…that's a very large rift." Ren commented in a mixture of awe and concern.

"Even if it takes whatever life I have left in the process…I will summon a black hole and destroy everything in its wake!" The wicked Pokémon declared boldly, with Reina and Huey stepping back in fear.

"W-We gotta go now!" The raven-haired girl called out, gesturing her friends to leave this place right now.

"This is the end for you, Julius…Ren…" Gardevoir began, only for the rift to suddenly disappear, catching her by surprise. "W-What is this?"

"Just die already, you insufferable creature!" Indriad scoffed at her, his hand outstretched as he took back the power he had given her. "I'll take what you took from me back then. Your worth has run out!"

Promptly disappearing back into the depths of the sanctuary, Indriad had abandoned his loyal ally, her body changing color to that of a regular Gardevoir as she felt all her power getting drained from her. "Why…Why would you…Master…?" She began, only for another rift to suck her up.

"Wh-What?!" Ren exclaimed, his body quickly diving into the rift despite the protests from his friends. Entering the rift, he soon saw Gardevoir falling down rapidly, the weakened Pokémon talking to herself.

"I've been abandoned once again…everything I've done was for my master, and even he…didn't love me. Even in the end, I amounted to nothing. I was a fool. Everyone…I'm sorry." She began, only to see Ren flying towards her.

"H-Hang on! I'm going to get you!" He declared, desperately making his way to her.

"R-Ren…? What are you doing? This is pointless…" Gardevoir asked him. "Even if you manage to catch me, I…I won't last."

"I don't care, just hold on!" Ren ignored her comment, a small smile appearing on the weakened Pokemon's face.

"Ren…Thank you." She replied, using her energy to push him out of the rift, a look of surprise etched on his face as he was spat out of the rift. "But my sins will not and cannot be forgiven…but I must ask, still, for my forgiveness. Julius…Ren, Anathea, Maria…everyone."

"W-What just happened?" Huey inquired, a look of confusion on his face. "Was Gardevoir abandoned by her trainer?"

"Looks to be that way." Ren replied sadly, guilt welling up inside him over his failure to rescue Gardevoir. "Come, Nymiera and the others will be able to rescue Kanon. I'm sure of it."

"Finally, I was growing weary of this place anyway." Reina chimed in, the group of four recalling their Pokémon as she and Huey proceeded to make their way through the ruins. However, Ren noticed that Julius wasn't moving at all, the raven-haired teen making his way to his side.

"Julius…did you hear me? We should get going." He told him.

"I…I can't. Not without Maria." Julius replied, only for his friend to rest his hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sure that Nymiera will be able to save Maria alongside Kanon. You just have to put your faith in her." Ren reassured him, the young teen accepting the answer as the duo slowly made their way out of the underground sanctuary.

"By the way…that was nice of you to try and rescue Gardevoir like that, despite what she did." Julius complimented his friend.

"Don't get me wrong, she committed some heinous crimes, but seeing her get abandoned by Indriad like that, it made me feel pity for her. To be betrayed by the person you put your faith in the most; that's got to be the most painful feeling of them all. In a way, my small act of mercy might've brought her some comfort in the end." The raven-haired teen began, turning to face his friend. "Julius, I ask this of you. When you have your final confrontation with Larkspur, don't let vengeance consume you; offer him some mercy upon defeat."

"W-What?! I-I can't do that!" The young teen exclaimed in surprise. "L-Look, I get what you're saying; showing kindness to your enemy is act of benevolence and forgiveness, but do you know what's he's done to me?! I-I can't just let it go like that; I have to seek justice for them!"

"I know what he's done to you; after all he was a member of Team Xen. But there's a difference between seeking justice and acting out your revenge. Is it worth losing the friends you have now for the sake of shallow gratification? I'll give you some time to think about it." Ren asked him, with Julius thinking over his words to himself. Was it truly possible to show mercy after so long? Perhaps it would be for the best; after all those dark thoughts could consume him from time to time, causing him to act in an overly aggressive manner. But it wasn't something he could answer right now; it was something that would have to be saved for when the time came.

 **That's another chapter done and dusted; I hope you all liked it. Regarding the ending, I figured that Ren would be the perfect person to give Julius some advice on applying mercy to his enemies, given the formers act of kindness towards Gardevoir during her final moments. It'll all come to a close in a later chapter so that's something to look forward to. Thank you all for reading and supporting my story, I hope you all stay safe and healthy during these trying times.**


	55. Chapter 55

**Welcome to the next chapter of Rise from the Ashes, and this will be quite the chapter to experience. With any luck, I should be able to cover the next Gym Battle and conclude Chapter 13, enabling me to finally begin writing Chapter 14. I hope you all enjoy the next part of my story**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Hiyoshi City**

Quickly making their way out of the underground sanctuary, the group of four took the time to catch their breath, a little worn out from all the running they did to escape that wretched place. While they were resting up, Julius took the time to think about the events that transpired down there; namely the demise of a very powerful adversary, Gardevoir. Yes, she did some especially heinous things, but he still couldn't help but pity her when she was abandoned by her cold-hearted master. And while a small part of him would've liked to have dealt the finishing blow, the rational side of him was more than happy that Ren was able to do so, his close friend finally earning the recognition that he had craved for so long.

"Well…that went as well as I expected." Huey broke the ice, quietly looking around the area. "But what are we going to do now?"

"The only thing we can do; check behind the bookcase like Nymiera told us to do." Ren answered, shooting a quick look at Julius. "There's something I want to speak to you about, but I'll save it for later."

"No worries; just let me know when you're ready and I'd be more than willing to listen." Julius shot a smile at his friend, only for Reina to quietly clear her throat.

"I-I'm sorry if this is out of nowhere, but why did you try and save Gardevoir, brother? Especially after what she's done to us?" The raven-haired girl inquired, her older brother looking to his side.

"Don't get me wrong, she did commit some heinous actions that can't be forgiven easily, actions that she'll have to atone for in the next life. But when I saw her master, the sole person she looked up to and respected abandon her, her eyes were filled with betrayal. That look of abandonment and hurt…I've seen it once before; at that moment, I felt her pain, and I just…" He began, pausing momentarily to form the next sentence in his mind. "It didn't work out, and I don't think it could've. She had taken far too much damage in the previous battles."

"I guess I can understand where you're coming from…" Reina replied quietly. "But that leads me into my next question; just what is up with you?! The last time I saw you, you didn't have a laser cannon built into your arm!"

"D-Don't worry about me; my real body is sleeping all nice and snugly back at the HQ. I'm just using this body so I can partake in more dangerous mission without dying instantly." Ren informed her.

"I guess Madame X is no longer taking any risks following the numerous defeats the Xen Destroyer handed her." Julius chuckled, pointing to himself with the raven-haired teen joining in on the laughter as well.

"H-How are you taking this so casually?! You say it as if it's a normal issue when it totally isn't!" The raven-haired girl shot back at her childhood friend.

"As I've said before, it's nothing to worry about. As long as I'm in this body, I can do plenty of risky stuff without much consequence." Ren chimed in once more to ease his sister's tensions.

"L-Let's change the topic before one of us gets torn to shreds. What happened to that Anathea lady?" Huey changed the subject, a look of confusion in his eyes.

"Yeah, that is a good question. What was up with that?" The raven-haired teen joined in. "She caught me off-guard when we were fighting Gardevoir."

"She said that she was the mother of some girl named Maria; adamantly stating that her daughter was somewhere within that ruin." Reina added, a twinge of pain coursing through Julius' heart. Once again, he was close to saving her, but failed to do so due to unforeseen circumstances.

"Earlier today, I met a girl named Anastasia who was looking for someone named Maria as well. Perhaps they could be one and the same." Ren stated, shooting a quick look at Julius. "From what I recall, this Anathea was hovering close to you, mate. As if she was following you for some reason."

"Y-Yeah, she was. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to tell you the full circumstances on why she's able to follow me just yet; I'll just say that we had the same goal of finding and saving Maria, and leave it at that…" The young teen replied, still not over his failure to rescue her.

"I-I see…let's just make our way to Nymiera's house." The raven-haired teen suggested, the group of four quietly making their way towards their next destination. A couple minutes later, they arrived at her house, briskly knocking on the door before stepping inside and saw that it was empty. Perhaps they haven't completed their fight against Vitus and were still locked in the midst of battle. Regardless, the group made their way to her room and began searching for whatever it was that she told them about. Eventually, Ren was able to find a hidden doorway behind a bookcase, the raven-haired teen pulling the bookcase to the side before calling the others to his side.

"Phew…I think I found what we're looking for." He stated, wiping a small bead of sweat off his forehead as the group of four eyed it up cautiously. "Whatever it is she wanted us to find, it's best that we tread carefully."

Nodding in confirmation, the group of four quietly entered the doorway, stepping inside a hidden room of sorts that had an all-too familiar stone in the center. A Timesplicer Crystal, radiating in the same vivid blue as all the others. A small hint of bitterness welled up inside Julius; Nymiera had the means to send them back all this time yet only now did she tell them about it. But the rational side of his brain took over once more and thought about it; perhaps there was some reason she couldn't send them back to their time so soon, namely that she and the others needed help with defeating Vitus and Gardevoir.

"Hey, Jules…you seem to be staring at that crystal intensely. Do you know what it is?" Huey inquired.

"To my knowledge, it's a Timesplicer Crystal. I'll spare you all the complicated details, but I will say that it's our way back to the present." He answered, catching the trio off-guard.

"W-Wow, really?!" Reina exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes, it can. After all, that was how I was able to travel back in time before, where I had met Anju for the first time.

"Truth be told, I can't help but be confused over it's placement. I mean sure, it's hidden behind a bookcase and whatnot, but it's located directly in the center of the room. It's almost as if Nymiera wanted us to find it." Ren chimed in. "Well if Julius says it can bring us back, then I guess we better go for it."

"But that raises another question; she had something for us this whole time! Kanon never even had to go out of his way to find something!" Huey exclaimed, the young teen giving him a quick glance. Seems he wasn't the only one bothered by this revelation.

"If she was hiding this, then what else could she be hiding…?" The raven-haired teen mused, looking around the room and saw something that piqued his interest. Laying on the table was a small book, with the words 'To Ren' written on the top. Quickly seeing that it was for his eyes only, he took the book and closed it, tucking it away under his cloak before turning to face the others.

"So what did you find, brother?" Reina inquired.

"I-I can't tell you; Nymiera stated that I cannot discuss what's inside the book. Sorry for being rude, but I want to respect her wishes." He replied, making his way back to the crystal. "So I assume all we need to do is touch this crystal and we'll be sent back to the present, right?"

"Yes, that is how it works. Whenever you're all ready, we'll touch it at the same time." Julius answered, with the trio giving him a quick nod as they all touched the lustrous crystal. One by one, their bodies were enveloped in a green light before promptly disappearing from the room, leaving it as quiet as it was before their arrival.

 **Sashila Village: Alexandra's Villa**

The group of four had arrived to the main room of the villa, with Alexandra sitting casually on her couch as she saw them appear out of thin air. The older woman was completely taken aback by what she had just saw, which was understandable given the circumstances.

"W-What are you for doing in my room?! How did you get here anyway?!" She demanded, a look of bewilderment in her eyes.

"My apologies; we had no intentions of invading your privacy. It's a long story, but I'll explain it to you…" Ren began, as he recalled the tale of what the four of them went through, ranging from the failed expedition to Zone Zero, to getting sent back in time, to the incident where Julius had collapsed, to the final confrontation with Gardevoir. Alexandra listened to his words fervently, intrigued by what he was telling her.

"I see…that gem hanging on my wall is a Timesplicer Crystal? And you four came in from the past through it? In conclusion, I can safely say that I need a drink because I'm stressed out." Alexandra began, lying back on her couch. "It's a surprise to me, you know? Finding out that the crystal that's been passed down my family for generations has such power. Not once has anything happened like what you've described to me. But I believe you; after all, Ryland came here earlier and told me about how you disappeared in a flash of white light. I-I'm sorry, but I need some time to myself for a moment…"

"Understandable; we'll leave you to yourself." Julius replied, gesturing his friends to step outside her villa.

"Well I say that went well!" Reina chimed in happily. "You think she'll invite us over for Christmas?"

"OH! Do you think they use tall cacti instead of trees? And they decorate them with those flowers you see near the oasis, the ones you don't know if they're poisonous or not? It's like a game! Oops, just touched a poisonous flower; it's time to die!"

"Can you two please settle down? We need to go already." Ren told them, the group quietly making their way back to the inn where they were staying before. However, the raven-haired teen placed his hand on Julius' shoulder, catching his friend off-guard as he whispered something into his ear.

"Ah, I see. Guess we better wait for her then." Julius replied, the duo making their way to the northernmost part of the villa, waiting patiently on the roof for Alexandra to arrive. And right on cue, the older woman made her way towards them, looking a lot less stressed out than she was before.

"As you may know, we weren't successful with our mission…S-Sorry about that." Ren told her uneasily, his eyes glancing to the side.

"That's okay, at least you tried. That's all that matters to me." Alexandra smiled at the duo.

"I'm more than willing to try it again, but the both of us have gone through quite a bit. We'll need a few days to rest and regroup; that and my friends in the city would be worried about me." Julius stated.

"Understandable; you're more than welcome to take your time." The older woman replied casually. "But may I ask for a little elaboration on what you went through? I must say that the concept of time travel is quite interesting."

"We met a lot of people and got into a lot of rough fights. The most notable thing, however, were these three women we met; Nymiera, Anju and Hazuki." The raven-haired teen began, with the older woman taking a step back in surprise.

"N-Nymiera?! You two met her?!" Alexandra exclaimed.

"I take it she's your mother, or some other relative?" Julius deduced, noticing the similarities between her and Nymiera.

"Y-Yeah, she's my ancestor; one of the most highly respected in my family." She answered, as Ren was finally able to remember something he was told.

"T-That reminds me." He began, turning to face Julius. "She told me to tell you something; that we will meet again when The Obelisk emerged."

"The Obelisk? I can't say I'm familiar with what she's talking about…" The young teen admitted, an idea forming in Alexandra's mind.

"I think I may know what she's talking about…there's something you two should see outside. Meet me at the village entrance, okay?" She told them, making her way down the stairs with the duo following right behind her.

 **0000**

The group of three, or five as it really was were traversing through the desert, with Huey and Reina joining in upon seeing the trio exit the village. There, they found what looked to be a futuristic tower standing tall in the midst of the desert, the latter two gazing at it in awe.

"Woah…it looks amazing." Reina commented quietly, taken aback by the sight before her.

"I believe this is what Nymiera might be talking about." Alexandra chimed in, gazing at the towering obelisk before her.

"Could be. After all, this was not here the last time we traversed through the desert." Ren stated.

"We had this really violent tremor a few days ago. During the incident, this towering structure came through the ground; our scholars are investigating it as we speak. what we found out is really interesting; namely that the material used to construct it is similar to Black Shards. In case you're wondering, Black Shards are materials that came from Outer Space. They're highly erratic material that can shift it's shape without warning." The older woman informed them.

"Oh yeah! I own a Black Shard myself; I keep it safe in my room back in Goldenleaf Town." The raven-haired girl chimed in.

"So you're familiar with the anomalous properties of them?" Alexandra inquired.

"Yeah. Sometimes they can glow different colors and be really pretty. And other times they can break your desk because it increased in size." Reina continued, a look of intrigue forming on her elder's face.

"Sounds like that shard is destabilized. Stabilizing Black Shard material is incredibly difficult and usually ends in its destruction. This tower however, is completely stabilized. Something that is a definite miracle." The older woman told her, a voice calling out to the group as they turned to see…Kanon approaching them.

"F-Finally…I've been looking all over for you…" He huffed, running up towards the group. "You guys are safe and sound!"

"Kanon! How's it going buddy?" Huey chimed happily.

"Y-You have a lot of explaining to do, Kanon!" Reina called out at him, a look of confusion forming on his face. "When we went to the past, we saw someone who looked JUST like you, and had the same name as you."

The white-haired boy grew quiet, unsure on how to respond to her statement. But a look of reassurance from Alexandra was all he needed to muster up the courage to speak. "I-I must apologize to you all. The Kanon you knew in this time was not an actual person. The Kanon you knew was a fake persona created to mask my knowledge of Nymiera's location."

"N-No way…" Julius began, fully realizing what his words meant. The Kanon that he knew from back then was a fake; the one that worshipped the ground Melia walked on, the one that supported her from the very beginning, the one that wanted to prove his worth to his friends, was nothing but a façade?

"Now you understand…" He replied, as it started to set in on the other three. "I was captured by that heinous Gardevoir back then. During that time, I deleted my old self and became a different person. I became the Kanon you all knew. A weak child with a fabricated past. When Alexandra found me on the Grand Express, she recognized who I was immediately, because I was described in a book passed down by Nymiera. She helped me regain my old sense of self and purpose; to be a servant."

"You are not a servant. You're a friend." Alexandra reminded him.

"Hahaha, Nymiera said the same thing to me. But I know my origin, I am not human. My sole purpose is to serve Nymeira's family. And I shall do so without question, for it is in my nature." Kanon replied to her comment.

"B-But Kanon…I thought we were friends…" Huey replied, a look of sadness in his eyes. "W-Where's the old Kanon I knew? I want to talk to him."

"Forgive me, Huey. I will say that the time we spent was definitely a memorable one. Even if it were for a short time." Kanon apologized.

"That's not what the REAL Kanon would say! He would just look at me awkwardly!" The redhead snapped, approaching his former friend, only for Reina to rest her hand on his shoulder.

"This is just getting sad. C'mon Huey, back to the village with you." She called out, dragging the latter away as he continued to call out to his friend, hoping that he would remember what they've been through.

"…Should I be concerned?" Kanon inquired.

"No, I'm sure he'll get over it soon." Ren reassured him, the white-haired teen sighing in relief.

"That's good to here. If that is all, I'll be on my way once more." He turned to Alexandra, the older woman giving him a quick nod as he quietly made his way back to the village.

"I must go as well. I have to plan my next move." Alexandra bid them farewell, making her way back to the village as Julius gazed at the obelisk before him, a few thoughts coursing through his mind.

"Unbelievable…the amount of people I can trust in this region is growing smaller by the day…" He muttered bitterly to himself.

"I guess that's it then; our little adventure has come to an end. But before I go, I have one tiny request from you." Ren commented, flashing the Pokéballs on his belt. "I want to have a battle with you, Julius. No major stakes behind it, just a battle for fun."

"I suppose I can do that, but it'll have to be something quick, like a 3-on-3 battle. I really need to get back to town as soon as possible." Julius stated.

"Understandable; you want to check up on Melia to see how she's doing. I'm fine with that." The raven-haired teen agreed to the terms, the duo stepping away from the obelisk and got into position. "Ever since we last met, I've been training in the hopes that I could have a rematch with you. I won't be holding back and I expect you to not hold back as well!"

"Though it may be short, let's give it our all!" The young teen declared, sending out his Coatlith with Ren sending out his Flygon, the two dragons staring each other down. Taking to the skies, the Flygon conjured up a large gust of wind with its wings, blanketing the arena in a vicious sandstorm. Seeing that it's foe would try and go for a surprise attack, the Coatlith composes itself and perked its ears slightly, hoping to determine its opponent's location via sound. Soon enough, it heard what sounded light a faint flapping of wings, the Forest Lord Pokémon turning to the side and narrowly dodged an incoming strike from the Flygon, retaliating with a swift Energy Ball that caused the Mystic Pokémon to stagger.

Recovering from its temporary daze, the Flygon let out a high-pitched growl before quickly burrowing underneath the soft sand, its foe caught off-guard as it could no longer rely on sound to locate its opponent. Cautiously, the Forest Lord Pokémon began searching the area for the Flygon, its eyes searching for whatever ripple in the sand could give its location away. Just then, a sand dune burst open, the Flygon speeding towards its distracted foe and slashed at it with its sharp claws, causing the Coatlith to hurtle towards the ground and crash into another dune. The injured dragon got up slowly, not quite ready to throw in the towel just yet as it stared down its foe, the Flygon taking to the skies and swooped down to deal another powerful blow. However, the Forest Lord Pokémon stood its ground, charging up a ball of draconic energy in its mouth before firing the pulsating energy at its incoming foe, striking it head on and caused an explosion that sent sand everywhere. The Mystic Pokémon crashed into the soft sand, attempting to get back up but was unable to do so, giving the first victory to Coatlith.

"Heh, not even the terrain could put a damper in your plan…" Ren chuckled lightly, recalling his Flygon before making a quick decision. "Guess that means I'll just have to bring out the perfect counter then. it's time for battle, Scizor!"

On his cue, the Pincer Pokémon emerged from its ball, giving a quick bow before immediately getting into action. The Scizor flew through the desert at surprising speeds, its shiny pincers dealing a series of rapid strikes at the Coatlith and caused it to stagger in the air. This gave the Bug Pokémon the chance it was looking for, it's body rapidly creating several illusionary copies as they all lunged at the dragon, slashing at it with incredible speed as the Coatlith was sent hurtling towards the ground, kicking up a small cloud of sand. When the cloud died down, it showed that Coatlith was unable to continue battling.

"Seems you've improved greatly from when we battled last." Julius chimed in, recalling his injured companion.

"Indeed. I wasn't just going to sit there, moping all day about the events of that day turned out. I still shiver to myself at night over just how angry Melia was, not that I can blame her." The raven-haired teen commented.

"Well I hate to break it to you, but this is where things must come to an end. I'm sure you'll recognize this face once you see it…" The young teen smirked, throwing his second Pokéball as his Beliaddon emerged from it, the towering demon letting out an almighty roar.

"Now this'll be good; I saw just how easily it dealt with Gardevoir back then. I wonder how long it can last against my team…" Ren mused to himself, his Scizor looking forward to the fight despite the disadvantage its facing. Like before, the Pincer Pokémon lunged at its foe, bobbing and weaving through the dunes as it dealt a series of swift blows against its opponent. However, the Beliaddon was able to withstand the barrage, knocking the Bug Pokémon aside with a powerful backhand strike before conjuring up a sword made out of pure fire. The Demon Pokémon swung its Infernal Blade in the air, creating a series of heatwaves that caused the Scizor to stagger on the spot and lose its footing in the sandy terrain. With its foe in a vulnerable position, the large Pokémon dove towards it, leaping up in the air and stomped on it with its hooved feet, hopping off the injured Pokémon as it twitched slightly in the small crater.

"Ahhh…sorry about that." Julius winced, watching Ren recall his injured Scizor.

"Don't worry about it; they'll be fine after a good night's rest." His friend replied, mulling over who will be his last Pokémon to send out today. "But it looks like I have to get serious now, and I have the perfect candidate for the job."

With a quick flick of his wrist, the raven-haired teen sent out his Greninja, the nimble frog eyeing up its foe carefully. Though they once fought together against a most powerful foe, they were now enemies for the moment, with both sides knowing that they'll be in for a serious fight.

Opting to take the initiative, the Greninja conjured up a series of Water Shurikens and fling them towards its foe, with Beliaddon knocking them away with its blade, however, the repetitive onslaught of watery attacks had extinguished the blade, creating a faint cloud of steam that permeated the area. The Ninja Pokémon was pleased with this outcome, opting to use the steam to its advantage and began preparing a surprise attack. The Demon Pokémon took the time to survey the area carefully, its mind anticipating a surprise attack and braced itself for such an event. The Greninja emerged from the dune behind the demon, leaping out of it and delivered a swift strike to its foe, only to get knocked back with a swift punch from the Beliaddon.

Now with its foe out in the open, the Demon Pokémon raised its foot in the air and stomped on the ground, creating a small tremor that caused Greninja to stagger on the spot. However, the frog was able to recover from the attack and leapt into the air, conjuring up a ball of scalding hot water and flung it at its foe, a low growl of pain escaping the Beliaddon's mouth. Wiping the water off its body, the Beliaddon flew up in the air momentarily, breathing a stream of intense flames that struck the Greninja head on and caused it to fly back a few feet into the sand. Slowly getting back up, the Ninja Pokémon conjured up an especially large shuriken, and twirled it in its hand before charging at the Demon Pokémon, who conjured up another Infernal Blade in response. The two titans struck each other at the same time, creating a large explosion that sent dust and sand all over the place, causing the two trainers to cover their faces. Once it was safe to uncover them, they both saw their friends staring down each other, giving one another a faint nod of respect before falling to the ground, the battle seemingly ending in a draw.

"Seems that we're at the same level of skill now." Julius commented, the duo recalling their Pokémon.

"You still had one left, so be technicality, you're the victor. But if you wanna call it a draw, that's fine by me." Ren chimed in, the duo turning towards the horizon. "Despite all the bumps in the road, I'm really glad we reunited with one another back in Gearen. Truth be told, I think I'm gonna throw in the towel on this whole competition between the two of us."

"Hmmm? Didn't you want to prove yourself to Melia and the others?" The young teen inquired.

"Don't get me wrong, I still want to show her that I'm fully capable of achieving my own goals and dreams. But I don't want any petty feud between us to get in the way." The raven-haired teen chimed in. "I assume you'll be heading back to the city alongside Reina and Huey?"

"Y-Yeah, like I said before the battle." Julius replied. "Why'd you ask?"

"Please, keep an eye out for Reina. I don't exactly know what Team Xen is planning, but Grand Dream City isn't a safe place at the moment. As for me, I have to go now…" Ren began, his wings sprouting out of his body as he began floating in the air. "Goodbye Julius, we'll see each other soon!"

"Wait! Before you go Ren, I would like to thank you for easing my concerns when we escaped the sanctuary in the past. Because of you, I know the right thing to do when the time comes. Goodbye Ren, I hope we see each other soon!" The young teen said his goodbyes, his friend shooting him a small smile as he flew off into the air.

"H-Hey! Wait for us!" A familiar voice called out, with Julius turning to see Reina and Huey running up towards him, only to see Ren flying off into the distance. "Aw man, I didn't get to say goodbye…" The raven-haired girl sighed sadly.

"I'm sure you'll get to see him again, where you'll be able to slug him in the shoulder for not saying goodbye to you." Julius chimed in, a light giggle escaping from his childhood friend.

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind." Reina shot him a small smile.

"Hey, hey! I was able to convince Damien to give us a ride to Route 9. Now we won't have to go all the way in the desert to find that Claydol." Huey chimed in.

"In that case, lead the way." The young teen stated, with the duo escorting him back to Sashila Village. Upon arriving back at the village, the trio made their way to Damien, the old man shooting an annoyed look at the red-haired boy, before sending out his shiny Latios. Gesturing the trio to hop on, the older man ordered his companion to fly towards Route 3, the Eon Pokémon flying through the air at high speeds.

 **Grand Dream City: Tournament Building**

While Julius and co. were heading back to Route 9, both Melia and Erin were inside the tournament building, taken aback by the spectacle laid out before their eyes. There were hundreds, if not thousands of people waiting patiently for their turn to battle, all of them hoping to win the grand prize of the tournament; a complete set of Aevium League gym badges.

"This place looks pretty high-tech and lavish. Seems that no expense was spared in making it." Melia commented, the duo taking a seat in the main lobby.

"This place used to be a dump until Saki Blakeory got into battling. This caused her grandparents to go nuts and refurnished this place to be as lavish as it is now. I wonder how it feels to be a spoiled princess with everything served to you on a silver platter." Erin mused to herself.

"Hey now, Saki's a pretty nice person…when she's acting normal. Which is a rare occurrence so you may have a point." The blonde replied, a small smirk forming on her friend's face. "Anyway, did you bring the outfits we're going to wear at the party?"

"I've got it all sorted out. Once we're done with out battles, we'll get changed and head on out." The white-haired girl answered, only for a voice to call out to Melia, the duo turning to see Risa Raider making her way to them.

"Hey Risa, I should've known you'd be here." Melia smiled at her.

"That's right, honey! I'm here to make my mark and send some peeps home cryin'. When I'm battling, I'm just in my element, you know?" Risa replied cheerily, turning her head to glance at one of the various screens behind her. "The first round already finished up the other day, so now the second round is about to begin! Both of you are in the second bracket with me. Julius, Huey and Kanon are in the 3rd bracket, while Aelita is in the 5th bracket."

"B-But I thought we were in Bracket E…" The blonde replied, a puzzled look in her eyes.

"That was how things were meant to be, but things got jumbled up due to some weird programming glitch or something. So now all the participants have been randomized and what not. Anyway, I gotta go now, my battle's just about to begin and I need to get ready. Ta-Ta!" The orange-haired woman waved at the duo, quietly making her way to the changing rooms to get ready.

"S-She didn't even give me a chance to respond…" Melia replied quietly.

"Fake assholes like her are generally like that. Their bourgeois style of life leaves little space for those outside their group." Erin retorted.

"Everyone's got some way to live their life. That's just her way. But that aside, we should check the listings." The blonde suggested, the duo making their way to the screen and began reading it carefully. Melia was a little taken aback by just who her first opponent was; Risa Raider herself. "Now I know why she wanted to see me…"

"Depending on how things turn out, we may be fighting against each other again. However, it's not gonna happen." Erin began, causing the blonde to raise an eyebrow at her. "I have no interest in battling and was signed up in this tournament without my consent. I have a plan to get out of this tournament, one that won't get me sent to jail."

"Is it something I have to help you with?" Melia inquired.

"Perhaps, after all you owe me one." The white-haired girl replied.

"Heheheh, I guess I do…" The blonde chuckled lightly, only for a clerk to inform Erin that her battle was about to begin. Wishing each other luck, the duo went their separate ways momentarily as Erin made her way to the arena.

 **0000**

"Welcome people of Grand Dream City!" Amber called out to the crowd from the podium, the massive group of people applauding her like crazy. "It is my honor to be on this stage commenting for each and every one of you! A shame that the government and the rich people of this city ditched us for a stupid party, but we don't need those losers, right?"

"WRRRRROOOOOAAAAAAHHHHHH!" The crowd hollered in support, eager to see another intense battle.

"On the right side, we got a trainer all the way from East Gearen City! Give it up for Malthus!" The redhead began, the crowd applauding the arrival of a middle-aged man wearing a construction worker's uniform. "And on the left we've got a girl from the Rose Theatre on Route 9. Give it up for Erin!"

Walking quietly to the arena, the white-haired girl shot her opponent a casual, if disinterested look at him, the duo soon turning to see the large television behind Amber flicker to life as it showed off dozens upon dozens of different fields, stopping on a multi-colored field.

"Well would you look at that; what an interesting field to start they day off on. Now let us swap the arena aro—" Amber began, only for Erin to call out to her. "Huh? What's the matter?

"Oh no, what a shame…I forgot my Pokémon. How heartbreaking…" The white-haired girl stated calmly, causing the crowd to murmur among one another. "I guess that means I'm disqualified; sorry for wasting your time everyone."

Watching the white-haired girl leave, the redhead was unsure on what to make of what she had just witnessed, opting to award the victory to Malthus who was just as confused as she was. Making her way back to the lobby, Erin was soon greeted to the unimpressed gaze of Melia burrowing deep into her. "What? It worked, didn't it?"

"What on earth was that? D-Don't you feel embarrassed after pulling a stunt like that? That was so…" Melia began.

"So what? It's not like I'd see any of those people ever again. Anyway, it seems that you're up now. Good luck…sis." Erin glanced at the screen, seeing that it was Melia's turn.

"Y-Yeah…I won't let our family name down." The blonde replied, making her way to the arena.

 **0000**

Having arrived to Route 9, Julius, Reina and Huey thanked Damien for taking them there, the older man giving them a small grunt back before hopping onto his Latios and flew back to Sashila Village. Realizing that the tournament was in full swing, the trio opted to quickly make their way back as fast as they can, despite Julius' lack of interest in the whole affair.

"Whew! Wasn't today the best hangout session of all time?!" Huey called out to them.

"Well besides the fact that we almost died, it was a pretty fun time." Reina retorted. "That said, this tournament that you two talked about sounds interesting. I might watch it if I'm able to."

"I just hope that Melia's able to do well in the tournament despite what happened to Venam. I still can't believe that I haven't found a cure for her yet." Julius commented bitterly, another failure of his plaguing his mind. The trio soon found their way to a train that lead to the Grand Dream Stadium, hopping onto it and took the ride to their next destination. Soon enough, they made their way to the massive stadium, the trio hopping off the train and entered the building, with Huey and Reina heading off in one direction while Julius opted to stay in the lobby, noticing Erin and took a seat beside her.

"About time you showed up. Where have you been this entire time?" The white-haired girl inquired, a slightly annoyed look in her eyes.

"My apologies; I was hanging out with Huey and another friend, Reina when we were inexplicably warped to the Badlands by a stray Claydol. We spent ages finding a way back here, so I apologize once more for being late." Julius told her, not quite ready to tell her about his time working alongside Ren, an agent of Team Xen.

"While you were out doing whatever, Melia and I took part in our respective battles. I was taken out easily, and Melia—" Erin began, the duo turning to see the arena doors open and saw Melia walking out of them, a dejected look in her eyes. "…seems that she was also taken out easily."

"Melia…" Julius began, quickly making his way to her in order to console her.

"Julius…I'm sorry, but I need some time alone…" She requested, fighting back the urge to cry as she made her way out of the building in a hurry.

"Give her some time to cope with the loss." The white-haired girl rested her hand on his shoulders. "That aside, we learned some interesting things back in the library, resulting in us getting tickets to the Grand Dream Ball. We're gonna check it out and see what it's all about."

"I see…hopefully it cheers her up. It hurts me to see Melia this distraught and being unable to do anything about it." The young teen commented, with Erin shooting him a small smile as she made her way out of the stadium to catch up to Melia. He proceeded to take a seat once more, knowing that all he could do for now was wait for his turn to battle in this tournament.

 **Grand District Building: Grand Ballroom**

Cassandra was busy surveying the party, pleased with how it was going so far. Among the tables were all of Grand Dream City's most influential figures, conversing cheerily among themselves over how to further increase the prosperity of the city. Beside the mayor's side was Madelis, the red-haired woman wearing a royal blue dress that was loaned to her for the night.

"The party seems to be going well enough." Madelis commented, taking a quick glance at the multi-colored floor beneath her feet. "The color of this floor looks like vomit, to be honest. Who would pick such a color scheme in the first place?"

"I picked it myself, Madelis. Are you insulting my design choice?" Cassandra inquired, shooting a snide glance at her.

"What answer do you want to hear?" The redhead asked.

"The answer that won't persuade me to call HQ about your incompetence." The mayor shot back, causing her sub-ordinate to clam up on the spot.

"O-On second thought, this place reminds me of home." Madelis buttered up her superior, a quick nod from the mayor indicating that she was safe for now.

"You know this room used to look really different a week ago. I redesigned it because I had a spark of inspiration. I'm sure you know this color scheme more than anyone else." Cassandra commented, her words soon dawning upon the redhead. "You should know because they're Lisbeth's favorite colors."

"D-Don't talk about Lisbeth…" The redhead requested desperately.

"Oh? Don't tell me you don't like to talk about your own sister? Is that too painful of a memory? Am I pulling some heart strings?" The mayor taunted subtly.

"Y-You're pushing it, Cassandra…" Madelis whispered harshly to her.

"You need to chill out and relax. Why not get us a drink or two, okay?" Cassandra suggested, the redhead huffing to herself as she made her way to the kitchen to get some drinks. A couple minutes later, she exited the kitchen and made her way back to her superior, only for the latter to "trip" over her feet and crashing into Madelis, causing the drink to splash all over her dress. "H-How awful, look at the mess you've made."

"Tch, what an incompetent waitress…"

"Is that how they train those hooligans down in the slums?"

The guests whispered amongst themselves, shooting their looks of contempt at the red-haired woman. "To cause not only a mess, but to disrupt the party over your incompetence. Leave this place right now!" Cassandra ordered, with Madelis fighting back the urge to cry as she got back up and quickly exited the room.

 **0000**

Melia and Erin were quietly making their way to the Grand Dream ball, dressed in the fancy outfits the latter had prepared for the night. The blonde opted to go for a billowing white dress that Erin had picked out for her, while Erin went for a lovely black dress that suited her figure. "Now if memory serves me well, this should be the place. This place is usually for wealthy people and government officials only." The white-haired girl commented.

"I-Is it really okay for us to be here then?" Melia inquired, eyeing up the building cautiously. "I know we have tickets and all, but these had to have come from somewhere, right?"

"Perhaps, but that isn't important. These tickets aren't marked or numbered. Which means that they aren't registered. They cannot prove that we aren't aristocrats from the Scholar District." Erin reassured her.

"I suppose that's true. These outfits you whipped out really sell the look!" The blonde complimented her friend's creative skills.

"Thanks, I designed them myself." The white-haired girl smiled back at her. "But don't forget why we're here."

"I haven't we're here to figure out the truth. It's supposed to be somewhere inside, right?" Melia double-checked with her.

"Correct. I don't want to stay here long, so let's find it and dip. Oh and cheer up Melia, it doesn't suit you to act all gloomy and such." Erin told her, the duo making their way to the lavish building.

"I know, but I was really looking forward to winning those badges. And Julius…he was only trying to comfort me, but I brushed him off just like that…" The blonde sighed sadly to herself, with Erin resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'm sure he understands that you needed some time to yourself." She reassured her, a small smile forming on her face. "And truth be told, I think he's a perfect match for you."

"Ahahahahahaha, thanks…" Melia chuckled lightly, the duo making their way inside, oblivious to the fact that Madelis briskly walked outside at the same time, sobbing quietly to herself. Greeting them politely, the clerk asked to see their tickets with Erin showing hers quickly, only for Melia to desperately search her pockets for her ticket but couldn't find it. "H-Huh? Where'd it go?! I thought I just had it!"

"Come on Melia…don't tell me you lost it." Erin sighed in annoyance.

"I-I didn't lose it, I swear! I felt it in my pocket just before stepping inside this building, and now it's gone!" The blonde exclaimed. "I-I'll go check the theater just in case I left it in my other clothes."

"W-We don't have time for that, the party already started!" The white-haired girl called out to her, only for Melia to ignore her and promptly make her way outside the building. Erin quietly scoffed to herself, annoyed at what had just happen. "Of all the times to lose her ticket, why did it have to be right now?!"

Unbeknownst to her, a few Bladestar grunts quietly snuck inside the building via a different entrance, flashing their badges to the clerk who gestured them to step inside, the young lady in on their scheme. Around a minute later, the door opened once more as Erin had expected Melia to arrive, only to see that it was Alice and Allen instead.

"It's wonderful to see you here Erin!" Alice smiled at her; the duo dressed up in fancy outfits.

"Hey, you're those kids that appeared out of a box." The white-haired girl commented.

"Good to see that you remember us, after all the fun times we've spent together!" Allen chimed in.

"Fun times…? Didn't we just meet a couple weeks ago?" Erin said, a look of confusion appearing on her face as the door opened once more.

"Oh? I'm surprised to see you here, Erin. Did you get an invite to this party?" Rhodea inquired.

"Melia and I were given some tickets, so we came to check this place out. However, Melia forgot her ticket and now I'm waiting for her." The white-haired girl explained.

"I see…by the way, have you seen Florin? He's nowhere to be found. I tried calling him, but I got no response." The older woman inquired.

"I'm sorry to say that I haven't seen him at all." Erin apologized to her.

"I see…on another note, I wish those two lost their tickets as well. They're such a pain to deal with." Rhodea whispered into Erin's ear.

"Hmmm? What was that?" Alice inquired.

"N-Nothing! Nothing at all! A-Anyway, I have to go find Florin; mind taking these two to the ball?" Rhodea requested, a small sigh escaping from the white-haired girl's mouth.

"Sure. It beats waiting around here for Melia." She conceded, with Rhodea sighing in relief as the teenage girl gestured the two younger children to follow her onto the elevator.

 **Grand Dream Stadium**

Julius was sitting quietly in the lobby, a little exhausted from all the battles he had taken part in. they weren't difficult per se, but the amount of them in such a short time was astounding. The way the tournament worked was that at the beginning of the battle, a roulette of sorts would flash up on the television before stopping on a random field. Whatever field the roulette stopped on was the one both competitors had to fight one; be it a field that benefited Poison type Pokémon, or a field that swapped the speed of all participating Pokémon, ala Trick Room. As he took the time to collect his thoughts, he was soon interrupted by a familiar face taking a seat beside him.

"Julius! That was some nice battling out there!" Amber smiled, patting him on the back gently. "The crowd really loves you out there. I just know you'll win this competition!"

"Thanks, Amber. It's good to see you again…" Julius replied, though the redhead knew that he wasn't at 100% right now.

"Is everything alright? You look a little…down, so to speak." She inquired.

"I-I'm fine myself, albeit it a little exhausted. It's Melia I'm worried about; she looked so distraught when she exited the building upon losing, I know how badly she wanted to win this tournament." The young teen admitted. "And then there's Erin who also lost her first battle; as if both had been dealt a pretty awful hand of cards."

"I can't totally blame her for getting upset; the poor girl was swept 3-0 by Risa Raider in her first battle. As for Erin, she didn't get defeated, she simply forgot her Pokémon and walked out of the arena. I still don't know what that was all about…" Amber informed him, shuffling in her seat a bit. "Hey, uh…There's something I've been meaning to give you for a whi—"

"There you are, Amber!" A familiar voice called out, the duo turning to see Tesla approaching them. "And Julius too? How lovely to see that you're both getting along now!"

"Auntie!" Julius shot a smile at her. "How's it going?"

"I'm good, thank you very much. In fact, I was taking a stroll through the Shopping District earlier to buy some things for the resort. Now that we're free from nuisances like Team Xen and Angie, I expect an increase in customers very soon." The older woman informed them.

"Have you heard? Julius has been cutting through the competition like a hot knife through butter! And I was there to commentate on it all; so fuckin' cool." Amber gushed excitedly, a light chuckle escaping from her mother's mouth.

"Is that so? Then it was very fortunate that I baked something earlier today; this should keep your spirits up." Telsa commented, handing the young teen a Razz Berry Tart.

"Thank you, Auntie. This should help keep the momentum up." Julius expressed his gratitude.

"Anyway, I gotta get back to stage. Word on the street is that Julius' next opponent is quite the tough challenger, so that'll be exciting to commentate on." Amber told them, getting up off her seat and gave her mother a quick hug before making her way back to the arena.

"Best of luck to you, sweetie." Tesla bid her goodbyes to Amber, before turning to face Julius. "And best of luck to you too, Julius. I know you can defeat your next opponent."

"Thank you, Auntie. I won't let you down!" He pledged, a light chuckle escaping from the older woman's mouth as she turned around and exited the building. As the young teen began to eat the freshly baked tart, his mind began pondering over who could be the tough opponent he was warned about. If it was Risa Raider, then he might be in a bit of trouble given how easily she defeated Melia. Either way, the only thing he could do was wait and find out.

"Well, well, well. I had a hunch you'd make it this far." Another voice called out to him, the young teen looking up and saw Adam making his way to him. "So, you're my next opponent, eh? I hope you aren't too intimidated by the awe-inspiring presence of Adam Might!"

"Heh, I'm not fazed at all. If anything, I'm looking forward to our next match." Julius retorted, a light chuckle escaping from the older gentleman.

"You say that right now, but you'll be singing a different tune once you get a taste of my hard-as-rock Pokémon! Though if you manage to beat me, I'm more than willing to give you my own badge." Adam boasted, his proposition intriguing the young teen. "The battle's about to begin soon; start making preparations as I know you'll need them."

"I extend the same precaution to you, mate." The young teen replied, with the older man flashing him a confident smirk as he made his way towards the arena. So Adam was the tough challenger he was warned about earlier? In that case, Julius knew that he had to prepare his team carefully, especially with a gym badge on the line. Having finished his tart, he pocketed the wrapping before making his way to the break room to get ready for the upcoming battle.

 **0000**

"Hey, hey! Isn't this party so much fun, Eriena?" Alice chimed happily, the young girl and her brother eagerly picking a variety of food on their plates as the other guests began murmuring at the sight.

"K-Keep it down here, this isn't the place to act all—wait, what did you just call me?" Erin began, only for a look of confusion to appear on her face upon hearing what the young girl had called her. However, she was blissfully ignorant of her question and continued to eagerly eat the food alongside her brother. A small sigh escaping from her mouth, the white-haired girl began looking around the area, searching for whatever truth could be hidden within this lavish party. Throughout the entire time she was here, an uncomfortable feeling welled up inside her, as if something was about to go terribly wrong. Her hunch would be proven right a few minutes later when a few Bladestar grunts stormed the building, locking up the entrances and keeping all the guests inside. "Alice, Allen. We're leaving immediately!"

"What do you mea—G-Gah!" Allen called out, as Erin grabbed both their wrists before making their way to the front entrance, only for a few waitresses to block the door to the elevator.

"Everything is alright miss, please take a seat." One of them ordered, the white-haired girl having a hunch that they were sympathetic to Bladestar's cause.

"W-What is going on here?!" Cassandra demanded, shooting a glare at the waitresses.

"Don't worry, Cassandra. Your time shall come soon." A second waitress smirked at her.

 **0000**

"Hah…Hah…I don't know where my ticket went. Hopefully Erin hasn't gone in without me…" Melia panted lightly to herself, the blonde making her way back to the Grand Dream Building, only to see Amanda standing right in front of the entrance. "A-Amanda…?"

"Well if it isn't Melia. The last time I saw you was on Route 2." Amanda replied coldly, flashing something in her right hand. "Tell me…is this what you were looking for?"

"M-My ticket! H-how did you—" The blonde began.

"You know what, Melia? You should've stayed dead. Allow me to rectify that mistake…" Amanda approached the blonde menacingly; neither of them aware that Madelis had been eavesdropping on the entire conversation.

 **0000**

Having finished his preparations, Julius quietly waited on the plush sofa for the upcoming battle, the attendant calling out to him that everything was ready. Promptly hopping off the sofa, he made his way to the pathway that lead onto the arena, waiting for the moment when he was to step onto the arena.

"This is everyone, the final battle that you've all been waiting for!" Amber called out to the crowd, who all applauded her like crazy. "On the right side, we have the rock-hard trainer from the Badlands. Give it up for the almighty Adam Might!"

On cue, the imposing trainer made his way to the arena, a confident smirk on his face as he flashed the crowd a peace gesture. "Watch and learn! I'll give my opponent the battle of a lifetime!" He boasted.

"And on the left, we have the current Champion of Tandor who's been dominating the Aevium League with ease. Give it up for Julius!" The redhead called out once more, the crowd applauding the young teen's arrival as he flashed them a casual smile.

"You may be one of the best trainers Aevium has to offer but allow me to show you how battle's take place back in Tandor." Julius commented, a light-hearted chuckle coming from his opponent.

"Now that our combatants are here, let us see what field they'll be fighting on!" Amber declared, the TV lighting up as the roulette began to spin around quickly, the various field flashing before their eyes. Eventually, the roulette stopped on a black and white field, a reverse symbol plastered in the center as the arena started to glow in an eerie black and white. "Oh my…for the first time today, we'll be fighting on the Inverse Field. In case you aren't familiar with it; all type match-ups are reversed in an Inverse Battle. It's rather beneficial for types with a lot of weaknesses, such as Rock and Ice."

"Heheheh, fine by me. I can work with that." Adam commented, selecting his first Pokéball and threw it, sending out his Tyranitar, the imposing Pokémon letting out an almighty roar. Julius, unfazed but intrigued over the prospect of an inverse battle opted to send out his Chimaconda, the slender chimera letting out a casual chirp at its opponent.

"Why don't we kick things off with a Flamethrower?" Julius suggested, his companion leaping into battle as it generated a ball of intense flames inside it's mouth before spewing them at the Tyranitar, striking the bulky Pokémon head on as it staggered back a couple feet. Not willing to throw in the towel yet, the Armor Pokémon's head began shining with a lustrous silver, the hulking goliath lunging at its foe and headbutted the Chimaconda, sending it flying back several feet as it crash-landed on the arena. Slowly getting back up, the Chimera Pokémon reared it's back and fired a barrage of sludge from the head on it's tail, striking its foe and covered it in the poisonous substance. The nimble Pokémon then began hacking up a noxious fluid from its mouth, spewing it all over the Tyranitar as the Armor Pokémon hissed in pain from the burning sensation, only for the chimera to follow up by leaping into the air and kicking the Tyranitar in the face, sending the towering Pokémon crashing into the ground.

"Oh my! Seems that Julius has already gotten accustomed to the workings of an Inverse Battle!" Amber commented, several cheers coming from the crowd as Adam recalled his defeated Pokémon.

"I'm glad you're willing to take this seriously but allow me to regain the advantage! Crustle, use X-Scissor on the chimera!" The older man called out, sending out his next Pokémon as the crab let out a quick chitter. Scuttling towards the Chimaconda, the Crustle dodged any incoming blasts of fire with ease before leaping into the air and slashed at the chimera with its pincers, sending it flying back as it crumpled on the floor beside Julius' feet. "See? That's how I roll…"

"N-No way…" The young teen commented, making his way to check up on his injured companion. While he did know that type matchups were reversed in an Inverse battle, he didn't think that super-resistances and super-weaknesses would be reversed as well. Thanking his companion for it's hard work and recalling it, Julius began musing to himself on how he could exploit this newfound knowledge for himself, quickly deciding on his next Pokémon. "Alright Harptera, time to take flight!"

With a quick flick of his wrist, the young teen sent out his next Pokémon, the nimble dragonfly floating in the air, eyeing up is foe cautiously as the Crustle braced itself. Seeing that its foe had the speed advantage, the Stone Home Pokémon broke off a portion of its shell, greatly bolstering its offense capabilities and its speed. However, this was the Harptera was looking for, the dragonfly swooping down and struck at the foe with incredible speed, using its tail to pick up the now lighter crab and fling it into the air. Realizing that it was now a lot more vulnerable in this position, the desperate Crustle began flailing its claws in the air, hoping to land a hit on its foe. But the Harptera kept its distance, waiting for its foe to tire itself out before swooping in and delivered the finishing blow, sending the crab hurtling to the ground and created a large cloud of dust upon impact. When the dust died down, it showed that the Crustle was knocked out, its boulder shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces.

Giving the young teen a quiet nod, the older man recalled his injured Pokémon before quickly selecting his next Pokéball, throwing it to the field as an Aurorus emerged from the device. The graceful sauropod let out a soothing cry before firing a weak bolt of electricity at the Dragonfly Pokémon, landing a direct hit and paralyzing the nimble bug type Pokémon. However, the Harptera soon brought out a Lum Berry it had kept hidden and quickly consumed it, its body successfully managing to fight off the paralysis as it shot a determined gaze at the Aurorus.

Standing firmly on the ground, the Tundra Pokémon used its sails to generate a bright ball of silver energy, flinging it at the dragonfly and landed a direct hit. And though the attack did some damage to it, the Harptera was more than capable of continuing the battle, taking to the skies at incredible speeds before locking onto its foe and swooped down, it's body coated in a harsh red light as it crashed into its foe, creating a massive shockwave that caused the crowd to hold on to their seats tightly. Once the shockwave had seceded, the crowd saw the Aurorus struggling to keep itself up, only for the Tundra Pokémon to fall onto the ground in defeat.

"O-One hit?" Adam exclaimed, recalling his Aurorus taken back a by how easily one of his strongest Pokémon was defeated. This young kid before him was already adapting to the altered matchups, using a Pokémon that under normal circumstances would've been crushed easily. Still, it has been a while since an opponent gave him a run for his money, which'll make his victory all the more satisfying. "You're really good, I'll give you that. But my Kabutops will put a stop to your winning streak!"

Sending out his next Pokémon, the Shellfish Pokémon emerged from the device, gesturing at its foe to bring it on. Now overconfident with its string of victories, the Harptera swooped down and struck the Kabutops with its sharp tail, only for the opponent to counter with a few swipes from its sharp sickles, sending the Dragonfly Pokémon flying back a few feet. Seeing its foe staggering in the air slightly, the Kabutops cloaked its body in water before lunging at its foe, landing a direct hit as the Harptera was sent hurtling towards the ground. Slowly getting back up, the weary dragonfly was not willing to back down despite Julius' pleas, shooting a glare at the Shellfish Pokémon who had dared to oppose it so adamantly. Taking to the skies once more, the Dragonfly Pokémon swooped down and struck the Kabutops, snatching its Sitrus Berry and began to eat it greedily, recovering some much-needed energy. Now infuriated at the opponent for stealing its midday snack, the Shellfish Pokémon began hoisting up the shattered pieces of Crustle's boulder and began hurling them at the Harptera, the dragonfly bobbing and weaving past the incoming stones before striking at the Kabutops with its tail, sending the fossil Pokémon flying back a few feet as it crumpled before Adam's feet.

"Unbelievable! Julius' Harptera was able to knock out three of Adam's Pokémon! Just how will the esteemed trainer of the Badlands deal with this unstoppable juggernaut?!" Amber called out to the crowd, with Adam recalling his injured Pokémon as a smirk appeared on his face.

"Looks like it's time to bring out my trump card. Aerodactyl, time to Mega Evolve!" He called out, sending out his ace Pokémon before pressing the keystone on his mega ring. His Pokémon was enveloped in a wondrous orb of light, breaking free from it a few seconds later as it let out an ear-piercing screech of determination. Staring down the dragonfly, the imposing pterodactyl took to the skies, flying through the air at quick speeds as the Harptera attempted to evade its incoming attack. But the power gained from Mega Evolution enabled the Aerodactyl to catch up to its foe, swooping down on it and struck it with its firm tail, sending the dragonfly hurtling towards the ground as a sizable cloud of dust was kicked up in the air. When the cloud died down, it showed that the Harptera was unable to continue fighting, a sigh of relief escaping from Adam's mouth.

"A-Are you alright?!" Julius called out, making his way to his Pokemon's side as it chittered weakly to him. "Thank goodness you're alright…you've more than earned a nice rest."

Recalling his Pokémon, the young teen eyed up the Mega Aerodactyl, pondering on how he could deal with such a powerful foe. An idea soon forming in his mind, Julius got his third Pokéball and threw it, sending out his Haagross as it let out a quiet gurgle at its foe. A smirk of confidence on its face, the Fossil Pokémon flew into the air and created a powerful gust of wind with its wings, kicking up some fallen debris that was flung towards the Slime Eel Pokémon. However, the Haagross was able to dodge the incoming attacks by slithering on the ground, opting to retaliate with a quick bolt of lighting that struck the Aerodactyl directly. Though the attack wasn't that effective due to the Inverse field, it paralyzed the menacing Fossil Pokémon, taking away its greatest asset.

Shooting a glare at the slippery eel, the pterodactyl swooped down and struck the Haagross with its tail, sending it rolling back a few feet but was able to pick itself back up. Rearing its head back, the Slime Eel Pokémon spewed a barrage of noxious sludge at the Aerodactyl, knocking it to the ground as it crash-landed on the arena. With its foe now fully vulnerable, the Haagross conjured up a wave of toxic fluid, swamping the arena as the people in the front row lifted their feet to keep them from getting wet. The wave of sludge struck the weary pterodactyl, sending it back a few feet as it crumpled on the floor, reverting back to its regular form as it was unable to continue battling.

"Haa…haa…you've got to be one of the toughest opponents I've fought in a long time." Adam panted, recalling his injured Pokémon before taking out his last Pokéball. "But now that I'm in a corner, I don't have to hold back anymore. Gigalith, time to rock his world!"

The large Pokémon emerged from its ball, its massive frame causing the arena to quiver slightly as it gazed calmly at the slippery eel. A low roar escaped from its mouth as it conjured up a series of rocks above the Haagross, showering its foe in the onslaught as the eel was pelted by the barrage of rocks. Once the assault was over, the Slime Eel Pokémon dusted itself off before narrowing its gaze at the Compressed Pokémon, its slender body generating static electricity before firing a powerful bolt of lightning at its foe, stunning the towering behemoth. Stepping back slightly to regain its composure, the Gigalith began collecting energy within the crystals on its body, conjuring up a ball of lustrous silver energy before flinging it at the Haagross, landing a direct hit as the Slime Eel Pokémon was sent flying back a few feet. Slowly getting back up, the Haagross knew that this battle was coming to a close and opted to go all out in its next attack. Rearing its head as far back as it could, it fired a barrage of sludge at its foe, brimming with static electricity as they rained down upon the Gigalith, who roared in pain as the balls exploded upon contact, causing it to stagger back and fall over as a cloud of smoke permeated the area. When the smoke died down, it showed that the Gigalith was unable to continue battling.

"I-Impossible! How could I, the mighty Adam Might lose!" He exclaimed in disbelief, recalling his injured Pokémon as Julius and his Haagross let out a cheer of joy over their victory.

"Alright, we did it!" The young teen smiled, his companion gurgling happily as its trainer petted its head lightly before recalling it.

"Astounding, simply astounding! Julius managed to secure an amazing victory over Adam Might and is the champion of the second bracket!" Amber called out, the crowd hollering with glee as Adam approached the young teen.

"I'm disappointed in myself for letting my precious Pokémon down, but a win is a win. As I said before, I'd give you my badge for defeating me. This Rugged Badge is proof of your victory against me." He conceded, handing the badge over to Julius who accepted the small trinket.

"Thank you very much, sir." The young teen replied, placing the badge on his trainer card before tucking it away. However, the lights turned off all of a sudden, causing the crowd to begin murmuring to each other.

"H-Hey…who turned off the lights?!" Amber demanded, the television turning to static momentarily before turning off abruptly. A few seconds later, it was turned back on, the device now airing an official broadcast from Bladestar.

A few seconds later, the screen started to show Flora sitting by her desk, a calm calculated look in her eyes. _"For too long, the people of Grand Dream City have lived under the tyranny of an oppressive government. Those who do well in society are thrown into a never-ending workforce until death. Those who do not live up to the standards of a corrupted system are rejected. And those who have no place in society are exiled. Everyone falls within this inescapable pyramid scheme. Thus, a force who refused to be controlled emerged from the soil and bloomed into a terrifying force of retaliation. A necessary retaliation hell-bent on taking out the corruption that's nestled itself in. that that person would be me, the head of Bladestar! We are making ourselves heard from now on! We shall not hide within the shadows! I, Flora Grevillea will bring down the greatest evil to befall Grand Dram City; it's corrupted mayor…Cassandra!"_

 **0000**

The atmosphere within the Grand Dream Ball was now at a level of intensity never seen before, no thanks to the alarmingly high presence of Bladestar grunts within the room. Erin was quickly looking around for a way she, Alice and Allen can escape from this mess while Cassandra remained as composed as she usually is.

" _Cassandra…oh Cassandra…"_ Flora's voice could be heard from the intercom. _"You can hear me, can't you? You know who I am. You've always known. But your gall. Your endless sense of pride…it was your downfall. You let me continue because you believed that I was not a threat. But leave a wound unattended and it will become infected. And that infection will lead to your demise."_

"W-What id going on here?! What is this madness?!" The mayor demanded.

" _Listen well, Cassandra. My name is Flora Grevillea; I am your executioner. You and all the other corrupted scum that fester my home. And in the name of my father, William Grevillea…YOU WILL ALL INCINERATE IN MY FLAMES!"_ Flora declared boldly, smoke starting to fill the room as the building was soon engulfed in a series of explosions; explosions that soon made their way to the ballroom.

"I finally found something to live for…and it's already being taken away. Sometimes I ask if I am paying the price for my past mistakes. A child born with no parents, with no love, with no compassion, no purpose." Erin spoke to herself, as a faint light started to emanate from within her. "No…I do have a purpose. And for that purpose, I promise you, I won't die. I refuse to die…I REFUSE TO DIE HERE!" She declared; the room soon overtaken by the explosions as tonight began the rise of Bladestar.

 **Talk about an explosive ending, huh? I do apologize if a cut a few things out, but I really wanted to start writing Chapter 14 as soon as possible as it's my favorite chapter in the entire game. Truth be told, at the start of the episode, I was pretty worried about what happened to Melia and Erin since I love them so much, but anyone who's played the episode knows how things turned out. Thank you all for reading and supporting my story, I hope you all stay safe and healthy during these trying times.**


	56. Chapter 56

**At long last, it's finally time to begin Chapter 14: Death of One, Birth of Another. I have been super psyched to begin writing about this part of the game ever since I completed it last year. And while things will be a bit different than they were in the game, I hope you all like what I have planned for you.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

Valarie was quietly laying in her bed by herself, pondering over that dream she had last night. She tried to remember as much of is as she could, but it was a lot harder to do than expected. Eventually, she was able to remember a small portion of that dream, but upon recalling it, she was met with more answers than questions.

 _ **The Dream**_

" _Adam, how's the old woman doing?" Valarie inquired, shooting a look at the blue-haired man as he was tending to the elderly woman and the teenage girl that was with her, the two of them lying peacefully on the ground._

" _She said to call her Cella, Val! Don't be rude to her." Braixen chimed in, holding her wand firmly in the air as the duo stared down a mysterious black ball of energy alongside Saki, who was raring for a fight._

" _The old lady's alright, but she's knocked out cold. Suffered a mean bash to the head." Adam reported. "Pretty cheap of *z87d7f8* to attack us from behind like that."_

 _That was odd; a part of his comment was unable to be deciphered. Could she simply not remember who had attacked them from behind?_

" _Whatever the case, I won't let them get away with hurting our friend!" Saki declared, her mind soon going fuzzy as she wasn't able to remember anything else._

 _ **End of dream**_

"Ugggh…W-What is this? Is it a dream? Or just a—" Valarie spoke to herself, only to get interrupted by the sound of a large explosion echoing throughout the area. Jumping out of bed, she made her way to the window and saw the Grand Dream Building in flames, the air thick with smoke and debris. A horrified look soon appeared on her face, the older woman having no idea on what had just taken place at the Grand Dream Ball.

 **0000**

"Our time of being repressed and held back is over!" Flora declared from the Podium, the green-haired girl safely inside Bladestar's main headquarters as she spoke to her loyal followers. Flanking her sides were Doctor Jenkel and Professor Larkspur, the two men whose intelligence she uses to orchestrate her deadly operations. Lying unconscious behind her was her brother Florin, the young man having been captured earlier so as to not get in her way. "A new era of peace and equality has been born! With the fall of Cassandra, along her insufferable nobility…we have taken back what is rightfully ours! Now my brothers and sisters, let us gather together and—"

"You didn't tell them, did you?" A voice called out from the crowd, a few grunts stepping forward as looks of displeasure were plastered on their faces. "My fellow companions, your loyal followers! You didn't tell them that their lives would be sacrificed at the Grand Dream Ball!"

"Heheheh—wait, what…?" Dr. Jenkel inquired, a look of confusion on his face as Larkspur chose to remain silent.

"Do not worry, these grunts are simply spewing nonsense. Each and every member here knew about what would transpire tonight." Flora reassured her second-in-command.

"But you didn't tell them that they would be caught up in the blast! If you did, then why did my boyfriend tell me to meet with him after the event?!" A male grunt retorted. "Why would he say that if he knew he would perish?!"

"W-Well…I…it's not true, I've notified—" The green-haired girl began, hoping to save some face amidst the accusations.

"Notified? Hah, that is a lie! My husband was the same. W-We promised each other that we would be together after tonight…he told me everything the plan had entailed, and none of what happened was mentioned! My husband would never leave me alone in this world, so why?!" A female grunt stepped out from the group to rebut her leader's words, a low chuckle escaping from Flora's mouth.

"It was for the cause…" She admitted, a look of surprise appearing on Jenkel's face.

"Y-You didn't…" He began.

"I knew what had to be done in order for the complete success of our cause. There had to be no inkling of an event like this occurring. I laid the pieces on the chess board as they should have been. If they had known about their inevitable demise, doubt and fear would flourish, withering their determination. A plan such as this had no room for error. What had to be done, had to be done. It was a noble sacrifice for those who live on." Flora explained her reasons for keeping quiet about their inevitable deaths.

"I…I didn't want this. None of us wanted our fellow comrades to die!" The male grunt called out. "This isn't the future we all agreed on! This wasn't supposed to happen!"

"It's not about what you want. It's not about what any of us here want. I explained this the first day I was chosen to be leader of this organization. The organization that was passed down to me by my father, William Grevillea. I WILL pave the path to equality. I WILL stop at nothing to achieve this. Even if it means sacrificing each and every one of you, I swear upon my father's grave, I'll do it with no hesitation or remorse." The green-haired girl continued, with the grunts who stood up shooting a glare at her in return.

"I think we get it now. You're no better than Cassandra; it's obvious to us that we're not welcome here anymore." The female grunt shot back, gesturing her displeased comrades to follow her outside the facility.

"W-Where are you all going?! Get back here this instant!" Flora demanded, but to no avail. Watching her loyal followers leave the room, she was at a complete loss as to what caused them to leave the place. "T-They're leaving? I…I don't understand…"

"They put their trust in you, and you betrayed them." Jenkel told her, his mind still a little shook up from what he had just heard.

"Bah, they should've expected something like this to happen. As the saying goes, you can't make an omelet without cracking a few eggs." Larkspur scoffed, taking his CyberNav out of his pocket and began receiving updates on the mission report, raising an eyebrow in response to the new information he was given.

"Larkspur's right; they should've foreseen a moment where their loyalty would be put to the test. Besides, I only lost a few members, no harm done at this point." The green-haired girl quickly regained her composure. "Weak-minded people like them have no place in my city. Listen well, remaining members of Bladestar. Their sacrifice was not in vain; with Cassandra's death, the Xenpurgis will never rise! But it doesn't end here, we must work together for this final push! The last piece of the puzzle must be obtained!"

Cheering adamantly for their leader, the agents of Bladestar were more than willing to offer their support to her despite what had happened, with Flora turning to face Dr. Jenkel. "Is that traitor being kept in the stasis room?"

"…Yes. Our scientists are working on him as we speak." The purple-haired man informed her.

"It was quite convenient of that mysterious man in white to hand him over to us. That way, we can continue our plans without any hiccups." Flora stated, turning to face Larkspur. "Once the procedure is done, send him off towards Zone Zero at once. From there, you are to stay by his side just in case some meddlers try and get in our way."

"As you wish, Master…" Larkspur agreed, taking a quick look at the data he had just received. "Based on the casualties listed, we can expect some resistance to come our way, especially from a certain someone. However, I'm more than confident that we will prevail in our goals."

"F-Flora…" Florin called out weakly, having just woken up from his slumber a few seconds ago.

"So you finally woke up, brother? Good, there is much to discuss." The green-haired girl shot a sinister smile at him.

"Don't bother…I heard everything you said. I'm disgusted with the both of you; you and our father…" He began, shooting a weak glare at her. "You're…you're part of the problem."

"Oh, my dearest brother. I am not the problem…I am the answer!" She retorted boldly to his claims, gesturing a few grunts to take him elsewhere so that they can continue this conversation in private.

 **Grand Dream Stadium**

The crowd was in a state of total chaos; panic gripped the people as they quickly scrambled out of the building as fast as they could. Julius was busy trying to find Amber, the redhead having bolted to the exit upon hearing the news. Bobbing and weaving his way through the crowd, the young teen soon came across Raina and Huey making their way through the crowd as well.

"Julius! Have you heard the news?! There was this big explosion at the Grand Dream Building!" Reina exclaimed.

"Y-Yeah, I know. I saw the transmission from Bladestar earlier." He replied.

"Nobody wants to believe what just happened, but those explosions we heard…we cannot deny the fact that something seriously bad had happened." Huey chimed in. "The city's under complete lockdown at the moment."

"W-Where's Amber? I saw her running out of the arena as fast as she could once the transmission ended." Julius inquired, the duo turning to see the familiar redhead pacing up and down the floor, a look of total fear etched on her face. "A-Amber! Is everything alright?!"

"I-I don't know…I don't know what to do! M-My mom was supposed to be at the Grand Dream Ball; I-If she got caught up in that explosion…I…I…" She began to tremble, only for the young teen to rest his hand on her shoulder.

"I-I'm sure that she'll be fine. This is Auntie Tesla we're talking about. Besides, I've got a gut feeling she wasn't at the ball." Julius reassured her.

"H-How do you know…?" The red-haired girl sniffled, wiping a few small tears away.

"Call it a gut instinct, but I believe she got caught up in some other business and had to skip the ball." He admitted, with Amber shooting him a serious look before a small sigh escaped from her mouth.

"A-Alright, I'll believe you this time…however, I want to confirm it for mys—" She began.

"Ah, but you're needed here for the tournament. Otherwise, how will it continue without its lovely hostess?" A voice called out to them, the group turning to see an older woman with short grey hair approaching them, her outfit consisting of a billowing black dress.

"Y-You're…" Amber began, immediately recognizing who the older woman was.

"Yes, I am Hazuki; wife of Thomas Blakeory Sr." She introduced herself, catching the two younger teens off-guard.

"N-No way…" Reina and Huey commented at the same time.

"Oh, but it's the truth indeed…" Hazuki chuckled lightly, turning to face Amber. "You're Tesla's daughter, right? You need not worry about her; Tesla is safe and sound. As a matter of fact, I just ran into her on the way here. My husband ordered the city to be under lockdown, so she cannot leave, but I can confirm that she is perfectly healthy."

"T-Thank goodness…" Amber sighed in relief, with Julius shooting her a small smile, relieved that Tesla wasn't caught up in that horrible explosion.

"As a matter of fact, I need your help, Amber. As you can see, the crowd is in a complete panic over what had just happened. If you could cheer up the crowd and keep their mind off of what had just happened; that'll be greatly appreciated." Hazuki requested.

"Heh, that's gotta be the easiest job I've ever had! Cheering up crowds is my forte, lady!" The redhead smiled, having regained her perkiness from before. "You can count on me to get the job done!"

Making her way back to the arena, Amber called for the crowd to follow her, reassuring them that everything would be alright. A little confused, the crowd opted to follow her, knowing that it'll be safer in her than out there.

"As for you three, I've got something that you can do. However, you'll have to step outside and leave me be, I've need to help Amber keep the crowd happy." The older woman told them, the trio unsure on what she meant as they all made their way outside. As they stepped outside, a troublesome thought struck Julius' mind; weren't Melia and Erin attending the Grand Dream Ball? A sinking feeling soon overcame him; were they both victims of the explosion as well? Are they perfectly alright? Where were they right now?

"Rhodea!" Huey called out, cheerfully running up to the older woman, relieved to see that she was safe and sound. "Th-Thank goodness you're alright! I was worried that something might've happened to you."

"I appreciate your concern, Huey. I'll be just fine, although…" Rhodea began, noticing the look of fear on Julius' face.

"P-Please tell me; I-Is…" He began, only to get cut off by the sound of a door opening abruptly, the group turning to see Ren emerge from some sort of vehicle. It looked a lot like some sort of bus, but it had no visible wheels on it at all. The windows were heavily tinted, ensuring that nobody outside could see what was going on inside. "R-Ren…? W-What are you doing here?"

"R-Ren!" Reina called out, quickly running up to him, and delivered a light jab on the shoulder. "That was for not saying goodbye to me back then!"

"S-Sorry about that sis, but I'm thankful that you're safe and sound. I know you're tough and all, but I still can't help but worry about your safety." The raven-haired teen replied. "However, we've got some serious trouble on our hands. As you know, Bladestar staged an attack at the Grand Dream City Ballroom. They planted bombs at the bottom of the building and detonated them while everyone was on the top floor. The tall building that once stood there is no more."

"R-Ren! Tell me; are Melia and Erin—" Julius demanded, firmly holding his friend's shoulders. A forlorn look formed on Ren's face, causing the young teen to step back in shock as his eyes gave it all away. "N-No…don't tell me…"

"I-I'm sorry mate…but Melia was caught up in the blast; Alice and Allen as well. I wasn't sure who they were, but Rhodea told me that they were friends of yours. The three of them are in critical condition, and it isn't looking good for them. As for Erin…there's no sign of her." Ren sighed sadly, a look of horror forming on Julius' face as it was slowly dawning upon him.

"Y-You're lying! You're obviously lying! H-How could you say that to your friend?!" The young teen demanded, trying his hardest to deny what he was just told.

"I wish it were a lie, but it's the truth. They barely survived the explosion, and time is ticking. There's a…" The raven-haired teen began, gulping quietly to muster up the courage to continue. "There's a good chance that they're not gonna make it. Right now, they're being contained in stasis capsules that will sustain them for a short period of time. But when that time ends, they will succumb to their wounds and die."

Julius collapsed to his hands and knees, his body trembling over what he was just told, intense emotional pain coursing through his body. It was a sensation that was familiar to him; after all he felt that same pain when he saw Scarlett die before his very eyes. He had put in so much effort to help Melia out, to ensure that a fate like this wouldn't happen again. But he failed; he failed her when she needed him the most, he failed to keep her safe from those who would do her harm, and it was all his fault.

"Why…why?! Why must I go through this again?!" He cried out, collapsing to the floor as he began sobbing to himself. "T-This isn't fair! This isn't fair at all! S-She didn't deserve this! She had already gone through more trauma that she should have, and now her life is on the line?! Why?! Why?! Why must everyone I know go through such suffering…?!"

The others watched their friend have a breakdown before them, immense pity welling up inside them as they weren't 100% sure on what they could do to console him. They couldn't blame him for having a meltdown; hearing the news that one of his closest friends was on the verge of death must've shattered his spirit greatly.

"Julius…" Huey commented sadly, before turning to Ren with a look of determination in his eyes. "What can I do to help, Ren? I'm willing to do anything and everything to save them!"

"You're a good kid, Huey. I'm glad you're here." Ren smiled at him, turning to face the strange vehicle beside them. "We can help them, but there's only one way to do so. I'll need all four of you to co-operate with me."

"Ren told me about what was going on in the first place, including the fact that he's a member of Team Xen. I'll make this perfectly clear; I do not trust them one bit, nor will I be setting aside their past transgressions. However, I'm willing to co-operate with them this one time, not only for the sake of Melia, Alice and Allen, but for his sake as well…" Rhodea admitted, shooting a quick glance at the still sobbing Julius.

"That being said, we need to get moving. Reina, Huey, do you mind picking up Julius for me? We'll be waiting for you on the ship." The raven-haired teen requested, as he and the older woman made their way onto the pitch-black ship.

"C-Come on Julius…W-We can save them, I just know it." Reina attempted to reassure him, the raven-haired girl hoisting him up off the floor alongside Huey as a look of defeat was plastered on the young teen's face.

"…it…it happened again…no matter what I do, those who stand by my side are doomed to perish. I didn't want it to happen again, I didn't want it to happen again! Just when my life was finally starting to get back on track, I get a reminder that happiness isn't meant for me…" Julius commented quietly, a fresh stream of tears falling down his face as the younger duo helped him onto the ship, their mind at a complete loss as to how they could cheer him up.

 **Xen Transport Ship**

The atmosphere inside the ship could be described as tense at best, and hostile at worst. A few Xen grunts were shooting glares at Rhodea and the others, with the older woman shooting a glare back at them. Nastasia turned to see the trio enter the ship, with Ren standing beside her as she gestured for them to take a seat on some of the empty chairs, which they chose to do. Sitting behind the Xen admin was Sharon and Eli, the duo quietly observing their on-again, off-again adversaries and picked up the obvious state of distress Julius was in.

"I had a hunch that you'd join us, given the circumstances." Nastasia commented at Julius, the young teen choosing not to respond to her comment. "Now that everyone's here, I can explain what the deal is."

"Oh, oh! Hello, Julius! It's nice to see you again! Isn't the weather just amazing, today?" Eli chimed happily, with Julius wearily raising an eyebrow back at him. The last time they encountered each other, the older man had some trouble with proper grammar, but it seemed that he was able to iron it out with some help from Sharon.

"I don't think he's interested in the weather today, given the circumstances…" Sharon told him, the older man soon catching on his mistake before offering a quick bow of apology.

"If you two keep talking, I'll throw you both off this ship. Got it?" The purple-haired woman warned them, with both grunts catching on quickly before opting to remain silent. "Anyway, back to the topic at hand. As you all know, Bladestar attacked the building the Grand Dream Ball took place at. As a result, the building was destroyed, and a lot of civilians perished in the attack. Some citizens like Cassandra and Erin have yet to be found and are labelled missing persons. Those who survived the initial blast were immediately transported to the Hospital of Hope. This was no different for Melia and the other two. Thanks to certain connections we have, we were able to retrieve the bodies of all three."

"Y-You do…?" Julius inquired, looking up at the Xen admin. "M-May I see her…"

"No, you may not. We're keeping their bodies in stasis capsules, in the back room of this ship. To ensure their survival; I've locked off access to the room for everyone except myself. So no, you may not see her at this point in time." Nastasia told him firmly.

"O-Okay…" The young teen replied, wrapping his arms around himself as he fought the urge to cry once more.

"Hold on a moment. How do you have strong enough connections to pull three people out of a hospital?" Rhodea demanded, eyeing up the woman suspiciously.

"Oh shut your mouth! You won't be getting any answers from me." Nastasia retorted, with the black-haired woman huffing in response. "Now, as I was saying, all three of them are on the decline. They won't survive much longer; the life support in the pods are the only thing keeping them alive at the moment, and it only lasts for around 32 hours. However, we can save them if we bring their bodies to the Spring of Rejuvenation. Thanks to Ren's hard work and intel, I've learned that the spring is located deep within the Eclysia Pyramid. You weren't in Aevium when it happened, but the citizens of the Terrial Region felt an extremely violent tremor five years ago, which was traced back to the northernmost part of the desert. What was once an empty plot of sand was now the home of a giant pyramid, a pyramid that was completely locked up. However, through my research I was able to find a way to open it up. As a matter of fact, I sent another one of your friends to fetch the data I need to confirm my suspicions."

"A-Another friend—" Julius began, his ears perking up as the door to the room opened up, with Aelita joining in on the meeting. "A-Aelita!"

"J-Julius!" She smiled, quickly running up to him and shook his hand firmly. "I've missed you so much! I went through so much these past few weeks that it's amazing!"

"Yeah…must've been nice…" He replied halfheartedly, looking down at his shoes as his friend stepped back a couple feet.

"Aelita, the data." Nastasia told her.

"R-Right, I'm sorry!" The lilac-haired girl blurted, making her way to the older woman and handed over a set of documents.

"Seems I was right after all…" The Xen admin began, before shooting a serious look at the heroes. "If we want a sliver of a chance to succeed in this mission, we all must set our differences aside and work together. Don't get me wrong, we are not companions, but we are two different groups with a common goal."

"That may be true, but don't think about pulling any fast ones if this works out." Aelita reminded her. "After all, we know about your plans for Melia!"

"Rest assured, we won't try anything." Nastasia told her, shooting a look at the weary Julius. "So what do you say, Julius? Will you form a temporary truce with us?"

"W-Well I…" The young teen began, only for Ren to take a seat beside him.

"Look, I know you're still angry with Team Xen over what happened to Nancy, but this is the only way we can save Melia. If you can't trust her word, then trust mine…" The raven-haired teen pleaded with his friend, causing him to think for a moment. True, he cannot forgive them for murdering his mother so callously back then, but he wanted to save Melia so badly, he was willing to do anything.

"Fine…I'll comply to your truce. But so help me, if you do ANYTHING to her…" Julius threatened, with the older woman unfazed by his threats.

"Your tone aside, I'm glad to know that you're a little bit sensible." The Xen admin commented, pressing a few buttons on the desks' in-built keyboard. "We'll be off immediately then. I'll explain the entire plan on the—."

*Crash* A sound echoed from somewhere to the left of their position, catching everyone off-guard. "D-Do you want me to check it out?" Ren inquired.

"No, you stay here with me. Julius and Aelita can check out that noise." Nastasia told him, the lilac-haired girl gesturing for her friend to come with her as they made their way to the next room. Upon stepping inside, they saw what looked like an Audino, in it's Mega Form? That couldn't be right; doesn't a Pokémon need a trainer with a sufficient bond in order to Mega Evolve?

"Don't worry Julius, she's a friend of mine." Aelita reassured him, making her way to the Hearing Pokémon. "Hey there, did you find anything back there?"

"Audi?" The Audino inquired, tilting its head to the side.

"I see…in that case we'll check on it like planned." The lilac-haired girl replied, shooting a quick look at Julius. "Julius, this Audino's accompanying me on my journey for a little while. I'll explain it to you when I go into about the events of the last few weeks, but for now we've got to check out that noise."

"C-Can Audino heal our friends?" Julius inquired, with his friend shaking her head sadly.

"I wanted to try it out, but Nastasia said that it was too risky to take them out of their containers." She replied, with another sigh escaping from the young teen's mouth.

"As expected…just when a viable solution shows up, we get a wrench thrown in out plans." He sighed, collapsing onto his hands and knees. "I…I don't want to lose them; Melia, Alice, Allen, Erin; I-I don't want them to die!"

"Neither do I Julius, hence why we're working with Team Xen. We weren't able to find Erin, but if we get confirmation that she didn't survive, then I swear on everything that I'll avenge her." Aelita pledged, clenching her fists firmly. "Erin did so much for me, going out of her way to ensure that I was safe. She made sure I came home alive and well when I was trapped within that Rift. Bladestar won't get away with this; my newfound strength will make things right, I'm sure of it!"

"I-I'll have your back when the time comes. You can count on me." Julius replied, slowly getting up off the floor. And though Aelita know that his spirit was still in intense pain from the tragic news, she was glad to have him by her side.

"Yeah, we've been a team from the beginning! We will save them all, I just know it!" She declared, only for the noise to echo throughout the ship once more. "That noise again! It must be coming from the cargo room. Quickly, Julius!"

On her cue, the duo quickly ran to the ship's cargo room, opening the door only to see a rather unusual sight. Sitting on the floor before them was Adam, an annoyed look on his face as he tried in vain to get Braixen off his body. "W-What are you doing, latching onto me like this?!" The older man demanded, trying his hardest to free himself from the foxes' grasp, but to no avail. "N-No one touches THE Adam Might without his permission!"

"Braowow!" Braixen chirped back, the older man sighing as he finally managed to push her off of him.

"Jeez louise, you're clingy…" Adam commented quietly.

"N-No way…Adam, Braixen! It's you! I'm so thankful that you're alright!" Aelita smiled at the duo.

"Ah, so you've heard of me. Well it's to be expected; everyone's heard of me. I'm THE Adam Might after all. Greatest trainer in all of Aevium, thank you very much!" He boasted proudly.

"Yet you lost to me back in the stadium…" Julius commented, the older man's bravado falling like a house of cards.

"O-Oh yeah…I forgot about that…" He chuckled sheepishly, with Braixen quickly noticing the duo before running up to them, chirping happily at them.

"Is something the matter, Braixen? You can talk to us, we're your friends." The lilac-haired girl commented, with the fox continuing to chirp as she pointed at her ear, where her flower once was. "Did you lose the translator Saki made for you? If so, then that's no good…we won't be able to understand you without it."

"Call it a longshot, but perhaps Nastasia can do anything about it." Julius suggested, shooting a look at Adam. "By the way, what are you doing here?"

"I overheard you guys talking and what not and was intrigued when you mentioned the Eclysia Pyramid. I have no idea why but hearing about that pyramid makes me feel like I'm meant to tag along with you." He admitted.

"I see…I don't know how she'll take it, but we may as well check with her." Aelita commented, gesturing the group to follow her. Upon arriving in the meeting room with the others, the lilac-haired girl began explained about what had happened in the cargo room, with Nastasia eyeing up the intruders in intrigue.

"Normally, I'd be incredibly annoyed over such a thing happening, but this couldn't be more beneficial. Now you said that this Braixen is missing the communication device given to her by Saki Blakeory, right? I'll see what I can muster up in my lab, but it'll take a while since I'm already occupied with Geara's recovery. Now that the distractions are done, how about we finally proceed with the plan?" The Xen admin inquired, with everyone present giving her a firm nod. "Good. Now let's get moving."

A few seconds later, the ship began to tremble, catching a few people off-guard as it slowly rose off the flow before flying towards it's destination at incredible speeds. "W-Woah!" Reina called out in surprise, managing to maintain her footing somehow.

"Now to explain the plan…" Nastasia began, gesturing everyone to look at the digital map of Aevium on the desk. "Right now, we're at the Grand Dream Stadium. Our destination is this point, which marks the location of Eclysia Pyramid. It's our ultimate destination, but not our only one, unfortunately. The path to the pyramid is under the control of Bladestar. Somehow, they were able to infiltrate our labs and steal a vial of Rift Matter, using it to create a Rift Being capable of keeping us out of the area. The sandstorm it's able to produce will just send the ship flying into the earth with incredible speed. As inconvenient as it is, we'll have to stop north of Alamissa, at the beginning of the area known as Zone Zero."

"Aw come on…are we really going to walk all the way there?" Huey complained.

"If that's what we have to do, then yes. However, I have a different plan; we'll separate the team into groups. Team A will consist of Ren, Julius and Aelita. Team B will consist of Rhodea, Huey and Reina. Team C will consist of Adam, Sharon and Eli. Braixen can join Team C if she wishes, but that's optional. At our first stop, Team A will be dropped off to search for and destroy the Rift, while Team B will follow behind them to make sure nothing has been skipped over." The Xen admin continued, with Adam raising his hand in the air.

"And what will Team C be doing?" He inquired.

"Team C will have the very special and important role of not doing anything stupid and stay on standby in the event that one of the other teams fails their mission." She retorted, causing the older man to clam up. "Anyway, once the Rift is destroyed, Team A will continue on while Teams B and C regroup back to the ship. From there, we'll rendezvous with Team A at the Pyramid. Any objections to this plan?"

"Not really, but what'll happen once we get there?" Reina inquired.

"For now, we should worry about getting there first." Rhodea told her, causing the young girl to shoot a weird look at her.

"It's funny…destroying that Rift was the original job for Julius and I." Ren chuckled lightly.

"Just leave it to us; we'll take care of everything!" Aelita chimed in.

"Well it's not like this was the first Rift I've destroyed, so I should be able to handle it." Julius commented.

"Now that you're all familiar with what needs to be done, we can disperse. It'll take around 8 hours to reach our destination, so go do something productive with your time. I'll let you all know when we're about to land." Nastasia told everyone, who promptly dispersed on her cue. However, it soon dawned onto Julius; they'll be spending a large chunk of time arriving to their destination, time that they didn't have much of in the first place.

"Argh…damn it!" He yelled in frustration, punching the ground as he made his way to the door where the stasis pods were contained, looking through the window and saw the three of them, standing in place quietly as a low hum emanated from them. He was so close to her, yet so far that it ached horribly. All he wanted to do was enter the room and cradle the pod she was in, whispering whatever apologies he held in his heart at her, but he wasn't allowed that courtesy at all. "Melia…" he sniffled, holding the door firmly as a fresh stream of tears fell down his face.

"Julius…?" A familiar voice called out to him, the young teen turning to see Aelita approach him. "I came here to let you know that Ren wanted to see you upstairs."

"O-Okay…" Julius replied weakly, slowly getting up off the floor and made his way to the second level of the ship. Upon arriving, he saw his friend reclining on the couch, with Nastasia sitting beside her desk.

"Hmph, so you finally arrived. In that case, come here then." The Xen admin ordered, with Julius slowly making his way to her desk.

"Don't be intimidated by her; she's a total softy. If I know her well, she's empathizing with you right no—" Ren began.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't I program a self-destruction sequence on your system?" She asked him dangerously, as if daring him to speak up once more. "All your functions can be accessed from my PC, so I could log on and—"

"I-I'll keep quiet then; self-destruction is not a pleasant feeling." The raven-haired teen clammed up, a small smirk of satisfaction on her face.

"Back to the topic at hand; there's something I want to ask you, Julius. Have you made any use of that Black Box Ren gave you?" Nastasia inquired.

"H-Huh…?" The young teen inquired, before recalling the gift that he was given back in Alamissa Urben. "N-No I haven't ma'am."

"I see…in that case I won't delve further into it. I'm sure you'll figure out it's secrets eventually." She told him, only for some sort of weird noise to echo throughout the room. "Tch, as if things couldn't get any worse…"

"I-Is everything going okay?" Ren inquired.

"If by okay, you mean piss poor, then yes, everything is going okay!" The Xen admin shot back at him. "Who knew that reconstructing every single cell of a person could be so difficult. My mother could do it with her eyes closed and I can't even get close without bugging something out!"

"I-Is there anything I can do to—" The raven-haired teen began.

"You've asked me this multiple times, and the answer's always going to be a firm no. besides, there's something else that needs to be done and Madame X can't—" She began, only to stop mid-sentence for some reason. "Look, it doesn't matter. It's just going to take time. time that I'm running out of."

"By reconstructing someone, are you referring to—" Julius began.

"Hmmm, looks like you have an inkling on what I'm doing. In that case, follow me." Nastasia told him, hopping off her seat and entered the next room, with the young teen following right behind her. Upon entering the room, the first thing that Julius saw was a familiar foe lying peacefully atop a medical bed, Geara. He was a little surprised at the sight; after all the last time he saw him was when he attempted to flee Mount Valor, only for the portal to get destroyed by Crescent and her Mewtwo. "The makeshift portal Geara made was pretty poor, using the psychic power from two Abra. As one would imagine, something like that wouldn't be too stable. In fact, it wasn't stable at all and what Crescent did certainly didn't help either."

"So what happened to him?" The young teen inquired.

"Geara's self was corrupted and split into a thousand pieces. Pieces that I've been locating one by one and putting back together. As of this moment, I've located 898 pieces, and I've gone through hell just to find those damn pieces!"

"N-Nastasia…" A weak voice emanated from Geara, catching the older woman off-guard.

"H-How is he speaking? That can't be—" She began, only for Geara's body to suddenly warp and transform into a mangled amalgamation of what a human is meant to look like. "…That happens too. It'll be interesting to look at if it wasn't for the fact that it causes him immense pain."

"I just want you all to know that this really fucking hurts! Fix me already!" Geara screamed in anger, his body morphing upon each word.

"I'm working on it, you just sit there and do…whatever it is you're doing." Nastasia told him, turning to face Julius. "That is all I wanted to show you. You may leave now."

"I see…I'll be on my—" He began, only to catch sight of a fourth stasis pod, tucked away in the back corner of the room. "W-Who's in there?"

"None of your business, now leave!" She demanded, causing the young teen to jump back as he quickly exited the room. Making his way back into the room, he saw Ren lying down on the couch, hoping to catch whatever rest he could before the mission began. As Julius was about to head downstairs, he noticed something in one of the cupboards; a fully functional stun gun that the Death Wings of Team Xen use to immobilize their target. A small smirk forming on his face, he quietly opened the cupboard and took one for himself alongside some spare battery packs. After all, if Bladestar was gonna play dirty, then he can as well. Tucking the loot under his jacket, he made his way downstairs, only to see a pair of Xen Grunts shooting a glare at Aelita.

"You think that we're all friends and such just because we called a truce? Well tough luck! We aren't going to be nice to you, and that's that!" The grunt sneered.

"Hah, are you itching for a fight? Because I'm game for one right now!" Aelita shot back, with the grunt laughing at his comrade.

"This is our turf! You don't stand a chance against—" He began, only to get pushed into a wall by Julius. "W-What are you doing!?"

"Listen here; I'm in no fucking mood for any of your bullshit! We're on an important mission right now, and if we fail, I'll see to it that each and every last one of you suffers a horrifying death. Got it?!" The young teen seethed, the grunt nervously nodding as he was soon pushed to the ground. "Now get out of my sight!"

The two grunts quickly fled the room, a scoff of annoyance escaping Julius' mouth as he took a seat to recollect his thoughts. "Y-You didn't need to go that far on them…" Aelita told him, taking a seat beside him.

"I-I know…but you don't understand. I-I don't want Melia to die; I don't want her to die at all! I-I refuse to let it happen again!" He told her.

"W-What do you mean when you say again…?" She inquired, but he chose to remain silent. Figuring that it was a painful conversation, Aelita opted to change topics. "About the Audino; I came across a man named Kreiss while visiting the Spring of Preservation. I told him about my adventure and about you; turns out you two knew each other!"

"Y-Yeah, I helped him out of a jam back when we were dealing with Angie." Julius informed her.

"Funnily enough, that was the first thing he mentioned about you. Apparently, this Audino belongs to his partner, who runs the new Normal-Type Gym in Neverwinter. Audino are known for their healing capabilities, which are greatly boosted in their Mega Form. With her around, we wouldn't have to rely on Pokémon Centers during our mission, though she can't stay in this form forever. Kreiss loaned me a Mega Ring and an Audinite, but I haven't fully formed a bond with her yet." She explained to him.

"I see…at the very least she's still more useful than me." The young teen began, punching the seat beside him. "D-Damnit! I should've been there to help her! I should've been the one to take the blast instead of her! I should be in that capsule, not her! Her pain…her suffering…it's all my fault…"

Seeing that her friend was on the verge of tears once more, Aelita opted to cheer him up with a tale that she knew he'd like. "Why don't I tell you a story to get your mind off of Melia? Specifically, it involves that jackass Texen getting a taste of his own medicine." She offered, with Julius shooting a tear-stricken look before accepting her offer. "Very well, it all began like this…"

 **Start of flashback**

"Hah…hah, it's been ages since I was here…" Aelita huffed to herself, a little exhausted from the long walk to her hometown. Upon stepping past the wooden gate and into the village, she felt a weird vibe…as if things were a lot different than they used to be. "Something feels off about this place…what has that Texen done to my place?"

But as much as she wanted to see exactly what he had done; her first priority was the Spring of Purification nestled within the village. Making her way towards the spring, she slowly dipped inside and began the purification process, her mind soon buzzing with an influx of new thoughts as the waters cleansed her body and soul. These thoughts…they were memories of Taelia's life, how she felt during the most important moments of her life. It was during the recollection of these thoughts that she heard a soothing voice, the voice of Taelia herself. It had a somber tone to it, but was warm and inviting, like a mother talking their child to sleep. But the message itself was a warning; namely that she would gain a deep burden upon regaining what she had lost. It would take all of Aelita's strength to handle, but she was ready for what was about to come; a chance to make things right.

"There, that's the first spring down!" Aelita smiled to herself, quickly drying her hair as she shot a look at the large house overlooking the villa, the same one she lived in as a child. "I-I'm not sure if I'm strong enough to do this. Taelia and Vivian told me that I would be a new person from this moment on, but I can still feel my connection to them, even now. E-Even if I did win, there's no way that Texen would leave this place."

" _Come now, child. Is this really where things end…?"_ A mysterious yet familiar voice called out to her, causing the lilac-haired girl to jump back before quickly searching the nearby area for the source of the voice. _"Looking for me would prove to be fruitless. Do not worry child, I am a friend. A being that is here to guide you."_

"Wait a minute…the Eldest told me about this a long time ago. You spoke to her a long time ago, didn't you? And here I thought she was just playing a trick on me." Aelita responded to the voice.

" _Yes, I did speak with the Eldest many moons ago. She required assistance and I was there for her. And just like I was there for her back then, I am here for you now."_ The voice reassured her.

"Well if you're here to help, what should I do now?" The lilac-haired girl inquired, with the voice speaking to her in a hush whisper, as if what was meant for her ears should be told to her only.

 **0000**

Texen had a bored look on his face; the constant partying having grown weary for the orange-haired man. Of course, what didn't help was the fact that both of his groupies had little interest in praising him over meaningless things. "C'mon baby…why you gotta treat me like that?" He complained to the one on the right.

"Eugh…I really wished you did something other than party for once. Ever since you got here, you haven't done a single thing for this village, and the people are starting to become reclusive." She told him.

"Bah, who cares about this shitty little village anyway?" Texen scoffed at her. "What do you want me to do? Go out there and say something?"

"How about you do your damn job?! You know, the thing you were put in charge of?" The girl suggested.

"Nah, they're just gonna have to deal with it. My village, my rules." The orange-haired man scoffed, with both girls shooting him a look of disgust.

"Ugh, maybe that girl from before was right. You are disgusting." The second girl spat at him, turning to her friend. "Come on, let's get out of here. I miss Grand Dream City anyway."

"W-Wait!" Texen called out to his groupies, who got off the couch and stormed out of the building. "B-Babes, come back! That damn Aelita doesn't know what she's saying half the time!"

Growling to himself, he got off the couch and stormed off to his room, his eyes locked on the highly detailed self-portrait of himself that was painted upon his arrival at the village. "That damn Aelita…even when she isn't here, she pisses me off. 'Ohhh Texen, you're the leader, you're supposed to be helping us!' 'Ohhh, Texen. Keta would've done this for me…'" He mimicked her voice mockingly, before throwing an empty bottle to the ground. "Well it's a goddamn shame he's dead, amirite? This is my town now, and there's not a thing anyone can do about it. No challengers, no problems!"

"A challenge you say? I'm willing to challenge you…" A voice called out, attracting the older man's attention as he turned around and saw a woman with short lilac hair standing before him.

"Woah…what's a babe like you doing here? You must've gotten lost. But don't you worry, Texen's here to help you out." He called out, a smirk plastered on his face.

"I'll be waiting outside then…" She smiled, quietly making her way outside as the orange-haired man was left dumbstruck by what he saw. Opting to follow her, he made his way outside only to bump into Aelita. "Y-You! What are you doing back here?! I-I'll never forgive you for what you did to my hair!"

"I'm not here for forgiveness…I'm here to reclaim what belongs to me." She declared boldly.

"Hah, yours? If I recall correctly, this land was given to me." Texen retorted.

"One question though, what did you do to the cherry blossom that used to be in the old house?" Aelita inquired.

"Talk about a random question. Whatever, I had some people chop it down and turn it into furniture." He answered carelessly, the orange-haired man now on the receiving end of a vicious glare from Aelita. "W-What's with that look?"

"Let's fight for the ownership of Sheridan. I know you'll pull some excuse about how you don't have to, but that just tells me that you're afraid of losing." She retorted.

"I-I'm not afraid of losing!" Texen retorted quickly.

"Then battle me for it. After all, you're so confident that you'll beat me; I'm sure this wouldn't be much hassle for you." The lilac-haired girl insisted, a low growl escaping from his mouth.

"Fine, let's battle for it, but I get to make up the terms. If you win, you get to be the Sensei of this dump or whatever. But if I win, you will leave this place forever and accept that it's mine. Oh and you gotta give me a kiss as well, right on the lips." Texen sneered, his arrogance as clear as day.

"I accept your terms." Aelita stated, with Texen's grin becoming wider upon hearing that. He had changed his team dramatically ever since his loss to Julius and was more than willing to test it out.

"Very well, I'll meet you at the arena. Don't chicken out on me, okay?" The orange-haired man told her, making his way to the arena as Aelita began speaking to the voice once more.

"A-Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" She inquired.

 _If you follow though, all the pieces shall fall into place. Believe in yourself, and you'll emerge victorious."_ The voice reassured her, a determined smile forming on the lilac-haired girl's face as she made her way to the arena. Upon arriving there, the first thing she noticed was that the villagers were crowded around the arena, all of them offering their support for her.

"W-Why are these people here?!" Texen demanded.

"These are your villagers. The ones you are supposed to guide. It's a village custom to gather around the arena when there's a battle with the Sensei, which happens to be you." Aelita smiled, relishing in her opponent's complete ignorance of Sheridan's traditions.

"W-Whatever, let's get this over with!" He huffed, the duo making their way to their respective sides. "Don't think you're gonna decimate me like Julius did back then. Once I crush you, I'll have a rematch with that upstart and humiliate him! Oh, how he will pay for shattering my pride and reputation."

"Like he'll waste his time on someone like you who is all bark and no bite. But if you desire a second ass-kicking from him, I'll be happy to oblige. But for now, we've got more pressing matters at hand!" The lilac-haired girl declared, throwing her Pokéball and sent out her Hawlucha, with Texen sending out his Chesnaught.

The Chesnaught initiated the battle by crushing a boulder with its fists, gathering the pieces and hurled the debris at the Hawlucha, who effortlessly dodged the attack before striking its foes legs with a sweeping kick, the larger Pokémon falling to is knees as a result. Leaping back a few feet, the Wrestling Pokémon climbed up a tree and leapt off it, flying towards the Chesnaught before assaulting it with an onslaught of punches and kicks. It soon followed up by hoisting the Spiny Armor Pokémon into the air with incredible strength, twirling it in the air before throwing it into a tree, causing the wood to crack loudly as the injured Pokémon fell to the ground, unable to continue battling.

"Y-You got lucky there, but my ace will send you packing!" Texen huffed, recalling his Pokémon before opting to send out Infernape, the Flame Pokémon letting out a triumphant howl. The Infernape lunged at the Hawlucha, striking its side with a fist cloaked in static electricity as the bipedal hawk was pushed back a few feet. The Wrestling Pokémon was still able to continue the battle, honing its senses before leaping in the air and delivered a vary powerful kick to the Infernape's face, causing it to fall on its back and cradle its nose. Slowly getting back up, the Flame Pokémon took a deep breath and spewed a stream of hot fire at its foe, with Hawlucha ducking in time as it ran towards is foe and delivered a swift uppercut that sent the fire monkey flying back a few feet as it crumple on the ground, the crowd cooing at the sight.

"My, my. Aelita's grown a lot stronger since she was last here."

"You can do it, Aelita!"

"W-What is going on here?! How are you beating me so easily?" Texen demanded, recalling his injured Pokémon.

"Because I took the time to improve myself, while you spent your nights getting drunk and partying with your friends. If you forfeit now, I won't have to humiliate you." Aelita shot back at him, a nasty snarl forming on his face.

"I-I'll teach you to run your mouth!" He shot back, taking two Pokéballs from his belt and threw them, sending out a Swampert and a Dodrio. "Well? How do you like to be on the receiving end of a two-against-one battle?"

"So you're changing the rules now? Very well, I'm game for a twist like this!" The lilac-haired girl smirked, recalling her Hawlucha before opting to send out her Goodra and Alolan Golem, her powerful Pokémon staring down their opposition.

Opting to take the initiative, the Dodrio lunged at the Goodra and assaulted it with an onslaught of rapid pecks from all three heads. However, the Goodra's impressive bulk meant it was able to withstand the attack and promptly smacked the bird aside with its firm tail before setting sights on the Swampert. Gathering a variety of leaves, flowers and sticks on its tail, it swung it around and smacked the Mud Fish Pokémon on its head, causing it to stagger back a few feet before following up with a Dragon Pulse that sent it crashing to the ground. While this was happening, the Golem cloaked its body in electricity and rolled towards the Dodrio, crashing into it and sent it flying towards the Swampert, the two Pokémon attempting to get back up but were unable to do so as Texen watched in horror as he was swept once more.

"NO, NO, NO, NO! WHY?! Why did I lose again?!" He howled, recalling his Pokémon before slamming his fists on the ground in anger. "I don't accept this! I refuse to accept this!"

"We had a deal, one that YOU set the terms for and one that I accepted. From the moment you agreed to my challenge, you were destined to lose." Aelita replied smugly.

" _Aelita, let's follow through."_ The voice told her, with the lilac-haired girl turning to the side.

"Let me give him one last chance…" She whispered back, turning to face her foe as she stepped onto the arena. "Texen, come speak with me. Face to face."

"Hah…what for? You already won, there's no point in it. but I suppose I have no choice…" The orange-haired man huffed, hopping onto the arena and slowly made his way to her. "Well, what do you want?"

"Why did you want to become Sensei of this village?" She asked, causing him to be caught off-guard.

"What? Isn't that why I was brought over here in the first place? I became the Sensei because I could! Is that answer good enough for you?" Texen told her rudely, yet she wasn't fazed by his attitude.

"Is that really the reason? Do you truly have no regrets taking the job, knowing what it entailed, right?" Aelita continued, only for the orange-haired man to scoff at her.

"Exactamundo, dumbass! That's what I've been saying from the very beginning!" He shot back, a small sigh escaping from Aelita's mouth.

"Maybe the reason you joined was because of your sister…" She began, catching Texen's attention almost instantaneously.

"W-What did you say?!" He demanded.

"Everyone knows you for being the younger brother of Risa Raider. 'Who's that kid? Oh, who knows? I know his sister, though.'" Aelita said, a look of anger forming on the orange-haired man's face.

"Shut the fuck up you—" Texen began.

"Wow, Risa and Zumi did so much at their age. But that Texen? He's not important. He's just following in his sibling's shadows." She continued, almost as if she was mocking him, though that wasn't her intention.

"Lies! All lies! How dare you lie to me!" He roared, storming up to her only to jump back as he saw what looked like the Mythical Pokémon Hoopa appear before him. Before he could so much as scream, the Hoopa grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into a portal, with Aelita stepping inside as it promptly disappeared a few seconds later.

"I really wish I didn't have to do that…" She sighed, glancing at the unconscious body of Texen, who was lying before a mystical human whose long, long purple hair was tied to a large tree that towered over the trio. Speaking of which, they were all in some sort of mysterious void, where time and space flowed differently than in the real world.

" _Sometimes you will have to do things you don't want to."_ The woman spoke calmly to her.

"I-I know, but I've never done something like that to someone. To manipulate their emotions, to bait a reaction…it's just not me." The lilac-haired girl replied.

" _But it was necessary for a breakthrough, was it not?"_ The voice told her. _"Now that we can see each other, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kai'ya. I am a friend."_

"I see…will Texen be okay?" Aelita inquired.

" _He will be fine, he's just unconscious. Once I've had a stern conversation with him, I will return him back home. As I mentioned before, manipulating his emotions was necessary in order for me to access his psyche. For me to reach someone, they must have their guard down. And believe it or not, his mental strength was impeccable. But even the strongest of minds have an opening. Wrenching open his heart with his one weak point was all that we needed."_ Kai'ya explained to her.

"I-I'm sorry, but I don't agree with you. Surely there had to be another way we could've done this." The lilac-haired girl commented.

" _Perhaps there was, but within the time allotted, it would be hard to say."_ The mysterious woman replied, shooting a quick glance at Aelita. _"Why did you come back here after so long without change?"_

"But I have changed. I'm no longer the same girl I was when I first left the village!" She rebutted.

" _In a sense, this is true. You are not Vivian nor Taelia anymore. You've become your own person, Aelita."_ Kai'ya conceded, catching the young teen off-guard. _"Don't be surprised that I know about them. I've resided upon the Pinnacle of Carotos for many decades. I've seen the lives of Vivian, Kenneth and Taelia. And I too, witnessed your birth. I was the one who placed those shackles onto your heart. Shackles that I knew would be broken one day. and after so long you've returned, with the shackles broken and born anew. What will you do with this newfound life?"_

"Once Team Xen has been dealt with, I'm going to lead my village. The village that was left behind for me, and only me. I'll pick up the pieces and build something greater!" Aelita pledged firmly.

" _And do you have what it takes to do so? Do you know what it means to lead? What it means to sacrifice?"_ The mysterious woman asked, detecting a slight hesitance from the young girl. _"To lead means to put others first. It means to make hard decisions that may jeopardize who you are. But the results of said decision will bear fruit. The overall cause will be achieved: Longevity. You expressed disgust with your actions towards Texen, right? It was something that clashed with your character, no?"_

"It…It wasn't something I was happy with. I feel awful doing such a thing to him." The lilac-haired girl admitted.

" _It's a feeling that you must come to terms with. Truthfully, this was your first test. To do something drastic in an extreme situation. Had Texen continued to lead, the village would've fallen into ruin. Besides, Taelia would've done the same."_ Kai'ya stated.

"But that isn't me, that's not who I am." Aelita replied.

" _Ah, but that's right. Vivian would've eliminated the problem before it began. Perhaps you should've attacked Texen head on when you got to Sheridan with Julius."_ The mysterious woman commented.

"That isn't who I am either!" She shot back.

" _Maybe you would've preferred Keta's approach? Sulking in a corner, letting the problem fester until it becomes too much to handle? I guess in a way, that's exactly what you've done."_ Kai'ya told her.

"It's not right! I don't want to jeopardize who I am to achieve my goals! I won't become numb like Kenneth, I won't become suspicious like Taelia! And I won't become isolated like Vivian! I don't care about how they would've handled this! Because I'm not them, and I'll never be them! I'm me!" Aelita shouted back, refusing to budge a step from her ideals.

" _Then tell me, just who are you?!"_ The mysterious woman demanded.

"I am Aelita!" She declared boldly, only for the void around them to warp and shift into a more peaceful space. "W-What just happened?"

" _This is what I call your Inner Workings; your psyche. A clean slate has been carved for you. Truly now, you are your own person."_ Kai'ya began to explain. _"I meant what I said when I told you that I'd guide you."_

"T-Thank you!" Aelita smiled gratefully, bowing in respect. "I understand now that I am who I am. Just Aelita. No one else. And as Aelita, I'm going to do my best to bring success."

" _Excellent, so you'll be off then?"_ Kai'ya inquired.

"Yes, I'll be on my way to my next destination, The Spring of Preservation." The lilac-haired girl declared, a portal opening up as she walked towards it. "Oh and when Texen wakes up, tell him I said hello."

Nodding in response to her request, the mysterious woman watched Aelita hop out of the portal and began her first journey as a new person.

 **End of flashback**

"T-That's amazing, Aelita. I tip my hat off in respect to you…" Julius complimented her, a sense of awe in his eyes.

"Thank you. Hearing that from you means a lot to me." Aelita smiled at him. "Anyway, I made it to the Spring of Preservation and cleansed myself, enabling me to regain the other memories of Taelia as well as that of Kenneth. However, I still have no insight on the Amethyst Grotto, almost as if they're purposely keeping it from me. But the most pressing memory is that of the red-haired girl…it may sound awful to here, but the main reason I'm here is to look for someone. Don't get me wrong, I want to help the others out as much as you do, but something inside me really wants me to be here."

"Well the Spring of Rejuvenation is here. Perhaps when you cleanse yourself there, you may unlock the rest of her memories." The young teen chimed in.

"Hahahaha, yeah. That's a good point." She chuckled lightly, only for an alarm to go off. "W-What is that?"

"That's the alarm letting us know that we've arrived." A voice called out, the duo turning to see Ren make his way downstairs and approached the duo. "I hope you two are ready, as this will be one of the hardest challenges we will ever experience. Nastasia wants the three of us to meet her outside."

"Got it!" Aelita replied, hopping off the couch quickly. "Are you coming as well, Julius?"

"Yes, I will. But there's something I want to say first…" He began, hopping off the couch as well. "Aelita, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you."

"Hmmm?" The lilac-haired girl inquired.

"When I first heard the news about what happened to Melia, I was in an endless state of pity, constantly cowering to myself while crying my eyes out. I allowed misery to consume me, and I would've let it consume me further had it not been for you. Throughout my journey I've seen all my friends grow before me; between you and your quest to regain Vivian's power, Ren and his quest to make things right, and Melia and her quest to save Venam. It dawned on me; I cannot stand by and do nothing while she needs me to help her. I need to take charge and make things right; I'll give this mission my all, even if it leaves me battered and bruised. I am done crying; I will march forward with the hope that we will succeed!" Julius declared, his friends looking at him in awe.

"Now that's the Julius I know and love!" Ren cheered, wrapping an arm around his friend. "Now let us show Bladestar the power of our teamwork!"

Nodding in confirmation, the trio made their way out of the ship, taking their first steps into a journey that will push them to their limits, both physically, and mentally.

 **How was that for a start to the episode? I do apologize if Julius was overly sad, but given his circumstances, you can understand why he reacted the way he did. As for the Texen battle, I know it was a bit short, but curb stomping him is so much fun. The next chapter will cover their journey through the desolate Zone Zero, where they will encounter some powerful foes. Thank you all for reading and supporting my story, I hope you all stay safe and healthy during these trying times.**


	57. Chapter 57

**Now that the heroes have stepped foot into Zone Zero, they can finally begin their mission to save Melia and the others from a most painful fate. I hope you'll stay with me as I recall this breathtaking journey.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Zone Zero Outskirts**

Stepping outside the Xen Transport Ship and into the hot and dusty hellhole that was Zone Zero, Julius got an understanding as to why it was referred to as such. The place was nearly barren of all life, save for the occasional desert dweller scurrying across the arid sands. However, he wouldn't let a bit of sand ruin his day; he had been in several uncomfortable areas, including the ruins of an abandoned power plant, and this place would serve as another test of his skills. Making his way to where his friends were, he saw that the both of them were a little uneasy about the area, no doubt due to how quiet it was.

"Good, you're all here. I'm sure you all know that we're on a time limit and we don't have time to waste." Nastasia informed the trio, handing them a small transmitter each. "These transmitters will enable you three to keep in touch with each other."

"Got it! we'll find that Rift and put a stop to it ASAP!" Ren replied firmly, with his superior nodding in confirmation.

"In the event that you three lose contact with me, I'll send Team B out to locate you, but I sincerely hope I don't have to resort to that." The purple-haired woman told them. "One more thing; you better had a team of Pokémon capable of adapting to any situation. You never know what our enemy might have up their sleeves."

"I understand; my team should be more than capable of dealing with anything Bladestar throws at us!" Aelita declared, with Nastasia gazing at her quietly before making her way back on the ship. "Phew…this is gonna be a tricky mission. Who knows how many grunts Bladestar's gonna throw at us?"

"No worries, I've got the perfect toll to deal with them." Julius chimed in, showing his friends the stun gun he had pilfered. "Having been on the receiving end of this thing, I can verify its potency; Bladestar wouldn't know what hit them."

"Jules, you can't go pinching stuff like that without Nastasia's permission! She's gonna chew you out once she discovered what you've done." Ren exclaimed in surprise.

"It's a punishment I'm willing to endure, if it means saving Melia's life. After all, Bladestar are willing to play dirty, so why can't I?" The young teen replied calmly. "Besides, it's not like I'm the only one with a trick up his sleeve…"

"Hmmm? What are you talking about?" The lilac-haired girl inquired, a flustered expression forming on Ren's face.

"I-It's a little joke me and my mate have going, it's nothing to worry about!" The raven-haired teen replied quickly, making his way into Zone Zero, with the other two following right behind him.

Taking their first steps into Zone Zero, the trio were immediate bombarded by a powerful sandstorm, far stronger that the ones in Rezzai Desert. This must be the work of whatever Rift Pokémon Bladestar is using to keep this area free of interlopers and the like. However, it'll take more than a bit of sand to stop the trio from their divine duty, with all of them putting protective goggles over their eyes to keep the sand out. A few feet ahead of them, Aelita noticed something strange; the statue of a man overlooking some deep, dark pit.

"No way…" She began, walking closer to the statue with the other two following behind her. "T-This isn't meant to be a statue, isn't it?"

"No, it isn't. This is someone who was petrified against their will, just like what happened to her…" Julius answered, flinching internally as he recalled the day he and Melia saw Venam's petrified body in the city square.

"Nastasia told me that there'll be a lot more than just this person, and that it's best to ignore them for now." Ren stated.

"Still, I don't think it would hurt to have Audino try and heal this person. Don't worry, it'll be quick." The lilac-haired girl stated, gesturing the Mega Audino to use her healing powers to save the petrified soul. But as hard as she tried, the Hearing Pokémon wasn't able to cure this person, chirping an apology at her friend. "Don't feel bad, you tried your hardest."

"This petrification must be something special if the power of a Mega Audino couldn't reverse it…" The young teen mused to himself, focusing back on the task at hand. "Come on everyone, we need to find that Rift as quickly as we can."

"Got it!" Aelita called out, the group of four making their way through the desert once more. "I'm sorry that it wasn't able to work, Julius. Because if it did, then we could've—"

"I-I understand. Don't worry, I don't blame either of you for this…" He replied, knowing where she was going with this conversation. The group continued to travel through the desolate area for around fifteen minutes, before arriving at the ruins of an apartment complex looming over the area. Upon stepping inside, they found the area to be completely dark, the trio barely able to see their own feet. "Well this isn't good. Shall I bring out a Fire type Pokémon to illuminate the area?"

"I don't think that'll be wise; if something catches alight in this place, we're done for." Ren knocked back the suggestion, as a second idea formed in his mind. "If there's a back-up generator in her, then perhaps we can activate it and bring power back to the area."

"A nice idea, but I doubt that the back-up generator would still be functional, if there even is one here in the first place." Julius replied.

"I'm willing to give it a try, and if it doesn't work then I'm sure we'll figure something out." Aelita chimed in, the trio slowly making their way downstairs and traversed the basement slowly, making sure to avoid any holes in the floor they came across. A few minutes later, the trio wound up in the main room of the basement, a large generator sitting idly in place. "Well what do you know? There is one here!"

"Unfortunately, it isn't on right now, and I don't see a way to activate it. Perhaps a strong jolt of electricity could get it working?" The raven-haired teen suggested.

"Luckily for you, I have the perfect companion for the job…" Julius began, taking a Pokéball from his bag and sent out his Gellin. Pointing directly at the generator, the young teen requested his friend to shock the generator, small crackles of electricity forming on the Gellin's horns as it fired a bolt of lightning at the machine. At first, it didn't seem like it worked; however a small whirring noise emanated from the generator a few seconds later, the trio shielding their eyes as the building was soon enveloped in light. "Aha! Well done, Gellin."

" _Gell…~"_ The Amoeba Pokémon gurgled happily.

"I'll stay down here in case there's anything we could use. You and Aelita go on ahead." Ren told his ally, briefly glancing at the generator. "Oh and keep your Gellin with you for a moment; you may need to apply some power to other appliances in order to explore the rest of this building."

"I understand." The young teen replied, gesturing Aelita and the two Pokémon to follow him back upstairs. Upon making their way back upstairs, the first thing they noticed was that the magnetized doors were opening and closing at a rapid pace for a few moments, before all but one promptly closed before the duo. "…Well that was something alright."

"That is odd indeed…what could be caus—" Aelita began, only for her transmitter to begin vibrating in her pocket. Taking it out, she accepted the call and saw that it was from Ren. "Y-You called us?"

" _Aelita, did you and Julius notice anything weird just now?"_ He inquired.

"Yeah, the doors kept opening and closing. Why'd you ask?" Julius spoke up.

" _My apologies…that was me. Turns out that years of neglect have completely borked the doors; they don't work like they're supposed to. Not surprising given the circumstances, but it seems I can manipulate them by flicking the power down here to one side of the other. Just send me a message and I'll flick the switch from side to side."_ The raven-haired teen suggested.

"Got it! But rather then type out a long message and waste time, I'll just text the word 'switch' to you. Would that be alright?" Aelita replied, texting the word to Ren. Soon enough, the first door closed and two more opened up. "It works! As of now, two doors are wide open!"

" _Excellent, this new system will be vital to progressing through the building. Do you mind stepping through the first door?"_ Ren requested, with Aelita opting to do so. But as she stepped through the first door, it closed all of a sudden.

"W-What the…did you close the door Ren?" The lilac-haired girl inquired, confused by this turn of events.

" _N-No…? The door must've locked itself. If Julius can here me, he needs to check the other room and see if he can help Aelita get out of there."_ Ren called out as loud as he can, with Julius being able to hear it thankfully.

"Got it! I'll let you know once this little issue has been solved." The young teen called out, with Ren promptly hanging up on the duo. "Damn doors…if this keeps up then we'll lose a lot of time. Ah well, better get to work then! Come on, then." He called out, with the Gellin and Audino following after him. Entering the room that was available, he saw that a broken bookcase was blocking the passageway between his room and Aelita's. Mustering up all the strength he could, he slowly dragged the bookcase away from the area, granting him safe passage to the next room.

"Thanks Julius!" Aelita smiled at him. "I must say, you're a lot stronger than I expected you to be."

"It wasn't easy, I tell you given what's at stake here, I'd gladly move a thousand bookcases if it meant saving her…" Julius huffed, wiping a small bead of sweat off his head as a look of slight weariness overcame him.

"When was the last time you've have a good sleep…?" The lilac-haired girl asked out of the blue, causing the young teen to think to himself. The last time he had a solid sleep was when he was knocked out by that agonizing headache back in Hiyoshi City. The confrontation with Gardevoir, the battle against Adam, his arrival to Zone Zero, it has been a series of continuous events that denied him a chance to rest. His friend, noticing his sudden silence was able to determine an answer without his input. "I see…do be careful then. I know we don't have much time, but it'll do you no good to wear yourself out."

"I understand…" He replied, even though he wasn't going to have a rest. After all, it was as she said; they didn't have much time to sit back and rest. "Do you have a plan, Aelita?"

"Well now that I'm no longer stuck in that room, I can explore the other rooms up ahead, like so…" She began, taking a few steps back before leaping over the sizable gap in the floor. "Ta-Da!"

"Amazing…I take it this was part of your training?" Julius inquired.

"Yep! I figured it would be wise to practice some parkour just in case I would need it. I'll scout on ahead to see if there's anything we could use." Aelita replied, searching the room as her eyes soon locked onto something. Picking it up, she saw that it was a small key of sorts, though what it opened up was a mystery to her. Pocketing it, she made her way back to where Julius was, the young teen stepping back as he saw his friend leap over the gap once more. "Look what I found!" She beamed, showing him the key she picked up.

"Well done!" The young teen complimented her, eyeing it up carefully. "But what's it for exactly?"

"I'm not sure if you noticed this, but there was another door to the right of the stairway to the basement. It's just an idea, but this key could unlock that door." Aelita informed him, the duo quietly making their way out of the room and to the door that she mentioned. Inserting the key into the lock, the lilac-haired girl twisted it, a satisfied smile on her face as she saw the door open slowly. "Yes, I knew it! Come on, let's go in!"

Quietly stepping into the room, the duo were caught off-guard at what they saw; a Bladestar grunt minding his own business.

"H-Huh…?" He called out, noticing the intruders. "I-Intruders! Get out of here, now!"

"Not today, buster!" Julius shot back, quickly taking out his stun gun and first a blast at his foe, the grunt letting out a cry of pain before slumping to the ground, a low moan escaping from his mouth. "Don't worry, he'll be fine after a couple hours. The less grunts we battle, the more time we save, remember?"

"True…" Aelita admitted, a little uncomfortable over her friend's way of dealing with the Bladestar grunt. Making her way to the computer at the back of the room, she pressed a few keys on the keyboard, a quiet _'click'_ echoing in the distance. Making their way outside and saw that the gate blocking the staircase was open, the duo quietly made their way upstairs. From there, the duo coordinated their exploration of the decrepit building, with Aelita leaping over any gaps in the floor to clear the path for Julius, while the young teen used his stun gun to immobilize any Bladestar grunt patrolling the area. It all came to a head around twenty or so minutes later when the lilac-haired girl found another monitor nestled in the back room. Switching it on, she heard what sounded like another gate opening up, the duo making their way out of their respectful rooms and reunited in the hallway before quietly making their way up the stairs.

"Is…is that the exit?" Julius called out, eyeing up what looked like an open doorway in the building's side. But just as he was able to step through, the light's switched off all of a sudden, causing the doorway to close before him. "Hmmm? Did something happen downstairs?"

"I don't know…I'll check up on Ren." Aelita told him, the lilac-haired girl quickly making her way downstairs to see if everything was alright.

 **0000**

Entering the basement, Aelita heard what sounded like a quick cry of pain, the voice sounding exactly like Ren's. Concerned over her ally's safety, the lilac-haired girl ran through the basement to the room where the generator was, only to get taken aback by the sight before her. Floating above the ground was Ren with a weary look in his eyes, a pair of wings sprouting from his back as he stared down what looked like…Risa Raider?! With a swift kick to his gut, Risa sent the raven-haired teen flying into the generator, the orange-haired woman looking at him in contempt.

"Aw, did that hurt you…?" She asked in a mocking tone. "I hope it did; it's what Team Xen scum like you deserve!"

"Leave him alone, Risa!" Aelita called out to her, the orange-haired woman turning around and stared at the girl before her.

"Stay out of this, grape head. You mess with the gun, and you get the bullet. Bang. Bang." Risa retorted, shaping her hand into a gun before pretending to fire at her.

"This gun of yours…would you be referring to that Jigglypuff beside you?" The lilac-haired girl inquired, shooting a look at the Balloon Pokémon.

"Did you hear that Tuff-Puff? She doesn't think you're strong enough; why don't we prove her wrong with style?" The orange-haired woman called out, with the Jigglypuff shooting a frown at Aelita, who quickly retaliated by sending out her Hawlucha. Opting to take the initiative, the Wrestling Pokémon climbed up the wall and leapt down on the Jigglypuff, assaulting it with a barrage of punches and kicks as it rolled back a few feet. Regaining it's footing, the Jigglypuff took in a deep breath and breathed a stream of intense flames at the Hawlucha, who's eyes widened in shock as it narrowly dodged the attack. But the Jigglypuff didn't relent at all, it's body crackling with electricity as it launched several bolts of lightning at the Wrestling Pokémon, striking it head on as it squawked in pain. But it wasn't ready to throw in the towel yet, dusting itself down as it ran towards the Balloon Pokémon, who had summoned a series of meteors to rain down upon the Hawlucha. The Wrestling Pokémon dodged the oncoming barrage, using the meteors as steppingstones before diving down on the Jigglypuff with a precise kick, sending it flying towards the back wall and left a sizable crater. "N-No! My Tuff-Puff!" Risa called out, quickly running over to check on her Pokémon.

"W-What on earth is with your Jigglypuff?" Aelita inquired, still a little shocked over what she had just seen. It's moves…it knew moves that no ordinary Jigglypuff could use.

"Wait a second…you're Aelita, aren't you?" The orange-haired woman replied, recalling her Jigglypuff as she was finally able to recognize who she was talking to in the darkness. "You were the victor in your branch of the tournament!"

"B-But I wasn't at the tournament!" The lilac-haired girl shot back, complete surprised at what she had just heard.

"Uh yes, you were. And then shortly after your match, Venam appeared and did hers." Risa shot down her comment.

"B-But that's impossible! There's no way Venam could participate after—" Aelita began.

"After she was turned to stone, right? But there she was, ready to perform. She looked like Venam, but she sure didn't act like her." The orange-haired woman replied. "That aside, what are you doing here?"

"I should be the one asking you that question." The lilac-haired girl retorted.

"Me? Well I like to cause Team Xen some pain, but this time it's personal. You see, they kidnapped several of my friends, boarding on some ship after Bladestar's attack and flew the coop. I tailed them and now I'm here." Risa answered firmly, shooting a quick glare at the weakened Ren.

"W-We weren't kidnapped by them…we're working with Team Xen temporarily." Aelita stated, a look of disgust soon overcoming the popstar. "I-I know this may come as a shock to you, but our friends are in trouble. Team Xen offered us some help in return for our cooperation; we need to reach the Spring of Rejuvenation before they succumb to their wounds! Which reminds me…that was my friend you were just beating up."

"What, this guy? Hunnie, you could do so much better. Teaming up with Team Xen? Tragic. I won't hold it against you, but you do you. But a word of advice; if I see you guys do anything I don't like, it's Game Over for you!" Risa warned her, promptly making her way out of the basement as Aelita quickly ran over to Ren's side.

"Ren, are you okay?" She inquired, helping him get off the ground.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" He winced, dusting himself off. "But man, that girl hits like a truck. Didn't expect someone like her to be so savage."

"I see. Anyway, Julius and I found the exit and he's waiting there for us. All you need to do is switch the power on and we can go through the door." Aelita told him, with the raven-haired teen promptly switching the power back on.

"There we go…now let's meet up with our mate!" Ren called out, the duo promptly making their way out the basement.

 **0000**

Taking their first steps outside the decrepit building, the trio took in a deep breath of air, thankful that they were able to clear their first obstacle in the road without much hassle. Looking around to see where they could go next, Julius spotted a second building and suggested that they search inside it for any more clues that could point them in the right direction. "Hey…I don't mean to be rude, but what happened down there?" He inquired.

"The basement? Ah, that was just a simple bump in the road; Aelita and I got into a small fight with—" Ren began.

"With Risa Raider?" The young teen answered, causing Ren to jump back in surprise.

"H-How did you know that?!" The raven-haired teen exclaimed, wide-eyed over his friend's accurate guess.

"M-Maybe he happened to notice her running out the building; her exit wasn't subtle at all to be honest…" Aelita tried to explain, though even she was a little alarmed by what Julius had said. "So…how much time do we have left?"

"Well, based on how long it took us to explore that building, I'd say around 19 ho—" Ren began, only to get cut off by the ground quaking underneath their feet, the trio gazing at each other as the floor gave way and they all fell down screaming. They fell on the soft, sandy ground beneath them, rubbing their newly formed bruises and winced in pain as they got back up.

"D-Damnit! This is not what we needed right now!" Julius shouted in anger, kicking a rock towards the cavern wall.

"Calm down, Julius. It we can get out of here quick enough, we might be able to make up for lost time." Aelita called out from atop a ledge, the lilac-haired girl noticing that all three of them were on separate areas. "Looks like we'll have to work together as a group in order to get out of this jam."

"Exactly; if we see a Bladestar grunt in the area, it's recommended that we leave them alone, or if they're in the way, immobilize them." The raven-haired teen called out to his allies.

"I've got that part covered; let us make haste and get out of here." The young teen commented, the trio making their way through the underground cavern as quickly as they can. Their navigation of the cave was calculated, if a little rushed in execution; Aelita leapt over whatever gaps she could to avoid the odd Bladestar patrol, hiding behind the dead trees that littered the interior of the vast cavern. Occasionally, she would find the old boulder looming over a small gap in the ground, the lilac-haired girl giving it a little push and saw it roll into the gap, creating a path for Julius to traverse through. While that was happening, Ren leapt over the gaps that Aelita wasn't able to, the raven-haired teen carrying her from ledge to ledge when the occasion called for it. Giving Ren a thumbs up to express her gratitude, Aelita made her way across the ledge and towards a second boulder overlooking a pit, giving it a small push like the first time and saw it fall down.

Seeing that the coast was now clear for Julius, the lilac-haired girl shot him a quick message on the transmitter, the young teen getting into action as he made his way down the path. Along the way, he saw a couple Bladestar grunts patrolling the area, no doubt on the look out for the trio. Bringing out his stun gun, he fired a few rounds at the enemy, who promptly gasped in pain as the fell onto the soft sand and let out a few low moans. With his enemy immobilized for the moment, Julius continued down the path, hopping over the pits that Aelita had covered for him and reunited with them a few minutes later.

"Ha-Ha! That was some 10/10 teamwork right there!" Aelita cheered, the trio giving each other hi-fives. "Now all we need to do is find the surface and we can continue our rescue mission."

"We don't have to walk that far thankfully; after all, there would have to be an exit nearby if Bladestar was willing to send a few grunts down here on a patrol." Ren suggested, glancing down a small tunnel. "I think we've found our way out of here. Come on, let's go."

Following his lead, the trio made their way through the dark tunnels, resting their hands on the walls so that they didn't get lost. Eventually, they would up inside a small room, where they were soon confronted with a few Bladestar grunts, the villains shooting confident smirks at the heroes. "This shouldn't be too hard; just a few shots will—" Julius began, only to get cut off by the ground trembling as an entire platoon of Bladestar members ambushed the heroes, including a few of those Mecha-Dugtrios' that he and Erin encountered that one time. "Well then…what do we do now?"

"The only thing you can do is give up! We want the contents of the pyramid for ourselves!" A Bladestar admin called out to the trio.

"Y-You're after the pyramid as well? But why?!" Ren demanded an answer.

"Hah! We have no reason to tell you, especially since we'll be the ones who'll get it first! As we're speaking, we already have a high-ranking member of Bladestar on their way to the pyramid. You've got no chance at succeeding!" The admin jeered at the heroes.

"Leave these creeps to us!" A familiar voice called out, the trio looking up and saw Rhodea jump down from the floor above, with the rest of their allies joining in.

"Now this is what I've been waiting for…a chance for the Adam Might to save the day!" Adam grinned, a confident smile on his face as he stared down the enemy.

"W-What are you doing here, everyone…?" The raven-haired teen inquired.

"Don't get the wrong idea, none of us wanted to be here. We were simply ordered to by Nastasia." Sharon admitted.

"Well I don't know about you, but I want to help my brother and his friends out of this jam!" Reina retorted at her. "That said, it seems that Nastasia might be a little concerned over your safety, Ren. I guess she has a soft spot for you after all…"

"Let's focus on the task at hand, that being this deluge of Bladestar grunts." Rhodea reminded her allies.

"Yeah! let's teach these idiots just who they're messing with!" Huey psyched himself up. "Don't worry about us, we'll be safe and sound; you've got to find that Dimensional Rift and deal with it!"

"Everyone…thank you for this." Aelita smiled, gesturing at her allies to quickly vacate the premises. Once they made it outside, the trio spent a few seconds to catch their breath, a little exhausted from all the running they did. "I'm a little worried about the others, will they really be okay on their own with all those grunts?"

"I'm worried about them as well, but we've got to have faith in them. I put my trust that they'll defeat those assholes without breaking a sweat." Julius reassured her, noticing that Ren had brought out his map of the area. "I take it you know where to go next?"

"I do; judging from the map I have here, there's no wide craters in our path anymore, giving us a wider range to cover. This may be a bit dangerous, but I suggest that we split up for the moment. After all, we've got our transmitters in the event that we find something important." Ren informed them.

"Sounds like a plan; stay safe everyone!" The lilac-haired girl chimed in, the trio going their separate ways as Julius no had some time to think to himself. He was able to get this far because he could count on Ren and Aelita having his back when the going got tough, like with that surprise pitfall back there. But now he had to be extra cautious around here; a single mistake could cost him dearly, preventing him from ever seeing Melia again. A part of him wasn't ready to shoulder these lofty expectations, opting to crawl into a hole and pray for a miracle. But the rational side took over and made him face facts; he had depended on Melia to help him through some tough times, again and again. This time, she was depending on him to save her from her inevitable demise, and there was no way in hell he would fail her like he failed his friends back in Ayrith. Picking himself up, he made his way to the center of the ruined city and began exploring the nearby area, a chilling sensation overcoming him as he began to put the pieces together.

"I-Is this…" Julius mused to himself, surveying the nearby area as he began to pick up on some similarities. The layout of the roads, the ruined skyscrapers, the derelict jail; this place looked eerily similar to Hiyoshi City. Zone Zero was the ruins of the once bustling Hiyoshi City. "No way…what could've happened here that caused all this destruction?"

The term destroyed was an understatement for the current state of the city; virtually few buildings were left standing, with most of them having toppled over. As far as the eye could see, there were petrified people standing all over the place, their expressions sending chills down his spine. Rather than the abject looks of terror he had expected, the petrified people had…casual expressions on their faces, almost as if they were going about their day before something unspeakable happened to them. It was then that an idea formed in Julius' mind; could there be something hidden within Nymiera's house? As he was making his way to her house, he heard a voice calling out to him, the young teen turning to see Ren gesturing him to step inside what was once the Hiyoshi City Hospital.

"Did you need something?" Julius inquired, the duo stepping inside the abandoned hospital.

"I just wanted to have a quick chat with you, hopefully to ease whatever tensions you might have." Ren began, his eyes quickly scanning the empty lobby room. "I'm sure you know where we are, right?"

"Yes, the abandoned remnants of Hiyoshi City. This must be the hospital where you took me when I succumbed to that headache back then." The young teen answered, his friend giving him a nod of confirmation.

"I figured you'd get it right. This place…it gives me the chills. I remember when we had just arrived here after getting sent to the past. The city looked so fresh and full of life; now it looks to be in total ruins; a completely different atmosphere than before." The raven-haired teen said. "I don't know if you knew this already, but there's a gate blocking the area to the north. Aelita's looking around the nearby area for a switch, so I figured I'd search this building."

"In that case, we better find it quickly." Julius stated, the duo making their way to the backroom and towards the basement, hoping to find another generator like in the other building. Upon finding what they were looking for, the duo let out a quick cheer, with the young teen requesting his Gellin to fire a bolt of lightning at the machine, with the Amoeba Pokemon more than happy to do so. Generating electricity within its horns, the Gellin fired a bolt of lightning at the generator, the machine slowly whirring to life as a small smile formed on their faces. "Alright, that'll make our exploration a lot easier!"

"Now let's see if any of the doors are open." Ren called out, the group making their way upstairs and saw that the door to the archives was wide open. Stepping inside, they saw that a thick red book was wide open, the page displaying a patient record for one Anathea Theolia, the wife of Vitus Theolia and mother of Maria Theolia, or at least they thought so. Glancing at the bottom of the page, it stated that she was the mother of four children instead of one, catching Julius off-guard.

"T-This has to be a mistake…there's no way Anathea could have four children; the only child she has is Maria!" The young teen exclaimed.

"That's not the only odd thing I've noticed…look over here." Ren commented, pointing at another part of the document. "Here, it says she has long black hair, but when I saw her ghost, she had long blonde hair."

"T-This document is all wrong; there's no way they'd get something as simple as her hair color wrong." Julius stated, an odd theory forming in his mind. "Unless…unless this was a different Anathea it's talking about. But that can't be right; there's too many similarities between the one I know and the one this document's talking about to be two completely different people."

"Argh, we don't have the time to be looking into this. We need to find that switch, quickly!" The raven-haired teen stated.

"Don't worry, I have a good idea where we can look next; Nymiera's house." The young teen suggested.

"Yes…that is a good idea. In that case, let's make our way there as soon as possible." Ren agreed to the plan, the duo exiting the hospital and made their way to the apartment that lead to Nymiera's house, bumping into Aelita along the way. "Ah, Aelita. I think I figured out where the switch could be."

"Did you? That's a relief, lead the way then." Aelita smiled, following the duo towards the derelict apartment complex and stepped inside. Knowing where the secret switch was, Ren made his way to the back wall and shifted the broken thermostat to the left, pressing on the small button hidden beneath it. Thankfully, the secret entrance was still functional, slowly moving out of the way as the lilac-haired girl watched in awe. "How did you know that was there?"

"Let's just say that Julius and I came here before on a…little adventure." The raven-haired teen replied slyly, stepping beyond the entrance with the other two following suit. Making their way down the dirt path, they stepped inside Nymiera's house and were a little surprised at the state of the place. Asides from some damage to the floor and wall, the building was relatively intact, more so than all the other places they visited. Upon stepping inside, Aelita felt a slight twisting pain in her chest, resting up on the wall to maintain balance.

"Are you alright Aelita?" Julius inquired.

"Y-Yeah…it's just that this place gives me some sort of strange feeling. But this feeling isn't new to me; I felt it when I learnt about Kenneth's sacrifice back on Carotos. I…I want to leave this place as soon as possible." Aelita stated.

"Don't worry, we'll be out of here once we've finished out business here." The young teen promised her, making his way to where the hidden basement was. As he expected, he saw Ren analyzing what looked like a firm, wooden switch on the ground. "It figures we'd find what we're looking for here."

"Hahaha, yeah…" Ren chuckled lightly. "Alexandra told me in private that she used to visit Zone Zero often, purposely blocking off sections so that people wouldn't interfere with the area, especially Bladestar. It's safe to assume that she was the one who cleared out this place and hid the lever to the gate here."

Holding the lever firmly, the raven-haired teen flipped it to the right, a low groaning noise echoing throughout the area. "And…there, that should've opened the gate up. Come on, let's get a move on." He called out, the duo promptly making their way out the room and to where the gate was resting.

"Hey, Ren…how much of this city do we have left to explore?" Aelita inquired, looking at the area beyond the gate.

"According to the map, there's only a small portion of the city to go. From there, we should be closing in on the pyramid." He answered, taking out his map once more.

"That's good to hear." Julius sighed in relief. "By the way, have you heard anything from the other teams?"

"I tried contacting them a few minutes ago, but I haven't gotten a response back. As much as I want to help them, we need to continue our miss—" The raven-haired teen began, only to get caught off by a trio of rods planting themselves in the sand before them. "W-What the…?"

"Wow, your friends are back there? You lot must feel special…" A voice called out to them, the trio looking in horror as a figure cloaked in darkness approached them.

"W-Who are you?!" Aelita demanded, a twisted chuckle escaping from the figure.

"Heh…I'm not surprised you don't recognize me…" The figure replied, the darkness subsiding into her as they got a good look at her. The person before them was a teenage girl with short black hair, brown skin and purple eyes that gazed at the trio. Her outfit was a black leather jumpsuit that suited her slender figure rather nicely. "Now do you recognize me, Aelita?"

"That face, that voice…is that you Nim?!" The lilac-haired girl exclaimed, catching Julius off-guard.

"Nim, Nim, Nim, Nim, Nim…I don't go by that name anymore. It was the name I gave myself. It came to me the moment I was created. But after being on this journey, I've learned something. That name? I didn't deserve to have it. it's disgusting of me to even think that I could. The name I go by now is Lorna, the girl who is alone." She replied, shooting a small glare at the duo as Ren watched in confusion.

"Am I missing something? W-Who is this girl?" He asked his friends.

"She is…was our friend, Nim. Back on Valor Mountain, Melia, Venam and I tried to rescue her, but we failed to do so. We all saw her fall into the lava, but she's still here somehow." Julius informed him.

"Oh, that? That was soooo long ago I almost forgot it happened. At least, that's what I would like to say, but given the circumstances, I'm sure you'll understand why it's the opposite." Lorna replied a little bluntly.

"N-Nim…is it true that you turned Venam into stone?" Aelita asked, the black-haired woman nodding in confirmation. "B-But why? She was your friend, wasn't she?"

"Friend? I didn't even know her. And I turned her to stone because it's my purpose." She answered firmly, with Julius shooting her a look of contempt.

"Y-Your purpose?" Ren inquired.

"You'd know your purpose as well if you didn't leave Crescent's side. After all, I am your replacement." Lorna shot back at him. "I'm doing what you couldn't and in return, I learned what I truly am. I learned how you all abandoned me to my fate."

"Abandoned?! D-Do you know the hoops we jumped through to save you?!" Julius shot back at her.

"You mean the hoops YOU jumped though!" The black-haired girl retorted. "Crescent showed me what happened that day; I worked so hard to keep Geara and the others at bay, but I couldn't help it anymore. I had to use up all my life force and was turned to stone as a result. I'm sure you know this, but your life doesn't end when you're turned to stone; you're stuck in an abyss that is in your own mind, alone. No one can hear you, you can't see a thing, it's just your existence. I wished and wished for help so badly, but no one came…it was so cold and torturous and agonizing and lonely and…" She rambled, only to break down into tears and cry before the trio, her mind no doubt traumatized by the painful experience.

"Nim…" Aelita spoke softly, unsure on how she could console her friend.

"I sacrificed myself because…because I loved you all. But nobody came to my aid…nobody except Julius." Lorna began, slowly looking up at the young teen. "Crescent showed me everything that you've done for me; you're the only one I can trust. Thus, I will spare you from such a horrible curse."

"Nim, I feel for you, I really, really do. In a way, I know what it's like to be stuck in a never-ending cycle of torture and misery. But that doesn't give you the right to inflict such suffering onto others, especially those who've done nothing wrong! Not only will I save Ren and Aelita from your wrath, but I will avenge Venam for what you've done to her!" Julius declared boldly, with Lorna shooting him an odd look.

"Protecting those two is foolish; they'll do the same thing to you. I don't want to fight you Julius, but if you won't step down, then I'll have no choice but to stop you!" She declared, sending out her Slowbro as Julius gestured his Gellin to get ready for battle.

Immediately, the Slowbro conjured up a wondrous wall of light, shielding itself and its team from any status effects for a while the Gellin cleared it's mind of unwanted thoughts to heighten it's metal energy. Opting to take the initiative now, the Amoeba Pokémon generated a ball of vivid green energy and fired it at the Slowbro, causing the Hermit Crab Pokémon to get knocked back a few feet and crashed into a small pile of sand. However, it's bulk enabled it to withstand the attack fairly decently, the Slowbro taking in a deep breath and breathed a stream of fire at the Amoeba Pokémon, who narrowly dodged the attack. Now knowing that it's foe had a move it was weak to, the Gellin decided to stop playing games and deal with it as soon as possible. Standing firmly in place, it mustered up as much static electricity as it could before firing a wicked bolt of lightning at its foe, striking the Slowbro head on as it moaned in pain before slumping to the side, unable to continue battling.

"…" Lorna gazed quietly at Julius, promptly recalling her Slowbro before opting to send out her Darmanitan, the Blazing Pokémon in its Zen Mode as it gazed calmly at the Gellin. Using it's psychic power, the Darmanitan conjured up a blistering gust of hot wind, striking the Amoeba Pokémon as it was send tumbling back a few feet. Slowly getting back on its legs, the Gellin conjured up a ball of shadowy energy and flung it at its foe, the eerie attack striking the Darmanitan head on as it shivered slightly from the oppressive attack. Fully anticipating a follow up attack, the Blazing Pokémon conjured up a ball of psychic energy, putting as much energy as it could into it to ensure its foes defeat. The Amoeba Pokémon saw this and opted to put a halt to the attack, galloping towards the Darmanitan as it's horns crackled with static electricity and fired a bolt of lighting at the Blazing Pokémon who retaliated by launching it's attack at the Gellin. The two attacks collided in mid-air, creating a large explosion that sent sand flying everywhere, causing everyone present to shield their faces. Once the sand died down, it showed that both Pokémon were knocked out from the resulting explosion.

"Gellin!" Julius called out, quickly running over to his injured companion to check on it. "You've aided us greatly these last few hours; you've more than earnt your rest." He smiled at it, recalling it as he saw Lorna recall her injured Darmanitan.

"I'll admit, it's been quite a long time since we last fought each other. A shame that it couldn't have been under better circumstances…" She replied casually, taking out a Pokéball and sent out her Malamar, the squid letting out a distorted chirp from its mouth.

"Agreed; however, I'm still pissed off at you for petrifying Venam, bringing an untold amount of suffering to Melia. And when I'm angry, this mate of mine becomes a lot more…ferocious." The young teen declared, throwing a Pokéball to the ground and sent out his Chainite, a low growl coming from the entities' mouth.

Extending it's shadowy claws at the Malamar, the Chainite slashed at it furiously, its power fueled by the anger emanating from its trainer. The barrage of slashed caused the Malamar to wince in pain, knocking the arms away with its tentacles before lashing back at its opponent. The tentacles struck the Retribution Pokémon, causing it to step back a couple feet before letting out another low growl. Ducking an incoming attack from the Overturning Pokémon, the Chainite extended it's arm over the Malamar, smacking the top of its head in a way that knocked the squid's Assault Vest off it's body. Seizing this opportunity, the malevolent entity snatched it's foe up by its legs, raising it in the air before slamming it down onto the sandy floor multiple times, chucking it's battered body at Lorna's feet as a slight look of concerned appeared on her face.

"Looks like I'll have to use my trump card…" She muttered to herself, recalling her injured Malamar before opting to send out her Solrock…or at least it looked like a Solrock. Somehow, she had managed to merge her Solrock and Lunatone into a single Pokémon, the being before them radiating an intense amount of psychic energy. With both eyes glowing, vividly, the Soltone as Julius opted to call it, conjured up a large ball of energy that was a mixture of both psychic and lunar energy and flung it at the surprised Chainite, who was sent flying several feet back before crash landing into the sand beside Julius.

"Chainite!" Julius called out, watching his companion get back up on its feet as he was at a loss for words. Even though Chainite was weak to Fairy type attacks, it should've been immune to Psychic type attacks, which was what half that move consisted of. This Soltone…was its power that immense that it ignored type immunities? If that was the case, then he had to deal with it as soon as possible. Making sure that his friend was able to continue battling, the young teen suggested that it went all out, the Retribution Pokémon more than willing to do so as it conjured up an ominous aura and sent it towards the Soltone, immobilizing it in place as it began to form a devious plan. The Meteorite Pokémon was trying it's hardest to break free from the oppressive grip, being able to do so after a few seconds as it launched another ball of mixed energy at the Retribution Pokémon. But too late did it realize that it fell into a trap; too late did it see that the Chainite's eyes were glowing a purplish-red as it took the attack, flying back a few feet and crash-landed in a pile of sand. A few seconds later, a shadowy specter of Chainite emerged from its unconscious body, the spirit lunging at the Soltone and phased through it as the Meteorite Pokémon fell to the ground, drained of all its energy.

"J-Julius…I don't understand it. Why do you side with them?" Lorna inquired, a forlorn expression on her face as the duo recalled their Pokémon.

"I'm with them because we're all working together to save Melia and the others from a terrible fate. I…I will not fail her like I failed you that day!" The young teen pledged, an apologetic look on his face.

"Listen to us, Nim. I don't know what Crescent showed you, but she isn't to be trusted." Ren began, taking a couple steps towards her. "There's a reason why I left her, just let me explain."

"And how do I know you're the one to be trusted? How can I be sure that what you've experienced is what really happened?" The black-haired girl countered, a sudden rainstorm soon coming over the area as the trio stepped back in surprise.

"I-It's raining?! H-How is this…" Aelita began.

"Not that it matters, I couldn't even confirm with Crescent even if I wanted to…she's gone missing and I can't find her. I can't think straight anymore. I can only hear their voices now. The ones of Hiyoshi City, the ones trapped in stone…their force exists but only slightly. Ah, but how they yearn for freedom…" Lorna commented, a sigh escaping from her mouth as the rainstorm subsided as quickly as it appeared. "Oh silly me. I can't let my emotions get to me anymore, otherwise weird things start to happen. I'll get this over and done with before you make me cry some more."

Within an instant, the rods planted in the ground soon formed a triangle surrounding Ren, the other two stepping back in surprise as the rods started crackling with power. Energy flowed from the rods and towards Ren, encasing him in a red ball of energy for a few moments, only for the raven-haired teen to break free from its clutches, catching Lorna off-guard. "B-But how…"

"That trick won't work on me!" Ren shot back, delivering a swift punch to the black-haired girl, pushing her back a few feet. "After all, it's not easy turning an artificial body into stone. Your tricks are powerless on me! Now stand down and admit defeat!"

"Tch…this isn't over. Not by a long shot." Lorna huffed in annoyance, recalling her rods back to her before quickly retreating from the area.

"S-She's gone…though I doubt she's gone far." Aelita commented, as she and Julius made their way to Ren's side. "I want to cling onto the hope that she may turn around, but…"

"I know; I want to have the Nim I know back as well. However, we really need to get a move on; that interruption cost us some precious time." Julius told her, the trio continuing down the dirt path for another few minutes, winding up at the northernmost part of what was once Hiyoshi City. "Well here we are; let's just hope we don't have to face any more Bladestar grunts."

"Indeed, the last thing I want it to go through anoth—" Ren began, only for the raven-haired teen to cry out in pain as his body began trembling on the spot, his comrades checking up on him to see if he was alright. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine…I guess that attack from Nim did more damage than I thought. I feel…I feel kinda weird. ?syug uoy tuoba tahW .onnud I .driew ylemertxe leef I ekiL"

"What the…" The young teen began, taken aback by what he was hearing. Was Ren talking…backwards? That attack from Nim must've screwed up his voice module or something.

".yawyna eunitnoc dluohs ew ,revetahW ?tahw name uoy od tahW" The raven-haired teen continued, oblivious to the looks of confusion on his friend's faces.

"Ren, we can't understand you…you're talking backwards or something! It sounds like complete gibberish to us!" Aelita told him, a look of annoyance forming on his face upon hearing that.

"!noitcnuflam ot ecived hceeps ym desuac miN…of evol eht rof hO ?sdrawkcab gniklat m'I" Ren sighed in annoyance.

"Maybe we should turn back and go see Nastasia. She could probably repair you." The lilac-haired girl suggested, only for Ren to shake his head at her.

".retneC nomekoP a dnif nac ew fi flesym riaper nac I ,enif s'tI !emit fo dnik that evah t'nod eW" He told her, but she still wasn't able to understand him.

"Yeah…maybe we should head back to get that fixed." Aelita began, only for Julius to stop her in her place.

"I don't think we have the time to head back to her; we need to find a place where Ren can repair himself." He commented, turning to face his friend to see if he was on the right track.

"Yes…Pokémon Center…repair…myself…" Ren spoke slowly, having found a way to circumvent the issue at hand. "Talking…backwards…makes me…talk normal."

"I see…in that case, we should be able to find a PokéCenter here, if we're lucky. Come on then, let's not keep Ren waiting any longer!" The lilac-haired girl chimed in, the trio continuing their way through the city.

 **0000**

A small sigh escaped from Reina's mouth, the raven-haired girl quietly waiting for Huey as he was busy doing his business. A couple minutes later, she saw the redhead quickly making his way back to her. "S-Sorry about that, I really had to pee!" He apologized profusely.

"I told you to use the bathroom BEFORE we left, Huey." Reina exclaimed.

"Yeah, but every time I get stressed out, I just gotta go! Besides, you know I'm afraid of heights! Jumping down to save Team A took a lot outta me!" Huey replied.

"You're telling me? I almost busted my ass jumping down there." The raven-haired girl commented, only for the duo to see Rhodea making her way out of the abandoned building beside them, a grim look on her face. "A-Are you okay? You look like my cousin Shira after her third salt bath."

"I'm going back." Rhodea told them firmly.

"B-Back to the ship? We haven't finished out mission yet!" The redhead began, only for the older woman to leave the city in a hurry. "W-Wait! Where are you going?!"

"Leave her be, she needs some time on her own. For now, we should meet up with Team A." Reina told him, the duo making their way deeper into the city.

 **0000**

Stepping inside a building, the first thing that Team A noticed was that there was a gate blocking the way to the exit. Annoyed at the sight of yet another obstacle, the trio opted to check the basement for any clues, only to get caught off-guard by that they saw. Lying in the corner of the room was a pair of damaged stasis pods, much like the ones their friends were in right now. Additionally, there was an open journal lying on the table near the pod, with Ren approaching it to get a better look at its contents, gesturing at the other two to have a look at it.

' _This is the journal of Isiah Halvard.'_ Was all it said, given that the pages had been ripped out. Questions occupied the trio's mind; was this place his former residence? If so, then why was there two stasis pods in the back corner; was he or someone in his family in dire need of its services?

"Those pods…they look exactly like the ones inside the Xen Transport Ship, where our friends are being kept in…" Aelita began,only to let out a yelp of surprise upon approaching one. "T-There's someone inside this pod!" She exclaimed, quickly making her way out of the basement, the other two quickly following behind her. Climbing up the first set of stairs they found, the team soon ended up behind the gate that had blocked them off in the first place, the trio promptly exiting the building and opted to catch their breaths.

"Talk about a frightening surprise…are you alright, Aelita?" Julius inquired, noticing the slightly pale look on her face.

"Y-Yeah…I'm fine. It's just that I've never seen a dead body before. But I can't let that hold me back, or else I won't become the leader of Sheridan that I wanna be." The lilac-haired stated, having recovered her breath before gesturing the other two to follow her. The trio spent the next five or so minutes searching for a Pokémon Center, managing to find one in the easternmost part of the city, only to get taken aback as they saw Risa Raider sitting casually on the rooftop.

"Goodness, y'all are so slow!" Risa commented, gazing down at the trio.

"Y-You! What are you still doing here?" Aelita inquired.

"I figured I'd help you three out; you all should be thankful! The power in the Pokémon Center was out so I took the liberty of restoring it for you!" The orange-haired woman answered.

"I see…thanks for helping us out then." Julius thanked her.

"Not a problem, my favorite Xen Destroyer!" Risa flashed a smile at him, leaping down from the roof and shot a quick glance at Ren. "Well, what do you say, Xen boy? You look like you want to say something, but can't for some reason. Guess I kicked him in the mouth a little too hard…"

"I-If he doesn't want to say anything, then he doesn't have to. Now if you'll excuse us, we need to use this Pokémon Center." The lilac-haired girl chimed in.

"I see, you wish to fix whatever's malfunctioning on him." The orange-haired woman deduced, catching the trio off-guard. "I kicked him earlier, remember? It's not hard to tell that he's an android or whatever. He may look human, but everything underneath is just wiring and metal. Now if you'll need me, I'll have a look around and see what else I can find. Ciao!"

Watching the popstar make her way into the city, the trio stepped inside the decrepit Pokémon Center, with Ren making a beeline for the main terminal. From there, he began the long and arduous process of repairing his speech device, with Aelita and Julius opting to take a seat.

"So, how much time do we have left?" Julius inquired, with the raven-haired teen handing his watch over to the duo, only for them to recoil in shock at the sight. "T-Ten hours?! Did we really waste that much time back there?!"

"That's not the worst part; depending on the severity of the damage, we could have to spend another hour or so here. Things aren't looking so flash for us right now…" Aelita commented, only for the door to the center to open as they saw Huey and Reina step inside.

"Huh? Looks like we caught up to you." The redhead chimed in, a little confused as he had expected them to be at the pyramid by now.

"Sorry about that; as you can see, we're in a bit of a jam right now. We've gone through so many obstacles that ate up our time, it wasn't funny." The young teen told them.

"Yeah, we were just following behind you three. Thanks for making out trip easier!" Reina smiled at them. "Anyway, Rhodea, Eli and Sharon went back to the ship, so it's just us two alongside Adam and Braixen who are still in it."

"The team composition may be broken, but who cares? The way I see it, we should be able to clear any obstacles in the way with more people in a team!" Huey stated.

"Well you're gonna have to wait for a bit; Ren's body got damaged along the way and he has to repair it." Aelita informed them, an idea forming in her head. "I want you two to check the surrounding area to see if there's a way to progress. I saw another gate blocking the way, so maybe there's a switch somewhere we can activate."

"Sounds like a plan!" The raven-haired girl chimed in, gesturing her friend to follow her outside the Pokémon Center. Along the way, they happened to catch Adam and Braixen resting by the building, the duo opting to give them some space and began exploring the city. As they were doing that, the bipedal fox began musing to herself about the events of today, her mind all over the place.

' _This is all pointless…no one can understand me. Not that it matters, I can't do anything to protect anyone. It's the same every time, I'm just too weak to do anything. And it's going to keep on happening. Those people…they'll be back. And when they do, no one will be prepared for them, unless…'_

 **Flashback**

" _Saki, darling. I have a gift for you! Happy Birthday!" An elderly man spoke endearingly to the tech prodigy, handing her a young Fennekin._

" _Wowie! You got me a Pokémon? Aw yeah!" Saki smiled at her grandfather, gazing at the Pokémon before her. "This is a Fennekin, right? Which is a Fire-type, yeah?"_

" _Yes, and it's top notch. Best in the world, perhaps?" Mr. Blakeory smiled at her, only for Saki to return a disinterested look at him._

" _Eh…it could be the best Pokémon in the world, but I'm not really a fan of Fire Pokémon." The black-haired girl admitted. "And it looks a lil' weird. Is it shiny?"_

" _Very observant as usual, darling. No, it isn't a shiny Pokémon, but it's colors are slightly different." The older gentleman commented. "Our scientists have experimented on this particular Fennekin, injecting a special alloy we've created using Black Shards inside of this specimen. As a result, Fennekin and it's future form Braixen will be weaker than normal, but upon evolving into Delphox, the Black Shard will activate. Giving this specimen a burst of incredible energy. We're quite excited!"_

" _Great power, huh? In that case, this thing might be better than I first thought." Saki replied._

" _Ohohohoho! I'm glad you like it! I await Braixen's inevitable evolution!" Mr. Blakeory smiled at her._

" _Thanks grandpa, this is the best birthday ever!" The black-haired girl smiled back, hugging her grandfather enthusiastically._

 **0000**

" _Alright, let's try it again!" Saki called out, gazing at her Braixen as it stared out to see quietly, a confused look forming on the girl's face. "Huh, what's wrong? Dont'cha wanna evolve? You should be ready to evolve by now!"_

" _Braoo!" Braixen cried back at her._

" _You know I don't speak Pokémon, you dum-dum. And it's because of that I made something cool for you!" The black-haired girl giggled, taking something out of her pocket and handed it to her companion. "Here, put it around your neck and then say something."_

 _Doing as she was told, the Braixen tied the device around it's neck and spent a moment to think of something to say. "S-So, something like this?" She said, a satisfied smile forming on the girl's face._

" _Aha! It works perfectly!" Saki cheered._

" _I'm…speaking? How am I speaking?! This is…" Braixen began, unsure on how this was possible._

" _The Poke-Translator I made for a class project. I am an engineering prodigy after all! What couldn't Saki Blakeory do?!" The black-haired girl huffed proudly. "Now you can tell me how you really feel! I couldn't understand you, but I could tell how you were feeling about this whole thing. You're scared of evolving, right?"_

" _Was it that obvious?" Braixen inquired._

" _Uh-huh, it was. If you don't wanna evolve, that's fine with me. Personally, I don't really like Fire-types anyway." Saki admitted. "D-Don't take it the wrong way, it's not like I hate you or anything. It's just that I prefer Steel type Pokémon over all the others. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'd rather the two of us be besties than trainer and Pokémon."_

" _Friends…? Oh, I would love that very much!" The bipedal fox smiled at her friend._

" _Yay! Besties!" The black-haired girl cheered. "We'll have so much fun. I'll introduce you to all my friends back at school. But before we do, I need you to drink this." She continued, handing Braixen a small bottle containing a greyish-blue fluid._

" _W-What is this…? Is it poisonous?" Braixen inquired._

" _No, it's perfectly safe to consume. It's a tonic made out of grounded-up everstone. It'll indefinitely prevent you from evolving. That is until you drink the antidote that I also came up with. I didn't make a batch right now as I figured you wouldn't be interested in it, but I figured I'd let you know in the event that you change your mind." Saki told her, with Braixen nodding in gratitude as the duo hugged each other firmly._

 **End of Flashback**

' _Evolution…Saki's antidote? Can it be possible?'_ Braixen thought to herself, turning to see that Adam was taking a quick nap as she continued to ponder to herself. If she did take that antidote, then would it be possible to evolve, even after all this time?

Meanwhile, Julius was busy quietly gazing at his wall, the sound of Aelita and Ren working together on his speech device echoing out in the room. The raven-haired teen had asked for someone to assist him, and Aelita was more than willing to do it; better her than him as he had very little experience in that sort of area. He began to think quietly to himself, his once bold display of confidence having been shattered into nothingness; no thanks to a series of mishaps, they now had less than ten hours to save Melia, and from the sounds of it this repair would take even more time. The young teen shivered to himself in sadness; the only reason he was able to make it this far in the league challenge was because Melia was with him. If she dies here…if he fails to save her…then it'll be all over for him.

"Melia, I don't know if you can here this, but please…please hold on, for just a little longer. I…I need you; I don't know what I would do if I were to lose you…" He prayed under his breath, a few small tears streaming from his eyes as he hoped with all his might that the tragedy at Ayrith didn't repeat itself.

 **A bit of a downer ending, but that's it for this chapter. Tune in next time for the part that caught me way off-guard the first time I played through the episode. Thank you all for reading and supporting my story, I hope you all stay safe and healthy during these trying times.**


	58. Chapter 58

**Ibrex2000: Thank you for your kind words. I see that you're planning on making your own Rejuvenation fic as well? I'll be sure to check it out once it gets released.**

 **When we last left off, we saw Ren, Aelita and Julius make their way through the perilous Zone Zero, encountering a wide variety of dangers along the way. In this chapter, we'll be checking up on a certain someone; someone who's near and dear to my heart.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **?**

"Rrgh…" Melia groaned in pain, slowly getting up off the ground as she was taken aback by the sight before her. "What the…W-Where am I?"

The blonde maiden was startled at the sight before her; she was in some sort of strange dimension unlike anything she's seen before. The sky was pitch black and littered with stars, giving her the illusion that she was in outer space, there were a series of blocks floating in the air that were connected to each other via sets of porcelain stairs, and there were flowers growing on the floating blocks. She had seen several strange sights in her lifetime, but this would most definitely take the cake.

"W-What was I doing before this? Argh, I can't remember…" She sighed to herself, before promptly remembering what had happened. "That's right! There was this explosion at the Grand Dream Ball and—Erin!"

Opting to get a move on for Erin's sake, Melia began exploring the bizarre area before her, climbing up the stairs as various thoughts raced through her mind. What if Erin was seriously injured by that blast, or worse? How will her friends cope with the news about her possible death? How would Julius react to the news? The poor guy was already struggling with inner turmoil, and this event could push him over the edge. Making her way up the stairs, she was soon caught off-guard by the sight of Venam, casually relaxing by a tree. "V-Venam, is that you?!"

"…" Venam chose to ignore her, opting to make her way up another flight of stairs. Melia called out for her to wait, but she got no response back. Opting to run after her, the blonde made her way to the next block, only to see Jenner standing there as if waiting for her.

"D-Dad? Is that you?" She inquired, but like before he walked down the path and away from her, a confused look on her face as a realization came to mind. "Those…those weren't the people I love. They're just illusions, but why am I seeing them here, wherever here is?"

Figuring that she would find the answers at the end of this place, Melia opted to pick up the pace, quickly running across the bridges that connected the blocks until arriving at the largest block of them all, a familiar sight awaiting her at the center. "Erin? So you've been waiting for me here, huh? Why did you guide me here? Who are you really?"

"Heh, you catch on quickly, but you really make it too easy sometimes…you stupid dullard" "Erin" chuckled, gazing at her as her body soon transformed into someone that Melia never expected to see again.

"M-Melanie?!" The blonde exclaimed.

"Hello love, care for a cup of tea? It's fresh off the kettle!" Melanie offered in a posh accent, raising a cup towards Melia.

"I'm not falling for your trick, Melanie! I thought I got rid of you!" Melia shot back at her, a sigh of contempt escaping from the child's mouth.

"Goodness gracious, they don't teach you dullards anything in school anymore. Don't you even know how overlapping works, you idiot?" The child shot back.

"I only know as much as I've been told. I overtook you back at Blacksteeple." The blonde maiden replied.

"Exactly! You took on my spirit. My person, my being. But that doesn't mean I'm gone, it just means that I'm hidden within your subconscious. I bet that woman in the mask didn't even know that simple fact. But you can't blame her that much; it's not like there's extensive knowledge about this sort of thing, love. But that's the burden of being an outlier. You always learn things you aren't supposed to." Melanie explained to her.

"So you're a part of my subconscious now? Oh god no…" Melia muttered quietly to herself, an annoyed look forming on the child's face.

"You think you have it bad? I'm the one here who has to sit here and watch you make stupid decisions." The child huffed at her.

"It's been a while since the whole thing at Blacksteeple happened. Why are we just interacting now?" The blonde maiden inquired.

"You took a nice hit in the head from some lady with a cap. Right after that building was blown up into bits. The explosion caught you off-guard and she took the opportunity to whack you. Truthfully, I have no clue what happened after that, but I do know that a certain someone you know is stricken with grief over the possibility of you getting caught up in that explosion. Who knows, if this stage of grief persists, he might do something he'll spend the rest of his life regretting…" Melanie continued.

"Someone I know…Julius?!" Melia exclaimed, the young child before her giving her a nod. "W-We need to do something about this!"

"Which is why I'm here to wake you up!" The child proclaimed, with the blonde maiden eyeing her up suspiciously.

"But why would you want to wake me up, after what I did to you?" She inquired, a low growl of frustration escaping from the child's mouth.

"You stupid dullard! You absolute idiot! Did you not here me when I said I'm a part of you now?! If you kick the bucket, I'll end up like you! I have no choice in the matter. Trust me, if I had a way to gain back control, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But I'm forced to metaphorically sit here and drink metaphorical tea while you screw around like an idiot!" Melanie ranted at her.

"I don't want your help, I can do this on my own." Melia shot back.

"Oh really? As if you haven't had my help already…" The child retorted, causing Melia to raise an eyebrow at her. "Remember when Lavender was retelling the events that lead to the reveal of Nim? And how she told you that Nim was after you in some way? Deep down, your true feelings…you felt a certain twist. You wanted to find Nim yourself and talk things through. A heart-to-heart so to speak. but I couldn't have you risk your life for some tosser who can't even think for herself. So I rearranged your feelings a bit, making you feel anger and determination."

"You messed with my emotions?!" The blonde exclaimed.

"I can't do it all the time, and it takes a lot of energy out of me. But it was for the well being of…well, I'd say you but that would be a blatant lie. So now that we have that settled, you need to wake up now, otherwise that loyal terrier of yours will go over the edge." Melanie told her bluntly. "One more thing, help may come from the most unexpected places at times~"

"W-Wait! I still have questions for you Mela—" Melia began, only to shield her face as the area was soon enveloped in a bright light.

 **0000**

"Argh…my head still hurts…" Melia complained, slowly getting back up as she saw that she was now inside some sort of factory, with molten steel flowing underneath the metal grate she was standing on. Standing right before her was Amanda, standing right before her. Noticing that her back was turned to her, the blonde's channeled her inner power as she attempted a sneak attack to strike her down, only to get pushed back as a cry of pain escaped from her mouth.

"Hah…I figured you would've pulled a stunt like that. Well it won't work!" Amanda chuckled, turning to face the weakened teenager.

"H-How do you know about that?!" The blonde inquired.

"Just sit still and behave." The black-haired woman told her.

"Why…why are you doing this? We've known each other for so long…I thought we were friends?" Melia asked desperately, only to get no response at all. "Tch, whatever. It's a waste of time holding onto friends that don't give a damn about you. So are you with Team Xen, or Bladestar? You took trips to Grand Dream City all the time so I wouldn't be surprised if that were the case."

"That doesn't concern you, I'm not a part of Bladestar." Amanda shot back at her.

"Nor do I recall you being with us either!" A familiar voice called out, the duo turning in surprise only to see Amanda get pushed back by…Madelis?!

"M-Madelis?!" The blonde exclaimed in surprise, the older woman gesturing her to approach her as she handed the blonde a small belt. "My Pokémon! Thank you so much!"

"No worries; you should be honored that someone as beautiful and talented as me came to your aid!" The redhead replied in her usual tone of arrogance. "However, I doubt Amanda will take my surprise attack sitting down, so we may have to fight her."

"Fine by me; we have the advantage this time around!" Melia chimed in, with Amanda slowly getting back up as she shot a glare at the duo.

"If that's how you want to play, then fine by me!" Amanda hissed at them, taking out two Pokéballs and sent out her Incineroar and Bronzong as Melia and Madelis sent out their Togekiss and Houndoom respectively.

The Houndoom started things off by contemplating a series of sinister plots, bolstering its mental capabilities as a wicked smile formed on its face. From there, it lunged towards the Bronzong, generating an intense ball of flames in its mouth as it fired it at the Bronze Bell Pokémon, causing it to crash into the ground. The bronzing slowly got back up and fired a ball of metallic silver energy at the Togekiss, who dodged it gracefully and sent a series of air blades at the Incineroar, striking the bipedal cat head on as it flinched from the powerful attacks. Seizing the opportunity to deal a finishing blow, the Jubilee Pokémon took to the skies, collecting an immense amount of lunar energy and fired it at the Incineroar, sending it flying towards the Bronzing as they crashed into each other. From there, the Houndoom opted to go for a powerful Dark Pulse, the aura of horrible thoughts striking the injured Pokémon and sent them hurtling towards one of the large machines in the back.

"Y-You…" Amanda began seething, recalling her fainted Pokémon before opting to send out her Rhyperior and Victreebel, the two powerful Pokémon shooting a glare at the duo. But the Togekiss and Houndoom weren't intimidated by their foes display of power, opting to double down on the offensive in order to save their trainers. The Victreebel rooted itself on the spot and fired a barrage of sludge at the Togekiss, the latter managing to dodge the onslaught and fired a series of orange balls imbued with aura at the Rhyperior, the large Pokémon staggering back a few feet as it's durable hide was able to take the attack somewhat. Shooting a glare at the Houndoom, the bipedal rhinoceros aimed its arm launchers at the canine and fired a barrage of rocks at it, the Dark Pokémon getting pushed back several feet but was able to land on its feet. Concocting a perfect strategy to deal with is foes, the Houndoom opted to focus on the Victreebel, dodging the plant's barrage of sharp leaves and retaliated with a powerful Flamethrower that sent it flying towards the Rhyperior. From there, Togekiss was able to charge up enough energy for a second Moonblast, firing the attack at the duo and striking them head on, as a massive explosion rocked the area and filled it with smoke. Once the smoke died down, it showed that both the Rhyperior and Victreebel were unable to continue battling.

"And that's a wrap!" Melia called out confidently, the victors of the battle congratulating their Pokémon before recalling them, with Amanda recalling hers as well.

"Speechless? Can't say I blame you. After all, you were no match for our brilliance!" Madelis commented in a prideful manner. "Well at least I'm brilliant and one of a kind…"

"If you're done gloating, can we leave now? I've got something important I must do…" The blonde requested.

"Not so fast; we've got to ensure that she bother anyone else. She's coming with us one way or another." The redhead told her.

"Coming with us? What are we gonna do with her then? I think it's best if we call the police. After all, we knocked out all her Pokémon, so she can't harm us at all." Melia retorted, with Madelis taking a moment to contemplate her words.

"I suppose you raise a fair point…but what is it you need to—" Madelis began, only for a tentacle of sorts to snatch Melia by the waist, the blonde struggling to break free as the redhead saw that it came from Amanda herself.

"I said, you're not getting away…" Amanda hissed at her, only for a robot of sorts to dive towards the tentacle and bisect it, causing the black-haired girl to step back at the sight before her. Her savoir…it was a robot bearing the likeness of Saki Blakeory, a dear friend of hers.

"I…I'm gonna have a few drinks after this is all over. I don't know what's even happening anymore." Madelis commented to herself.

"Don't start drinking yet, I've yet to show you the depths of my greatest invention!" A voice called out, the duo turning to see Erick arriving on scene. "Are you alright, Melia?"

"Y-Yeah, I am…thanks for the save back there, Erick." The blonde panted, shooting an appreciative smile at him. "Wait, if you're here, then that means…"

"Yep, you're in West Gearen; Ignis Ironworks to be specific." Erick answered, a look of surprise forming on Melia's face.

"W-West Gearen?! How long have I been out for?!" She exclaimed, a familiar chuckling echoing throughout the room as she saw the Saki robot land right before the trio.

" _Heheheheh, that wench was nothing in comparison to the supreme Sakitron!"_ She chuckled in a playful voice. _"All who get in my way shall be pulverized into smoothie dust!"_

" _Wel—welcome to the Ae-Ae-Aevium League…WelCOme…!"_ Another mechanical voice echoed throughout the room, the group turning to see Amanda slowly getting back onto her feet. _"Welcome all to the Aevium—*static*"_

"I don't know what's going on in this region anymore…" Melia muttered to herself at the sight, which didn't surprise her one bit at this point. After all, her journey was filled to the brim with extraordinary occurrences following that fateful day in Goldenwood Forest.

" _it's not over, Melia. Our roles aren't finished yet."_ Amanda stated, floating up into the air as several tentacles emerged from her body. _"You couldn't just sit still and behave. Now I have to resort to doing something I just really didn't want to do."_

"S-Stay back everyone! Sakitron will take care of this!" Erick told his allies, the trio opting to step back a couple feet.

"But what can that piece of scrap metal do against…against that?!" Madelis exclaimed.

"Ohohohoho, just you wait and see. Sakitron was also made for combat…" The blue-haired boy chuckled with glee.

" _Indeed! I will send this demon back wence she came from! Battle mode, initializing!"_ Sakitron declared, her body glowing with an illustrious light as she stared down Amanda. Opting to go for the initiative, Sakitron got on her head and twirled towards Amanda, striking her head on and pushed her back a few feet, the playful robot flashing a peace gesture at her enemy. Annoyed, Amanda retaliated by firing a blast of EMP electricity at her, disabling the attack she just used for a few minutes. From there, Amanda followed up with a barrage of tentacle strikes that assaulted Sakitron, pushing her back a few feet. However, she was far from over, taking out a comically large hammer and began spinning towards Amanda, striking her several times on the side before dealing a devastating wallop on her head, causing Amanda to stagger back a few feet. Opting to continue the offensive, Sakitron floated up into the air and began glowing, promptly transforming into a military tank and began charging up the front cannon, only for it to be a dud. This had caught Amanda off-guard, a quiet chuckle escaping from Sakitron's mouth as she leapt into the air and landed on top of her opponent, driving over her before rolling back to her position.

Once Sakitron reverted back to her normal form, Amanda opted to retaliate by firing a blast of electricity at her, striking her directly. A little daze, but still rearing for a fight, Sakitron lunged at her opponent and assaulted her with a barrage of kicks and punches, with Amanda grunting in pain as she pushed Sakitron off of her before firing a powerful beam of energy at her. The beam of energy flung Sakitron back several feet, but she was able to catch her footing before she went over the edge. Opting to go for her finishing move, Sakitron brought out a large drill, and revved it up, diving towards Amanda as she struck her foe head on, a bright light soon illuminating the nearby area. When the light died down, the trio saw an exhausted Amanda panting on the ground, a triumphant Sakitron standing over her.

"It's over Amanda, we've defeated you!" Melia declared boldly.

"But can we even call this monstrosity Amanda? Because I know for sure that the actual Amanda isn't supposed to be like this." Madelis commented.

"No…this isn't her, I'm sure of that." Erick stated.

" _Heh…does it matter if I'm the real thing or not? Make no mistake, I am nothing more than a fabrication, a decoy."_ "Amanda" replied weakly.

"If you're a decoy, then who made you and for what purpose?" The red-haired woman inquired.

" _Heh…isn't that…clear already? What other…purpose could one like Amanda have?"_ The malfunctioning robot shot back, with Melia managing to piece the puzzle together.

"The league's management…of course, the answer was right there all along!" The blonde exclaimed.

" _Every…Everyone wondered why things were in a complete shamble all the time…D-Do you know why some positions were never re-filled? Why some leaders weren't available? Every decision ever made in regard of the league's status were…were for the sake of controlling the Aevium Region, as a means of undoing *static* plan…to put the pieces in the…right place…so when our time comes…resistance…disorganization…chaos…"_ "Amanda" began to explain, the static cutting out the more important details of her plan.

"How long has this been going on for?" Melia inquired, the robot looking up to face her.

" _Shortly before…before Julius arrived in this region."_ The robot replied, catching the trio off-guard. _"His return signaled the beginning of our plans."_

"H-His return? Y-You mean that Julius came to this region before?!" Madelis exclaimed in surprise.

"Well, he did grow up in Goldenleaf Town, so it's not like Aevium was a new place for him…" The blonde informed her.

" _Heheheh…contrary to what you know, this isn't the first time he arrived back at Aevium…"_ Amanda began, only for the ground beneath her to break as she soon fell into the molten metal flowing underneath. _"When all the pieces fall into place…our time will come! My defeat…my destruction…they were destined from the very beginning…we are all but steppingstones for an even greater destiny. You too will understand when your time comes, Melia…"_

Those were the last words she said, the trio watching her sink into the molten metal as they opted to leave this place, their minds abuzz with what they have just heard. Upon stepping outside, Melia took in a deep breath of fresh air, her lungs enjoying the clear air of West Gearen.

"I'm not really sure what to make of what I just heard." She admitted, running a hand through her lovely hair.

"I wouldn't worry about it for now; after all, I'm sure you've got other things to deal with." Erick chuckled lightly, turning to face Madelis. "So, what are you going to do now?"

"Me? Well I have no intention of pulling any weird stunts right now, but I have no idea what I'm supposed to do anymore." The red-haired woman admitted.

"In that case, you can start doing the right thing! Join us; quit Team Xen and leave that lifestyle behind." The blonde proposed, catching the older woman off-guard.

"I'd call you insane, but you don't have the bigger picture, so I'll be nice to you and say that I don't have the luxury to just get up and quit like some people do." Madelis replied. "It's not like I want to run around like a buffoon, but I don't have much choice. I have too much on the line to leave the group."

"Too much on the line…what exactly are you fighting for?" Melia inquired.

"…I'm sorry, but I really need to get back to the city." The redhead stated.

"It's ok; I need to get there myself. After all, I need to check up on Erin, Alice and Allen, oh and Julius as well." The blonde told her, a troubled expression forming on her elder's face.

"If you want to know if they're okay, then don't go to the city. Nastasia has teamed up with Julius to save some of his friends from their imminent demise. From what she told me, Julius is on the verge of a mental breakdown, and could snap at any moment." Madelis informed her, a look of concern forming on the blonde's face. "She kept some parts of the mission vague from me, perhaps because she knows that it's unauthorized."

"W-Where are they now?!" Melia inquired urgently, believing this to be what Melanie had told her about.

"They're making their way to Eclysia Pyramid right now. However, as Bladestar controls the road there, they may need some additional assistance clearing them out." The redhead told her.

"I see…thank you very much, Madelis. I'm gonna make my way there right now, for his sake. I don't…I don't want him to fall into darkness once again." She declared adamantly, hoping to repay her lover in some way after all he's done for her.

"Let us help you; I'd do anything to help him out. After all, a friend of Saki's is a friend of mine!" Erick pledged, with Sakitron striking a dramatic pose. From there, the trio began their journey to Eclysia Pyramid, with Madelis watching them go as she approached the train station.

"What I'm fighting for…? Who knows if it's a good reason, but it's something that means the world to me. And if it means setting aside my person, then that's just how it's going to be." She mused to herself, buying her ticket and hopped onto the train.

 **Zone Zero: Derelict Pokémon Center**

"There we go…how are you feeling Ren?" Aelita inquired, with Reina, Huey and Julius watching their friend insert his voice module back inside him.

"I'm fine, thank you very much. Now that I can talk properly, things should be back to normal." Ren stated calmly.

"S-So how much time do we have left…" Julius inquired uneasily, with his friend taking out his watch.

"Unfortunately, that repair ate up a lot of time, even with Aelita's help. We only have five hours left to save them…" The raven-haired teen stated, the young teen's eyes widening in fear.

"N-No! T-This can't be happening! How could we have lost so much time after traversing such a short distance?!" He exclaimed in fear, shivering to himself.

"Calm down Julius, we can still do this." The lilac-haired girl reassured him. "Huey, Reina, did you find anything to deal with that gate to the north?"

"W-We're sorry, but we couldn't find anything within the ruins. Not even Adam and Braixen could find anything!" Reina apologized to the trio.

"This is just great; we wasted five hours here, and we couldn't even open a damn gate?! How much shit are we going to get thrown in our path?!" Julius shouted in a mixture of fear and anger.

"Compose yourself; I have an idea that could work." Aelita told her friend, gesturing everyone to follow her out the Pokémon Center. Soon enough, the group of five made it to the troublesome gates, with Braixen and Adam arriving a few seconds later. "Now that we're all here, I can finally get my plan into mo—"

"Your plan? Hah, we can try it out in the rare possibility that my plan doesn't work!" Adam boasted confidently, making his way to the gate as he flexed his arms in a display of raw power. "This gate will fall before the fists of the one and only Adam Might!"

"So you're gonna punch the gate into pieces? I think that's a great idea, am I right?" Huey called out, but no one chose to respond to his question. Taking a few steps back, Adam let out a battle-cry as he charged at the gate, only for it to open just as he was about to make contact, causing the older man to land face first into the sandy ground.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That was fantastic!" Reina chuckled, with Ren and Aelita joining in as the group opted to check up on their fallen comrade.

' _Heh…even without his memories, he's the same Adam that I know too well…'_ Braixen thought to herself.

"Argh…talk about an emotional blow. My pride is now in tatters…" Adam groaned, slowly getting up on his feet as the Audino used her power to heal the man of any scrapes he may've incurred. "Hey, I'm starting to feel much better! I'll sign your forehead as thanks once we're done with this mission."

"But why did the gate open though?" Ren inquired, eyeing it up curiously.

"Duh, because I opened it." A familiar voice called out, the group turning to see Risa making her way to them. "I was able to get behind the gate and find the lever, clearing the way for you. However, there's something I gotta show you guys."

"Whatever it is, it better be quick. We're short on time here, and I'm in no mood to waste anymore of it." Julius huffed, with the popstar gesturing the group to follow her down the path, only to stop before a most troublesome sight. Lying inside a fairly shallow crater was some sort of large bomb; the type used to decimate entire cities. "Please don't tell me that's what I think it is…"

"L-Look, I'm all for adventures and stuff, but this thing is way outside of my comfort zone." Reina chimed in.

"W-What's a nuke doing here?!" Ren exclaimed, a small sigh escaping from Julius' mouth. Though he had experience traversing through radioactive areas before, he was not in the mood to go through that nightmare again.

"That's not the only thing of note here; just take a look at the letters engraved on it. are any of you familiar with the alphabet displayed here?" Risa inquired, gesturing the others to take a closer look at the nuke. Indeed, there were letters stringed together to form words on the nuke's surface, but no one was able to decipher it.

"They look similar to Unown letters, but they're not the same." The raven-haired teen commented.

"Correct, Xen boy! There's a lot of evidence that states that alphabets were modeled after the Unown. Perhaps this text is a more primitive form of that alphabet." The orange-haired woman replied.

"Primitive? This is a nuke! How could this thing ever be—" Aelita exclaimed.

"My thoughts exactly!" Risa interrupted her, steadily approaching the bomb. "My curiosity got the better of me, so I decided to investigate it. Luckily for us, there's nothing inside, nor do I think there was anything inside it to begin with. It's an interesting thing to think about, isn't it? Who made this bomb and why?"

"Yeah, yeah. Interesting an all that, now can we get a damn move on?" Julius demanded, tapping his foot on the sand impatiently.

"Don't worry, that was all I wanted to show you guys!" The popstar said, walking away from the bomb before turning to face the group. "Who knows? Maybe this thing is just the context you'll need for later. I would keep it to myself and allow you guys to find it, but I don't wanna get on Xen Destroyer's bad side, so I'll spill the beans. That Rift you're looking for? It's just up ahead; I already dealt with the Bladestar grunts guarding it. and with that, I bid you all adieu!"

Watching the popstar make her leave, Aelita sighed in relief; maybe they did have a chance of succeeding after all. "Now that we've found our target, we can deal with it once and for all." The lilac-haired girl commented.

"We'll let you three handle it; we'll make our way back to the ship and wait for your success. Good luck guys!" Huey cheered for them, as he and Reina left the area with Adam and Braixen following behind.

"Alright then, let's get a move on and deal with this thing!" Ren called out, the trio making their way down the flight of stairs and into a place that he automatically recognized. He was now in the ruins of the Underground Sanctuary; the place where he and his allies defeated Gardevoir once and for all. The floor was now caked in sand, most likely coming from the source of the violent sandstorms. Quietly making their way through the cramped corridor, the trio soon came across the one responsible for the sandstorms; a Hippowdon whose been corrupted by the Rift Matter injected into its system.

"There it is, that's our target!" Aelita chimed in. "Finally, after all that time wasted, we can make some progress."

"Just look at all the sand pouring out of the tubes on it's body…" Ren commented, the group turning to see the endless piles of sand pouring out of the hippo's body. "Alright, so the plan is—"

"Wait, you may need this…" Julius called out, taking the Weird Diary from his bag and presented it to Ren. "This thing was pretty useful back when West Gearen had that issue with the green fog. Perhaps it may be of use here…"

Opening up the diary, Ren began to read its contents, with Aelita peering over his shoulder to get a better look, a look of intrigue on their faces as they handed it back to the young teen. "Interesting…from what I've gathered is that there's a chance to save this poor thing. But do we have the necessary equipment for such a thing?"

"Perhaps Nastasia might have something to say about this?" Aelita chimed in.

"It wouldn't matter, the diary said that a chamber is needed to drain out the Rift Matter. Even if we showed this to her earlier, we wouldn't have the means to do anything about it." The raven-haired teen replied, only for the Audino to call out to him. "Hmmm? You want to try healing it yourself?"

"Audii!" The Audino chirped happily.

"I know you mean well, but we don't have the time. We've got to deal with this thing as soon as possible. It's unfortunate…but we'll have to destroy it." Ren commented sadly, turning to face Julius. "What do you say, want to tackle this thing together?"

"Sure thing! If one of us falls, Aelita can take our place and help out, provided that's alright with her." The young teen agreed to the plan, the lilac-haired girl nodding in confirmation as she and Audino stepped back and allowed her friends to begin the battle. But just as the duo were about to take out their first Pokéballs, the Hippowdon let out a garbled roar, it's body glowing as it split itself into two Hippowdon, both just as strong as each other. "Brilliant…just what we needed. Ah well, looks like it's time to bring out the big guns. Seikamater, I choose you!"

Throwing his Pokéball to the ground, his allies were taken aback by the massive Pokémon he had just sent out. It was an amalgamation of a moth, ant, bee and dragonfly, with a massive body that was covered in orange, red and blue fur. She had six large wings on her back that fluttered quickly, as well as six powerful legs that were able to carry her heavy frame. Her head had six eyes, four small and two big that were gazing calmly at the Hippowdon, as well as a pair of fluffy antennae perched on top of her head. Finally, she had an absolutely massive abdomen that was capable of storing thousands upon thousands of eggs, keeping her children safe from the outside world. Ren, a little startled by the sight opted to go for his trustworthy Greninja, his companion taken aback by the massive insect as well.

A haughty chitter escaping from Seikamater's mandibles, the massive insect began flapping her wings incredibly quickly, creating a loud noise that caused the Hippowdon to quiver on the spot. This enabled the Greninja to follow up by taking in a deep breath, and fired a stream of boiling hot water at the first Hippowdon, scoring a direct hit. Managing to withstand the assault due to their bulk, the two Hippowdon began slamming their thick feet on the ground, causing the area to quiver and quake as several rocks began to rain down upon the duo, with Greninja managing to dodge the rock slide. However, the Seikamater wasn't so lucky, her body getting pelted by the rocks though she was able to withstand the assault. Opening her maw, the Insect Queen Pokémon proceeded to fire a large torrent of water at the second Hippowdon, catching it by surprise as it was flung back several feet and crashed into the walls of the sanctuary, causing a few rocks to pelt its durable body. Opting to finish it off for good, the Seikamater let out a loud chitter, with thousands upon thousands of small insects emerging from the walls and the floor, assaulting the Hippowdon with a barrage of bites and stings before promptly backing away, allowing their queen to land the finishing blow as she picked up the hippo in her mandibles and flung it towards another wall. Seeing that their foe was defeated, the insects bowed before their queen, promptly burrowing back into their homes as the first Hippowdon was stunned over what just happened.

Opting to take out its anger on the Greninja, the hippo opened its maw and spewed a barrage of sludge from its mouth, the frog managing to dodge the onslaught before retaliating with a powerful blast of psychic energy, causing the Hippowdon to flinch from the assault on its mind. With it's foe now alone and vulnerable, the frog Pokémon opted to finish it off alongside its ally, taking in another deep breath and spewed a blast of boiling hot water at it, a gargled moan of pain escaping from the hippo's mouth. This attack left it vulnerable to the Seikamater, who chose to intensify the pain by opening her mouth and fired a stream of intense flames at the Hippowdon, causing it to stagger back as Greninja promptly climbed up the walls to prepare the finishing blow. From its position, the Ninja Pokemon threw a series of water shurikens at its foe's feet, before promptly freezing them with an Ice Beam. From there, the Greninja fired a few small blasts of hot water, causing the frozen shurikens to explode, sending sharp chunks of ice that struck the Rift Pokémon and sent it flying back a few feet. From there, the two Hippowdon began glowing, merging back to one as the injured Pokémon gazed weakly at its opponents.

"Hah…it's still not over?! Just how durable is that thing?!" Julius exclaimed in surprise, taken aback that a Pokémon was able to weather an assault from his Seikamater. However, an idea soon formed in Audino's mind, the Hearing Pokémon making her way to Aelita and began chirping to her.

"W-What are you saying?!" The lilac-haired girl exclaimed, the Audino running over to the Hippowdon and began healing it.

"What are you doing?! Why are you healing it?!" Ren cried out in utter confusion, watching in horror as his ally continued to heal his enemy. However, something unexpected happened; the Audino's body began glowing a vivid purple, the small Pokémon stepping back a few feet as she fired a purple and pink beam of energy at the downed Hippowdon, enveloping the entire room with light. A few moments later, the light died down, showing that the Hippowdon was cleansed of all the Rift Matter in its body, the three trainers taken aback by the sight before them. "W-What the…"

"Audino, you're amazing! You returned the Hippowdon back to normal!" Aelita praised her friend, a weak chirp of happiness coming from the Audino as she promptly devolved back into her regular form, the lilac-haired girl running over to check up on her. "Oh no…you must've used the last of your strength to heal the Hippowdon. Don't worry, I'll take care of you."

"Hippo!" The Hippowdon roared in gratitude at the three trainers, who all noticed that the sandstorm had subsided.

"Phew…talk about an intense battle. I'd say that we all did fantastically out there, with Audino being the MvP." Julius commented, gently petting his Seikamater's large belly as she let out a quick chitter of joy.

"I'll give Nastasia a quick ring to let her know of our success." Ren called out, promptly activating his speaker phone. "Nastasia, we've cleared the sandstrom."

" _I've noticed; good job on destroying the Rift."_ Nastasia complimented the group.

"About that…we didn't actually destroy it. Audino came through and used a souped-up Heal Pulse to cleanse the Hippowdon of the Rift Matter in its body." The raven-haired teen replied.

" _How interesting…I didn't know Audino were capable of pulling of such a feat. Anyway, Team's B and C have made their way back to the ship. We'll be making our way to the Eclysia Pyramid immediately; we only have four hours left."_

"Got it; we'll be making our way there right now!" Ren told her, his superior hanging up on him as he and Julius recalled their Pokémon before continuing their trek to their destination. Making their way out the sanctuary, the trio began talking to each other in order to lighten up the mood a bit. "Julius, mind telling me what on earth that giant bug was? I've never seen anything like it."

"Ah, you're referring to Seikamater, right?" He replied, with his friend nodding in confirmation. "Seikamater are often considered to be the queen of all Bug Pokémon, and she has the power to back it up. She rules over the Bug Pokémon of Tandor, who offer up their lives to defend her and give her vast quantities of food so she can give birth to the next generation. Her ability grants an immense boost of power to her Fire, Water and Electric moves, making her a formidable foe. Seikamater are so powerful that they're often mistaken for legendary Pokémon and can easily hold her ground against them. She's big, she's beautiful, and she's infallible; the perfect representation of Tandor's powerful wildlife!" Julius bragged, his spirits perking up a little bit.

"Incredible...just incredible. I think I'll visit Tandor once this whole thing is over." Aelita mused to herself. "So where are we going?"

"The only way we can; north. The route south is blocked off by rubble, and the route east leads to Reldin Island, where the Headquarters for Team Xen is located." The raven-haired teen stated, catching his friends off-guard.

"If the Xen Headquarters were located there, then why not land there instead of Zone Zero?" Julius inquired.

"A couple of reasons, mainly that this mission isn't exactly authorized…" Ren chuckled uneasily.

"Unauthorized?! You mean that Nastasia's breaking the rules by helping us?" The lilac-haired girl replied.

"Yeah. Madame X doesn't know what we're doing right now, which is really dangerous. Hence why we should get a move on and finish this quickly; if she were to find out…" Ren began, shivering in fear to himself. However, he soon broke out of his fear and gestured his allies to follow him, the trio making their way down the path to the north, with Julius soon recognizing the location. But as they were making their way to the abandoned mansion, he was soon halted in place by his friend. "H-Hold on, you remember what's ahead, right Julius?"

"The mansion where you found me unconscious?" Julius replied, with Ren nodding in confirmation. "Thanks for the warning, but I should be fine. I'll endure a thousand headaches at the same time if it means saving Melia's life!"

"Wait, you know about this place?" Aelita called out to them, the duo making their way to her as she eyed it up in confusion. It was then that Julius felt a sudden headache, the young teen clutching his head in pain as he soon saw what looked like a vision of the past.

 **0000**

 _A teenage girl was resting peacefully in bed, the door to her room opening up as a boy around her age approached her slumbering figure. "Axel, I'm trying to take a nap. Could you come back later?" She requested._

" _Sorry, Aria, but I have to do this. Otherwise I'd get yelled at for not waking you up." The boy named Axel replied. "As if drama queen; now get up! We gotta go!"_

" _I guess this is why were related; always gotta be punctual…" Aria sighed to herself, promptly hopping off her bed. "After all, Aevia's piano recital is today, isn't it?"_

" _That's right you dork! She's been practicing for months, so let's not be late!" Axel stated, a devilish smile on his face._

" _Alright, what have you done this time, Axel?" Aria demanded an answer from him._

" _Oh nothing, my dear, dear sister. I'm an angel, don't you know that already?" He replied whimsically, turning to face the potted plant in the room. "By the way, Alain said that your sugar cookies at the bake sale were dry!"_

" _She said what?!" The teenage girl exclaimed, quickly making her way to him only to trip over her own feet, with Axel chuckling like a mad man. "Y-You tied my shoelaces together, didn't you?!"_

" _HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Consider that payback for embarrassing me in front of everyone the other day! Eye for an eye, sis! Now don't be late to the recital or else Aevia will be upset!" Axel retorted, making his way downstairs as he continued laughing._

 **0000**

"W-What the…" Julius spoke to himself, his mind at a loss as to what just happened. Who were those people? Why was he able to look into their past? Why now did this power come to him?

"Julius, are you okay?" Aelita called out to him, as she and Ren looked at him in concern.

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just a temporary headache, probably from sleep deprivation and all that…" The young teen replied, the headache subsiding upon the end of that…whatever it was he experienced.

"This isn't the first time this place gave Julius a hard time. However, he seems to be alright now, so we can get a move on once more." Ren stated.

"Indeed, I'm more than capable of continuing. Let us make haste; we've got some friends to save!" Julius declared, the trio making their way down the path beside the mansion as they were reaching the final stretch. Whatever may lie in his path, Julius will go above and beyond to overcome these obstacles if it meant saving Melia's life.

 **A bit shorter than the previous chapters, but I felt that now would be a good time to end the chapter. Things will only get more intense as the heroes' traverse through the Eclysia Pyramid, but they will prevail if they work together. Thank you all for reading and supporting my story, I hope you all stay safe and healthy during these trying times.**


	59. Chapter 59

**Ibrex2000: No need to thank me; fellow fanfiction authors should help and support each other.**

 **DBA: I'm glad that you're enjoying my story; I'm most definitely going to continue this story once Version 13 gets released, but I'll be taking a quick break from the story once I complete Episode 14.**

 **Now that the heroes have overcome the Rift Hippowdon that had impeded their journey through Zone Zero, they're more than ready to confront the various dangers located inside the vast Eclysia Pyramid. I hope you all enjoy what I have to offer you in this chapter.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon Rejuvenation, nor do I own Pokémon Uranium. They are the property of their respective creators.**

 **Eclysia Pyramid**

Upon arriving at the pyramid, the trio were taken aback by the grand sight before them; effortlessly towering above them, the Eclysia Pyramid was definitely built to last. Though nobody knew when exactly it was built, it was most likely around way, way before the people of the Miera Region emigrated to Aevium.

"Finally…after spending so much time traversing through Zone Zero, we're here at last." Aelita sighed in relief, the lilac-haired girl noticing that Nastasia had already parked the Transport Ship beside the entrance.

"We should make a few more preparations before we step inside; who knows what Bladestar has in store for us." Ren suggested.

"It doesn't matter what they have in store for us; we'll be able to power through it with ease." Julius chimed in, a new-found wave of determination coursing throughout his body. "Hey Ren, are you feeling alright? I mean in terms of tiredness and whatnot."

"Me? I'm perfectly fine, thank you very much. I don't get tired all that often in this body, so I'm good to go." The raven-haired teen answered.

"Guess that's one perk of being an android…" Aelita chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, one of many. I keep asking Nastasia for an option to make my own milkshakes, but I don't think I'd be able to enjoy it even if I had such a feature." A small sigh escaped from Ren's mouth.

"Look on the plus side; you'll be her favorite member once you get the feature!" The young teen chimed in, resting a hand on his friend's shoulder. "But enough chit-chat, we should get going."

Agreeing to his suggestion, the trio made their way inside the pyramid, their eyes widening in awe upon taking a look at the pyramid's interior. There were several etchings on the wall that most likely depicted the way of life during the time this pyramid was constructed. There were several phrases written in the Unown language, though what they were saying was a complete mystery to Julius. Though he thought that the pyramid might have a connection to the Garufa tribe, he needed some more conclusive proof before he could connect the two together.

"So this is Eclysia Pyramid?" The lilac-haired girl spoke to herself. "This place looks exactly how I imagined it to be. Everything checks out!"

"Yeah, if those reports from Nastasia came out correct, the Spring of Rejuvenation should be on the bottom floor. Which means we should—" Ren began, only for what sounded like…an intercom to blare throughout the area.

' _Welcome to Eclysia Pyramid! Thank you for choosing this place as your destination! We are happy to announce that you are our 56_ _th_ _, 57_ _th_ _, and 58_ _th_ _visitor of the day! if you're looking for the Spring of Rejuvenation, then please head straight! If you're interested in visiting the Skydeck, please head to the right! We hope you all have a wonderful time here!'_ A cheery voice spoke out from somewhere, promptly shutting off afterwards as the trio were taken aback by what they just heard.

"Well…that was something I did not expect. For a moment, I thought we stepped into a supermarket instead of a pyramid. Either way, we should head to the spring as soon as possible." Julius commented, the trio making their way across the bridge and down the flight of stairs towards the Spring of Rejuvenation. Upon stepping inside, the first thing the trio saw was that the area was as vibrant as they expected a spring to be. There were tons of lush plantlife growing within the area, with dozens of flowers lining up the place in a neat fashion. Up ahead, they saw their allies keeping a watch over the three stasis pods, the group turning to face the heroes as the trio soon approached them.

"Looks like you three made it after all!" Reina called out to them, a sigh of relief escaping from her mouth.

"Yeah, it took quite a bit of work, but we managed to arrive in one piece." The raven-haired teen replied, eyeing up the three pods. "So when can we begin the healing process?"

"I'm afraid there's a snag in the plan; Nastasia will tell you more about it." Sharon informed them, the trio looking at each other oddly as they approached the Xen Admin.

"Nastasia, what seems to be the—" Aelita began, only to see what the problem was herself. Lying before their eyes was an empty ditch where the spring water should be, the barren ditch a stark contrast from the lush plant-life in the area. "T-The spring is completely dried out!"

"D-Damnit!" Julius growled to himself, kicking a rock into the empty spring. "Just when I thought this was over, we get something else dumped into our laps!"

"What are we supposed to do now that the spring is dry?!" Ren exclaimed, turning to face Nastasia. "W-What can we do, Nastasia?!"

"Be quiet! I'm trying to think of a solution…" She promptly hushed the trio, the older woman mulling to herself as she found herself stuck on an issue for the first time in her life. "The other two springs were functional, so I assumed this one would be functional as well. It was naïve of me to think that this wouldn't be a possible result."

"So that's it then; we're completely screwed?" The young teen commented dejectedly, only for an idea to form in Aelita's head.

"Couldn't we just get the spring back up and running again? There has to be a way, I just know it!" The lilac-haired girl called out, the trio unaware that Julius' body began to glow, the young teen clutching his head in pain. Soon enough, he was presented with another odd vision.

 **0000**

 _A pair of adults were standing beside the Spring of Rejuvenation, the body of water as full as it should be. Gazing calmly at the spring, they began to converse with one another._

" _Do you see this water, Adrest? It's a lot different from the other springs we've seen." The woman talked to her comrade._

" _Yes, it certainly looks cleaner than the waters you see above ground." The man named Adrest replied._

" _Correct. This water holds healing properties that humanity deemed impossible to exist. But because of the material we gathered from that meteorite, the impossible is now possible." The woman continued, turning to face the man. "We've refined its contents and created an abject we're labeling the Jewel of Life."_

" _Ah, so we've come up with a name for it then? Where's it being held?" The man inquired._

" _We've constructed this pyramid specifically to maintain the spring. But the Jewel is being held on the Skyview, which is on the highest level. Remove the Jewel, and the spring will stop running." The woman answered his question._

" _But why would we want to remove the Jewel in the first place?" Adrest inquired, a hint of surprise in his voice."_

" _With this spring, we'll be able to live here together, for a very long time. immortality, in theory, could be in reach. As long as we stay in contact with the spring. But there will come a time where us as humans are ready to move on. And when that fated day comes; the Jewel will be removed." The woman explained her reasoning, with Adrest, stepping back a foot._

" _M-Mother…" He began, soon releasing the mistake he made. "F-Forgive me for my mistake, Veriya."_

" _Heheheh…no need to apologize, Adrest." Veriya chuckled lightly. OIt was nice to hear you call me mother after all this time."_

 **0000**

"G-Gahh!" Julius cried out, the pain soon subsiding as he was taken aback by this newfound knowledge he was gifted, as well as this mysterious feeling coursing though his body; almost as if there was someone else occupying his body for the moment. **"As you have concluded, the Spring of Rejuvenation has been drained."**

"J-Julius…?" Ren inquired, taken aback by how…different his voice raven-haired teen was shocked over what he was experiencing, as were his allies.

" **I realize that this may be quite strange, but I'm going to need you all to listen to me."** The voice continued, using the young teen as it's puppet for the moment. **"There's still time to reactivate the spring. On the highest level is a room called the Skyview; all we need to do is re-insert the Jewel of Life into the pillar there. Once that's done, the spring will flow once more. But we need to make our way there immediately"**

"if that's the case, then you three will make your way to the top. We're out of options at the moment, so we've got no other choice." Nastasia agreed to the plan. "Ren, Aelita, you'll be going with Julius to the Skyview."

"Yes ma'am!" Aelita called out, gesturing Ren to follow her upstairs with Julius following behind, having regained control over his body. But as he was leaving, Nastasia called out to him, attracting his attention as he turned to face her.

"I don't know who, or what you are, but I will find out eventually." The Xen admin pledged.

"W-Well if you want, you can ask your boss for advice once this is all done and dusted." He replied, making his way to his friends. But unbeknownst to them, a few Unown began circling one of the stasis pods in the area, specifically the one which contained Alice's injured body.

' _Ah, my friends…do you want to play again? Yes, let's play together! Just like old times…'_ She spoke to them with her mind.

 **0000**

As the trio made their way upstairs, a troubling thought plagued Julius; whose voice was it that spoke through his body? Why did they feel the need to explain the solution to his friends when he could've done it himself? Was this ability another inherent trait of the Interceptor, or was it something else altogether? Upon arriving at the next floor, they saw what looked like a mishmash of winding paths, separated by a few gaps in the walkways.

"Looks like it's a repeat of that trap Bladestar made back in Zone Zero. I assume we all know what to do?" Ren inquired.

"Yep! We'll clear though it like we did back then, together!" Aelita called out. "I'll take the path on the left, Ren takes the right and Julius has the center, got it?"

"Well it works for me, so I'm good with it." Julius agreed, taking out his stun gun and reloaded it in the event that he needed it.

"One more thing before we get going; what was up with you back there? Your voice…it wasn't your voice that spoke to us." The raven-haired teen inquired.

"To be honest, I don't know myself…" The young teen answered. "Eh, we can talk about it over milkshakes later. Let's get back to work!"

"Got it!" His friends called out, the trio beginning their quest to get through this room with ease. At first, the puzzle seemed easy; all the trio had to do was press various colored switched to rebuild the bridges that were too far apart to jump over safely. However, only one switch could be activated at a time, meaning they had to go about the plan in a calculated manner. Of course, what didn't help their cause were the numerous Bladestar grunts patrolling the area, no doubt armed to the teeth with powerful Pokémon. Knowing that they don't have the time to waste on the grunts, they opted to use more unconventional methods to deal with them. And though Aelita and Ren weren't 100% comfortable with knocking out the grunts themselves, they knew that it was for the sake of their friends.

Halfway through the puzzle, they soon came across a new switch; one that had to be stood on as opposed to just pressing it. Though this new mechanic added a twist to the puzzle, it wasn't one that made it impossible to complete. The trio alternated on who stood on their respective switch, enabling the others to continue down their path as they searched for the next switch to activate. But partway through the puzzle, a brilliant idea formed in Julius' mind upon seeing a lone stone beside the bridge. Mustering up all the strength he could, the young teen pushed the stone onto the switch beside him, a satisfied smile forming on his face upon seeing his plan work. Radioing his findings to his allies, they were soon inspired to try it out themselves, opting to spend the next few minutes locating a suitable stone and pushing it onto their respective switches. Seeing that it worked, the trio were able to press forward unhindered, making their way to the end of the room and were able to see each other again, though they were still separated by the gaps in the floor.

"That was a nice idea, Jules! That little bit of clever thinking saved us some time." Aelita called out to him.

"No need to thank me; there's nothing wrong with bending the rules if it's for the sake of our friends!" Julius stated, looking back at the Bladestar grunts they trio had knocked out. "Can't say I like beating up the grunts, given that they were just following orders. But if it's for Melia's sake, I'd tear down the entire organization with my bare hands."

"I wouldn't be surprised if Bladestar were the ones who drained the spring." Ren commented to himself, his eyes glancing towards what looked like a crowd running towards them. "Speak of the devil…"

The trio prepared themselves for another showdown with the Bladestar grunts, only for the group to quickly run past the trio, looks of fear etched on their faces. Watching the retreating grunts evacuate the room, the trio were left puzzled as to what compelled them to flee, only to see something that caused their blood to freeze. Slowly approaching Julius were a pair of mechanical Pokémon; warped versions of Magneton and Claydol. Though they weren't sentient beings like the Pokémon they were based on, there was an air of hostility emanating from the duo. The Magneton took on the form of a serpentine machine, consisting of six Magnemite, while the Claydol consisted of a floating head surrounded by three arms, the machine resembling a Probopass in terms of design as its body glowed with a psychic aura that was infused with electricity.

' _Intruders detected! Preparing to exterminate all who intrude on this sacred place!'_ The machines droned loudly, the trio determining them to be the Pyramid's defense systems.

"Looks like they're out to punish me for cheating their puzzle. No matter, I'll deal with them as swiftly as I can!" Julius stated, taking out a Pokéball and sent out his Beliaddon. Almost immediately, the Claydol began to glow vividly, the ground quaking beneath Beliaddon's feet as it narrowly dodged a miniature eruption that sent debris into the air. Opting to go on the offensive, the Beliaddon conjured up an Infernal Blade and bisected the mechanical Claydol, the pieces falling to the floor as the Magneton began charging electricity in its body. From there, it fired a bolt of lightning that struck the Demon Pokémon head on, but it wasn't enough to stop it; the powerful Pokémon raising its sword in the air and bisected the machine as well. But just when he thought he was done, a few more of those machines made their way towards the young teen.

"H-How many of these things are there?!" He exclaimed.

"D-Don't worry, I've got your back!" Ren called out, planning on making his way to Julius' side. But just as he was about to, a mysterious voice called out to them.

"No need. I'll take care of these guys no problem!" It called out to them, the figure of a teenage male soon appearing behind the machines as they promptly exploded into a shower of scrap metal. "Well then, that was fun. Glad I popped in when I could!"

"A-Allen?!" Julius exclaimed, a small chuckle escaping from the blonde boy's mouth as he and his Alolan Ninetales approached the young teen.

"Good to see you again, Julius. Was I helpful?" Allen inquired.

"Y-Yeah, b-but how are you here? I-I thought you were…" Julius began, but he was at a complete loss for words as to what he was witnessing. "How are you here right now, Allen?!"

"T-That's Allen?!" Aelita exclaimed, a look of surprise on her face as well. And it wasn't just her; Ren was also mystified as to how the person before them was up and fighting as if he hadn't survived a massive explosion through the skin on his teeth.

"Ah, I see that your friends aren't familiar with me. You may know my name already, but I'll introduce myself once more. I'm Allen; it's nice to meet you two. I'm sure my Ninetales is just as happy to meet you as I am." The blonde boy introduced himself to the duo.

"H-How are you here?! In case you didn't know, we're trying to save you and your sister!" The lilac-haired girl called out.

"Huh, save? I'm doing just fine, as is my sister, Alice. She's around here somewhere, but I'm sure you'll meet her eventually." Allen began, an odd look of sorts in his eyes. "I don't know what you three are going on about, but there's nothing to worry about! Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some machines to destroy! They're the fiends who'll destroy the world if I don't stop them, so I must get going!"

Watching the blonde boy make his leave, the trio were taken aback by what they just sat through, with Ren a little taken aback by his bold declaration. "Keep the truth about me a secret around him, alright?" He asked his friends.

"Sure thing…as long as you don't start flying around the place, you should be safe and sound." Aelita replied.

"In any case, may I suggest that you two bring out a Pokémon to defend yourselves from those defense mechanisms. Things will only get harder from here on out." Julius suggested, with Ren and Aelita agreeing with his idea as they sent out their Greninja and Hawlucha respectively and continued down their respective paths.

 **0000**

Flora was busy monitoring the situation from her personal office, the unconscious body of Florin resting beside the wall as the green-haired girl had a cold yet calculated look on her face. Just then, a Bladestar grunt burst into the office and ran up to their leader, a look of exhaustion etched on the grunts face.

"M-Ma'am…I have important things to report. The siege on the Judicial Building has begun; as we speak, fellow Bladestar members are invading the place." The grunt reported.

"Good. Then power over the city will soon be ours. Most excellent…you're dismissed." Flora told her, her gaze locked onto the various computer screens.

"U-Um…there's one last thing, ma'am. It appears that Team Xen and Julius have reached Eclysia Pyramid and are making their way to the top." The grunt continued, a look of intrigue forming on Flora's face.

"Heh...just as I had expected. No need to worry; though Julius is most definitely a strong foe, I am stronger than he is. No doubt his spirit is faltered by what happened at the Grand Dream Ball, which'll make him weaker than usual. Larkspur is already at the premises along with my…trump card so to speak. When the time comes, I shall crush him like dead leaves under my boot." The green-haired girl chuckled to herself. "Julius has become desperate; willing to work with Team Xen for the sake of his goals. Fate herself must be handing the victory to me on a silver platter, and I'm loving every moment of it!"

"M-Ma'am…may I be excused?" The grunt inquired, a hint of nervousness in their voice.

"I already said that you're dismissed, so go already. I need some time to myself." Flora called out, with the grunt bowing as they promptly left her office. "Soon…soon everything I've worked so hard for will fall into place. And I will have avenged you, Rune. Please, forgive me…"

 _ **Flashback**_

" _What am I supposed to make of this…?" Rune inquired, eyeing up Flora oddly as the green-haired girl remained as composed as ever._

" _I was hoping you'd assist me and become a part of Bladestar." Flora requested, but Rune wouldn't have any of it._

" _A part of Bladestar?! Flora, you're running a terrorist organization! I knew Bladestar was growing in power recently, but I had no idea you were the one behind it all!" Rune exclaimed._

" _Tell me, why won't you join? What part of it are you afraid of?" The green-haired girl inquired._

" _I…I have enough on my mind as it is. I can't worry about running around playing terrorist with you!" Rune shot back. "Things that I have to take care of myself. Telling this to me mow…it's just adding fuel to the fire and I can't take it. Huey…he's my first and only priority. I have to make sure he's safe."_

" _By joining Bladestar, you're guaranteeing Huey a safe and prosperous future." Flora began to tempt her. "Let's face it, Rune. Huey isn't going to make it in this city. He's the type of person Cassandra chews on and spits out."_

" _I-I'm sorry Flora, but I can't. I simply cannot join you; I-I'm leaving." Rune replied, quickly making her way out of the room only for Flora to call out to her._

" _Where do you think you're going? You think you can just walk out of here after learning what you just learned?" The green-haired girl commented curtly._

" _So what? You're going to get rid of me because I know your dirty secret?" Rune inquired, a hint of contempt present in her tone._

" _Of course not, we're friends after all. Childhood friends, wasn't it? Under normal circumstances, I'd have you killed, but based on our past friendship, I'm willing to cut you a deal." Flora began. "You keep this place and my involvement in Bladestar a secret. Failure to do this and not only will I hunt you down, but I'll reveal your deepest and darkest secret to Huey."_

" _Tch…I'll agree to your terms but consider our friendship over!" Rune agreed through gritted teeth, promptly storming out of the building as the smallest hint of regret soon formed on Flora's face._

 _ **Flashback ends here**_

 **0000**

Back in the Eclysia Pyramid, the trio continued their trek throughout the perilous room, their senses on full alert now that the defense mechanisms were roaming the area. Aelita had made her way over a bridge that Julius had activated when she soon came across a pair of Magnetons approaching her. Unfazed by the sight, she asked Hawlucha to defend her from the mechanical menace, only for a third machine to approach the lilac-haired girl. It was a mechanical Sigilyph that consisted of nothing but the head, the body and four wings on its body that made it resemble an 'X'. Unfazed by this new foe, the Hawlucha leapt into the air and kicked the first Magneton in the face, shattering it into pieces as it dodged a blast of electricity from the second Magneton. The Wrestling Pokémon picked up some scrap metal from the first machine and flung it at the other two, causing them to stagger and enabled it to land a most devastating uppercut on the second Magneton. Once it was destroyed, the Hawlucha leapt into the air and got on the Sigilyph, tearing its wings off as the machine crashed into the ground and sent debris everywhere.

"Phew…that was a little easier than I expected." Aelita sighed in relief, with Hawlucha following suit.

"Good to see that the lady is doing alright…" A voice called out, with the lilac-haired girl turning to see Allen approaching her. "I was going to help you out, but you managed to destroy those wicked machines with ease."

"Look, Allen. How are you here? How are you able to do any of this?" She inquired, the blonde boy shooting an odd look at her.

"Still asking those weird questions?" Allen inquired. "I'm a vigilante, it's what I do! By the way, I have some very insightful information for you. There's a bridge that only activates if two of the red switches are activated at the same time. You know, the ones that require some weight on them to work properly."

"T-Thanks for that…" Aelita began, only to see Allen and his Ninetales make their way down the next bridge quickly. Though she didn't understand how Allen was able to do this, she was grateful for the bit of advice he gave her and opted to inform her friends about it. now all she needed to do was to find these switches and push another stone onto it like before.

Meanwhile, Ren was making his way down his designated path, searching for the switches that Aelita informed him about just then. But just a few minutes later, he soon came face-to-face with a young girl who sported lovely blonde hair, an innocent smile on her face. "A-Alice…?" Ren assumed her name, having heard Allen mention it earlier.

"Y-Yeah…that's me." The now named Alice replied, her expression soon morphing into one of fear as she held a firm grip onto his jacket. "P-Please, help me. Those things are chasing me!"

Y-You don't mean—" Ren began, only to see a trio of machine make their way towards the duo. Two of them were a Magneton and Claydol like the ones Julius had fought earlier, but the third one was a mechanical Golurk that had three heads floating above its head and shoulders. Asking his Greninja for some assistance, the nimble frog was more than happy to do so, conjuring up a few Water Shurikens and flung them at the Claydol, damaging the arms on the machine as it began twitching in the air. From there, the Ninja Pokémon leaped into the air and slammed its webbed hand into the head, piercing through the machine's exterior as it slowly fell to the ground. Immediately afterwards, the Greninja conjured up a large Water Shuriken and flung it at the Magenton, bisecting it in half as the pieces fell to the ground. The Golurk held its arms out and began generating a copious amount of electricity into a ball before flinging it at the Greninja, the frog dodging it with ease and swept the large machine off its feet, the Golurk tumbling to the ground and crash-landed, causing the surrounding area to quake for a few seconds.

"Alice!" Allen's voice called out, the blonde boy quickly arriving on scene. "Are you alright?!"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine thank you very much." Alice replied a little uneasily.

"That's good to hear. Team Trappus won't have any power over us anymore!" Allen declared boldly.

"Team Trappus…?" Ren inquired, a look of confusion on his face. "Who are you talking about?"

"A bunch of wicked goons that sought to separate me and my sister; they're probably the ones who sent those machines after you and the others." The blonde boy answered.

"I agree; this whole ordeal has Team Trappus written all over it!" Alice chimed in. "I gave Allen the task of destroying every last machine, and he's doing a fantastic job!"

"Which reminds me, there's still more work to be done." Allen commented, the blonde boy promptly making his leave as Alice shot another look at Ren.

"Your name is Ren, right? What's that Pokémon you had? The small one with the really pretty gemstones for eyes." She inquired.

"Y-You mean my Sableye?" Ren replied, taken aback by how she knew about his Pokémon as he promptly showed off his Sableye to her.

"Oh, how wonderful! I want one of my own!" Alice smiled in awe, channeling her inner power as a small purple blob formed on the ground beside her, morphing into an exact replica of his Sableye.

"W-What in the…" The raven-haired teen began, his Sableye letting out a cry of fear as it recalled itself back into its ball. "H-How were you able to do that?!"

"My friends from the Unown Dimension created it for me! Yes, the Unown are my friends. I'd like you to meet them!" The blonde girl smiled, the duo watching quietly as several Unown appeared before them, chirping happily at the young girl.

"Unbelievable…" Ren mused to himself quietly.

"Yes, my friends are here to play with me! You should play with us, Ren!" Alice offered, only for him to knock her offer back.

"No, I can't. I'm working alongside my friends to save you, Allen and Melia. But it looks like you two are just messing around and having a good time!" He shot back at her.

"Y-You don't want to play then…? Fine then!" She huffed, promptly disappearing from the area as Ren struggled to make sense on what he just saw.

"What was all that about…? Ah, never mind, I've got more important things to deal with." Ren told himself, the raven-haired teen making his way down the path in search of the switches.

Meanwhile, Julius was making his way down his path in search of the switches as well, the young teen being besieged by the defense mechanisms. For some reason, they seemed to prioritize him over the others, no doubt due to the cheating he had committed to reach this point. And though his Beliaddon was able to cut through the machines with ease, he knew that it couldn't fight them off forever, so he opted to make haste in finding the switches. A few minutes later, he stumbled upon another switch in the ground and opted to place another stone over it like before, hoping it would open up a path for his friends down the line. Taking the time to push the stone onto the switch, he radioed his friends about his findings, with the duo replied by informing him that they found their respective switches to press down on. Once they had done that, the trio continued their way to the end of the room, finally reuniting with one another after such an ordeal.

"Phew, we finally did it! Those defense mechanisms were no match for our teamwork!" Aelita called out fervently, with Audino chirping happily as she used her powers to refresh the trio and their Pokémon. "Thank you very much, Audino!"

"I just hope we don't fight any more defense mechanisms; my word, were there so many of them…" Julius pointed out, glancing briefly at the pile of destroyed machines that littered the area.

"I think I figured out how Allen and Alice are able to run around as if nothing had happened to them." Ren commented, attracting the duo's attention. "I may not know much about this Unown Dimension they came from, but it seems that it's populated with Unown, hence the name. While Unown are very weak on their own, their power is unmatched when they're in large groups. Call this a hunch, but I believe the Unown are projecting Alice and Allen."

"That makes a whole lot of sense when you put it like that…" The lilac-haired girl commented. "Should we contact Nastasia to see if anything weird is going on down there?"

"As long as they don't get in our way, it should be fine." Julius stated, glancing at Aelita. "How much time do we have left?"

"55 minutes. We can make it work, but we'll need to hurry." Aelita answered, the trio recalling their Pokémon before promptly making their way to the next room. Eventually, they found themselves in a room that was blocked off by a large white door with a golden diamond in the middle, the design causing a small stir within the young teen, but he wasn't sure why that was the case. Additionally, there was also a computer mounted in the ground similar to the one that Nastasia has in her private office. Aelita tried to open the door with all her might but wasn't able to do so. "I-Is this a dead end…?"

"T-That can't be…there's got to be a way to open that door!" Ren called out. "After all, Bladestar were able to make it past here."

"What if they broke the mechanism from the other side, ensuring that nobody would get past here…?" Julius proposed, a sigh of frustration escaping from his mouth as he kicked the nearby computer with his foot. "D-Damnit! Is this the end for us?!"

Just as he said that, a faint glow began to emanate from within his pocket, where he kept his trainer card. Slowly taking it out he saw that the Normality Badge was transforming into a weird key of sorts, its coloration matching the one on the door. "N-No way…" The young teen mused to himself. Was this…was this Maria's way of helping him out when he needed it, just like how he helped her way back then? pocketing the trainer card back, he made his way to his friends and showed them the key, informing them on what had just happened.

"W-Wait, you mean to tell me that your badge turned into this key?" The raven-haired teen inquired, with Julius nodding in confirmation.

"Well what are we waiting for, let's open that door already!" Aelita called out, the trio making their way to the door, only to see no keyhole or indent on the structure. Turning to face the computer, the lilac-haired girl saw a small keyhole on the side, gesturing the duo to approach the machine. Inserting the key into the keyhole, Julius turned it to the side and saw the computer turn on, the faint glow of the screen illuminating the room as the screen was plastered with several characters from the same alphabet they saw on that bomb outside the pyramid.

"As I may have mentioned before, these letters vaguely resemble Unown so I should be able to decipher them. I'll try to be as quick as I can, so I need you two to be on guard in case any distractions come our way." Ren informed his friends.

"Time you say? I'm afraid to say that I won't be giving you any time…" A voice called out to them, the trio looking up and saw a Bladestar admin approaching them inside a massive mecha. "Heheheh, seems that you three finally made it to the Pyramid. Impressive, but this is the furthest you will go."

"Tough talk coming from someone cowardly enough to use a mecha against a few teenagers!" Julius retorted.

"Hahahaha! A lively one I see. So, what if I'm using a mecha? This is Bladestar's final stand, so we're gonna use everything we have in our disposal. Once we succeed here, nothing will be able to stop us, not even Team Xen! For you see, we have the Jewel of Life in our possession." The admin chortled.

"Tch, I figured you creeps were the ones behind the spring's drainage!" Ren scoffed in disgust at the Bladestar admin.

"Hey now, that wasn't an intended occurrence. It was merely a side effect of our actions. But that doesn't matter; I'll drill you three into oblivion!" The admin declared, only for a second scoff of disgust to echo throughout the room.

"To side with the machines that'll spell doom for us all? You must be incredibly pathetic…" Allen called out to the admin. "If you want an opponent so badly, then I'll be your obstacle! Unless you're too much of a coward to face me…"

"Y-You!" The admin seethed at the blonde boy. "How dare you call me a coward! If you want a beatdown that badly, then I'll be happy to oblige!"

"Allen, if you can hold him off for a bit while I decipher these characters, that'll be greatly appreciated." Ren called out to him.

"Heh, I'll do more than buy you some time; I'll destroy this coward's precious machine!" Allen declared, promptly conjuring up a sword made up of Unown. From there, he promptly lunged at the mecha and slashed at it, severing the left drill off the machine as it tumbled to the floor. The admin, angry at this punk for damaging his mecha fired the right drill at his foe, the blonde boy blocking it with his sword as the drill returned to its owner. The admin opted to follow up by revving the engine and drove towards Allen at impressive speeds, only for him to dodge it with ease and slash at the tank treads, permanently hampering the mecha's speed. The blonde boy soon leaped into the air, conjuring up a few blades of wind and flung them at the mecha, further damaging it as the admin shot a glare at Allen. Pressing a button on the control panel, the mecha fired a series of small missiles at the blonde boy, exploding right near him as he was stunned by the electricity contained within them. However, he was far from throwing in the towel, opting to channel his inner light and fired it in a beam at his enemy, punching a large hole in the mecha as it began spluttering and quaking on the spot.

"T-This can't be happening!" The admin exclaimed in surprise. "M-My mother spent all her life savings on this thing!"

"She should've spent it on something worthwhile. Now for the finishing blow…" Allen began, leaping towards the mecha and bisected it with a clean slash as the machine promptly exploded. The admin was able to escape in time and quickly fled from the pyramid, leaving Allen to approach the computer and saw that his friends were able to make it past the door. "Ah, I see that I was able to buy them more than enough time. I'm glad I was able to be of service."

 **0000**

"It's a good thing you had that badge, Julius. Otherwise we would've been done for!" Aelita called out to him.

"Don't thank me, thank Maria. She was the one who gave me this badge. Looking back in it now, it's like she was always there for me…" The young teen replied, tearing up a bit before promptly focusing on the matter at hand. "We must press forward; we cannot let her efforts and that of our friends be in vain!"

"Exactly! Allen was able to deal with that Bladestar admin for us. Now let us—" Ren began, only for the intercom from before to blare through the area once more.

' _Welcome to Eclysia Pyramid! Thank you for choosing this place as your destination! We are happy to announce that you are our 59_ _th_ _, 60_ _th_ _, and 61_ _st_ _visitor of the day! if you're looking for the Spring of Rejuvenation, then please head straight! If you're interested in visiting the Skydeck, please head to the right! We hope you all have a wonderful time here!'_ A cheery voice spoke out from somewhere, promptly shutting off afterwards.

"Probably some more Bladestar mooks. Whatever, let us make has—" Julius began, only to see Reina and Huey approach the duo. "R-Reina, Huey? What are you two doing here?!"

"Nastasia said that she was getting tired of us doing nothing, so she sent us as backup to help you three!" Reina answered.

"You can consider us your formal bodyguards!" Huey chimed in.

"In other words, she's trying to get rid of you two…" Ren replied dryly.

"Yep, seems to be the case!" The raven-haired girl commented cheerily. "Speaking of which, it took us less than ten seconds to get here. You three are uber slow!"

"We had to go though some convoluted puzzle to get here. You two probably just walked on by because we had already solved everything." Aelita told them. "By the way, did anything odd happen at the spring?"

"No, nothing out of the ordinary. Why'd you ask?" The redhead inquired.

"Well, Alice and Allen are using the power of the Unown to run around the place as if nothing had happened to them." Julius told them.

"Yeah, I can see that happening. Unown are mysterious and mischievous beings. I remember reading this book about how this young girl from Johto turned her mansion into a palace of crystal because of them! It's a simple fact that Unown are to be feared when they gather in large numbers." Reina informed them, a sudden thought popping into her mind. "Speaking of which, I think I see Alice right now!"

"Oh dear…the last time I saw her, I made her quite upset. I simply told her that I wasn't able to play with her, and she took great offense to my comment." Ren muttered to his sister, the group of five turning to the center of the room and approached the blonde girl, who gazed at them oddly before applauding them.

"Yay, you guys were so cool!" Alice smiled at them. "Seeing you go through that puzzle I created just for you was so amazing!"

"…you mean to tell me that we wasted precious time on a fucking puzzle that you made for the laughs?!" Julius narrowed his eyes at the young girl, a hint of anger present in his voice.

*giggles* "That's right, Mr. Silly. That room before was made by my friends. I did away with it once you guys completed it." The blonde girl giggled, totally oblivious to his annoyance with her.

"That explains how Huey and Reina got here so fast…" Aelita muttered to herself.

"What's the matter with you?! You wasted our time on some puzzle that wasn't even fun! Your life it at stake here yet you're content with pissing it away over some pointless game!" The young teen chided Alice.

"W-Wasted your time? B-But we were playing…" Alice began to reply quietly, taken aback by the harsh words given to her.

"We told you that we have no time to be playing games, and I mean it!" Ren told her firmly.

"I see…in that case I'm done playing with you all! It was fun, but I want to play with new characters now!" The blonde girl huffed, clicking her fingers as a pair of Claydol defense mechanisms flanked her sides. "This was the time where I'd reveal myself to be the real leader of Team Trappus, but you three are so disinterested in it that it's not worth even doing anymore…"

"Listen, Alice. I get that you're lonely and all that; once our business here is over, I'll play with you as much as you want!" Julius tried reasoning with her, but it didn't seem to work.

"Hmph, weren't you the one yelling at me for wasting your time? Seems suspicious that you suddenly want to play with me…" The blonde girl eyed him up cautiously.

"What are you even talking about, Alice?" Reina inquired.

"Father gave me a single role, which was to write my own story here inside of the Unown Dimension. 'Keep your sister and brother occupied with your vivid imagination' he said." Alice began telling her side of the story.

"Inside the Unown Dimension…does she think she's inside some alternate reality?" Ren mused to the group.

"A side effect of being in the presence of Unown is that you lose sight of what's real and what isn't real." His sister whispered back to him. "It's possible this crazy bitch thinks we're not real!"

"Ever since our sister Eriena escaped from the Unown Dimension, I've been writhed in despair. I've failed father with one task…I can't fail him again. So I've decided to kill off all my characters before they reach a fulfilling arc! That way things can stay interesting; thank you all for playing with me!" Alice called out, gesturing the Claydol to destroy the trainers before her. However, a quick flash of light shone through the area, the Claydol quivering on the spot as the promptly exploded, a look of surprise forming on Alice's face.

"Have you gone mental, sister?!" Allen called out to her.

"What are you doing, Allen?! Why are you interfering with my script?! My world?!" The blonde girl yelled at her brother.

"You were threatening our friends, how could I not interfere?!" The blonde boy retorted.

"Where's the Ninetales I gave you? Why aren't you using my Pokemon?!" Alice demanded an answer.

"What does it matter? Stop messing around, Alice." Allen requested, a low sigh escaping from the girl's mouth.

"I knew this would happen…I knew you'd deviate from my design the moment you gained any freedom. That's why I assigned you a personality in the Unown Dimension. Back then we shared one entity. I could control what you did, what you said…I controlled the conflict, the narrative. It was so easy, but…" Alice began, shooting a glare at her brother. "Ever since we were transported here, you just won't listen to what I say anymore."

"My personality was controlled by you?" The blonde boy inquired, confused at what he was hearing. "No…that's not right. I remember making every decision myself, every word I—"

"That was just my influence, but now you don't have any of that! Your "heroic" character was supposed to always have an Alolan-Ninetales by his side. But here you are running around by yourself—commanding the Unown as if you are their leader. Father left the Unown to me, and only me!" The blonde girl yelled at him. "If you're not going to play by the rules I've laid out, then you are of no use to me!"

"A-Argghhh!" Allen cried out, his body promptly disappearing as several Unown floated where the blonde boy once stood.

"Stand back everyone, I'll take care of her!" Aelita declared. "We have to get to the top of the Pyramid and stop Bladestar from escaping with the Jewel of Life! If Alice wants to play difficult, then I'll play difficult as well!"

"Hah! Who said I'd let the others pass?" The blonde girl retorted.

"I didn't say you would. I'm letting them pass." The lilac-haired girl retorted back.

"T-This isn't how my story goes!" Alice growled at her opponent.

"Who doesn't love a twist ending? I know I do…" Aelita smirked back at her. "Julius, Ren, you two can do this. Huey, Reina, please support them in any way you can."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Julius asked her.

"I'll be fine. I didn't come this far just to lose here." The lilac-haired girl smiled at him.

"In that case, I'm placing all my trust in you. Come on guys!" Ren called out to the others, the group quickly exiting the room as Alice and Aelita started at each other.

"Well, shall we begin then?" Aelita goaded her, the blonde girl eyeing her up oddly.

"It's strange…whenever I'm talking to you, it feels like you're not alone somehow. It's rather…intimidating." Alice pointed out.

"It's because I'm not alone! I have my loved ones and my Pokémon with me!" The lilac-haired girl retorted, as spectral images of her parents floated by her side, ready to aid her in any way they can. "That's why I know I won't lose!"

"Very well, let's see how your twist ending plays out, Aelita!" The blonde girl stated. "You and I are going somewhere a lot more fun than this dreary old place!"

 **0000**

"Do you think Aelita will be okay?" Reina inquired.

"I'm sure she'll be able to succeed, she's a very strong person." Julius reassured her, the group of four making their way through the pyramid, their hands pressed on the wall as the place got incredibly dark all of a sudden. "I just wish we had a light here or something to make things easier for us."

"No need to worry, it seems that things are brightening up a bi—" Ren chimed in, the group of four stumbling into a room filled with advanced technological machines, far more advanced then they expected to see in an ancient pyramid. "Well then…I can't say I expected this."

"Woah…did we step into a spaceship or something? This looks awesome!" Huey called out. "Perhaps Bladestar remodeled the place to make it resemble their secret base."

"Impossible. Eclysia Pyramid only opened up recently. They wouldn't have had the time to refurnish the interior." The raven-haired teen knocked the suggestion back.

"Either way, the only thing we can do is move forward. Who knows, we might be able to find an answer along the way." Julius stated, the group making their way down the long hallways and through the various rooms. Eventually, they stumbled into a large room that was teeming with Bladestar grunts, their Pokémon out of their balls and eager to inflict a beatdown on any intruders.

"T-There's an entire army of Bladestar grunts here!" Ren exclaimed, the four trainers quickly scrambling for a Pokéball and managed to send out their ace companions: Greninja for Ren, Flareon for Huey, Honchkrow for Reina and Vilucard for Julius. But even with their strongest companions our, there was just too many grunts to deal with.

"T-Things couldn't get any worse…" Reina sighed to herself, only for the half a dozen Corsola at the front to bring out combat knives, waving them dangerously in the air. "And I just jinxed myself…"

"H-How the fuck are Corsola able to wield knives?! I've seen some weird sights in my life, but this definitely takes the cake, and I mean it this time!" Julius exclaimed, the Corsola chirping dangerously at the trainers. "Of all the ways I imagined dying; knife-wielding Corsola wasn't one of those ways…"

"Hah, are you intimidated by our display of dominance?!" A Bladestar admin jeered at the trainers. "We are the final obstacle between you and our leader, so you better prepare for the fight of your life, literally! If you really want to save your precious friends, then you'll have to brave us and our powerful Corsola!"

Unbeknownst to everyone except Julius, the panel in the middle of the floor began glowing, the young teen getting a sudden headache as he clutched his head in pain and saw what looked like…another vision. There was something up with that panel, something that could spell doom for everyone if they ignored it in the midst of battle. Battle…that's it! The panel reacted to the aggression displayed by the Bladestar grunts. If he could convince his allies to stand down, and goad the grunts into attacking them, then they might be able to make it out of here alive.

"E-Everyone! I have an idea!" Julius whispered to his friends, gesturing them and the Pokémon to listen to what he has to say. A few looks of surprise were shot in his direction, but they were willing to trust what he has to say given the similar instances he went through. Once they ceased talking, the group of four promptly recalled their Pokémon, causing the Bladestar grunts to eye them up in confusion.

"W-What's the matter? Too scared to face us?" A second admin jeered at them.

"No, it's not that we're afraid to battle you. We just don't have to time to waste on cowards like you…" Ren began, with looks of anger quickly forming on the faces of all the grunts present.

"Excuse me?!" A third admin yelled at the teenagers. "You refuse to fight us yet have the audacity to call us cowards?! If anything, you are the cowards for refusing to fight us!"

"Oh, I guess you can say that. But then again, we're just playing smart this time around. After all, what chance do the four of us have against all of you? If you need this many people to defeat us, then you probably aren't the bravest people out there." Reina joined in.

"Tch, you're starting to piss me off with all your mouthing, you know that?" The first admin stated, their hostility growing by the second as the panel began to glow harsher than before.

"Bladestar always came across as cowards to me; what with that cowardly attack on all those innocent people at the Grand Dream Ball. You didn't have the guts to confront Cassandra head on, so you opted to take her out in an unfair fight. And to think you claim moral superiority over the rest of us…" Huey added, a small smirk on his face as he saw that the plan was working as intended.

"I-I swear kid, if you say one more thing…" The second admin seethed at them.

"You'll come crying to Flora? If that's the case when why don't you have her come here? Or is she that much of a coward that she's willing to throw you all under the bus for her own selfish needs?" Julius taunted, knowing that an insult against their leader would send them wild.

"E-Enough! I-I'll tear you apart with my bare hands!" The third admin roared, gesturing their allies to bumrush the heroes. But all of a sudden, the panel on the floor opened up, a large mechanical statue of Rayquaza emerging from the hole which caused the Bladestar army to halt on the spot. The heroes used this opportunity to retreat, backing away to a safe distance as the Rayquaza machine began collecting energy in its open maw. Before the Bladestar grunts could do as much as scream, the machine fired the beam at them and their Pokémon, vaporizing them instantly. Once it saw that the room was clear of hostile energy, it quickly retracted back into the hole, the panel closing shut as the heroes approached the now desolate room.

 **0000**

"What the HELL just happened down there?!"" Flora demanded, slamming a fist on her desk as a Bladestar grunt quickly approached her.

"Ma'am, I have very bad news for you. We just lost the signals of fifty of our grunts and their Pokémon, all at once." The grunt reported.

"What do you mean we lost their signal?!" Flora yelled at her. "How the hell can fifty of my grunts just disappear into thin air as if it were nothing?! There must be some mistake here! Do the signal check again, goddamnit!"

"T-That's the thing…we've done it five times and the results are the same every time." The grunt informed her, a sigh of annoyance escaping from the green-haired girl's face.

"Just get out of my face and try to contact the other grunts we have there!" Flora ordered her subordinate. "If all my grunts are gone, that means they're almost at the top."

"G-Got it!" The grunt replied, quickly making it back to their station as a low groan escaped from Florin's mouth.

"F-Flora…I still believe in you; you can do some good." Florin called out to her.

"I am doing good; it'll do you some good to just be quiet and let me work! I don't know what Julius had pulled off back there, but he will pay for it…" The green-haired girl shot back at her brother, returning to her desk and continued to monitor the situation.

 **0000**

"T-That thing just obliterated all those people…" Reina commented weakly, shaking in fear from what she just saw.

"I-I'm just glad Julius gave us a heads up about it; had we opted to battle them; we would've ended up like them." Huey admitted.

"I don't know what's causing him to have all these headaches, but I'm glad that he's getting them, if only because it's making things easier for us." Ren began, before realizing what he had just said. "A-Ah, sorry mate. I didn't mean it that way."

"I understand…I know you didn't mean to offend me. Looking back on it, I feel really bad for essentially killing those grunts, but we had no choice." Julius replied, glancing weakly at the door at the back of the room as his body was on the verge of collapsing from exhaustion. "Let's get going everyone. I don't think I can take another headache like that…" He told them, the group of four continuing their ascent up the pyramid.

 **0000**

"Rrgh…" Aelita winced in pain, clutching her arm as she panted lightly to catch her breath. Alice was proving to be a most challenging opponent, and she wasn't even breaking a sweat.

"Teehee…you're really fun to play with, Aelita!" Alice giggled sweetly, though there was a small hint of malice in her tone. "The way you don't give up no matter what I throw at you, it's so inspiring!"

"I don't get it, Alice. We're here fighting for you, yet you choose to stand in our way!" The lilac-haired girl called out to her.

"That's just how I want this story to go, silly!" The blonde girl replied whimsically.

"What gives you the right to dictate what happens to us? We're not playthings for you to have fun with! We're people with our own lives to live!" Aelita retorted.

"That was the role I was given by Father. I am here to guide you all by my own narrative. It is my purpose on this world, the Unown Dimension!" Alice defended her actions adamantly.

"But you aren't in the Unown Dimension anymore! This is reality!" The lilac-haired girl tried to reason with her foe. "I also have a role that I have to fulfill. No matter what, I won't lose to you!"

"Hmmm? What role is that?" The blonde girl inquired, intrigued by Aelita's choice of words.

"After Team Xen has been defeated, I'm going back to Sheridan to become the new Sensei, and ultimately take my title as Gym Leader!" Aelita declared, a new surge of confidence coursing throughout her body.

"Ohhh…you're a Gym Leader, Aelita?" Alice cooed at her, thinking to herself for a moment. "Hmmm…I want to be a Gym Leader too!"

"You can be if you work hard towards that goal. But you have to stop this and accept reality!" The lilac-haired girl told her.

"Heh, that would be fun…but I will not stop. As long as it's my role, I'll keep doing it no matter what!" The blonde girl replied, calling forth her Sableye with Aelita sending out her Starmie in response. The two Pokémon charged at each other, striking blow after blow on their opponent as neither of them seemed to relent in their assault. However, a second wind coursed through the Starmie, tearing through the Sableye as it evaporated into smoke and inadvertently struck Alice as a bright light enveloped the room. When the light died down, it revealed that Alice was kneeling on the floor, clutching her stomach in pain as she promptly faded from the room.

"Hah…hah…you better behave next time." Aelita panted at where Alice's body once stood, her Starmie turning to face her. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Thanks for looking out for me."

 **The Unown Dimension**

"I-I'm back here!" Allen exclaimed, a look of surprise on his face as he found himself in the familiar 8-bit world that was the Unown Dimension. "B-But that must mean…"

Quickly making his way through the area, the blonde boy soon found Alice standing beside the entrance to a set of ruins, the Unown language written on the stone slab hanging above the entrance. "Alice! Are you okay?"

"I…I've failed Father…he trusted me, and I failed him!" Alice replied in a somber tone of voice. "How can I ever face him again knowing that I couldn't fulfill my role?"

"What role? You mean the one where you try to control people?" Allen inquired, with his sister nodding in confirmation. "Why would you want to do that? Don't you understand how wrong it is?"

"It was my purpose…I'm nothing without my purpose." The blonde girl sniffled, a few small tears welling up in her eyes as her brother opted to console her.

"Alice…" He said to her, approaching her and rested his hand on her shoulder. "Don't you see? You don't have to be this way anymore. We're free from the Unown Dimension. We can live our lives now!"

"But it isn't what father wanted…he told me that he trusted me to do this job. That it was important for everyone." Alice replied sadly, averting her gaze from Allen.

"Important for everyone? How could that be?! Alice, realize what he's done to us. Forcing us to become one being, forcing us to share our thoughts. When the Puppet Master freed us, that's when I began to realize something." Allen told her, piquing the blonde girl's attention. "I've realized that we didn't know what it meant to be alive. We'd fool around and play games here, ignorant to the world outside. Why do you think Eriena left us? It's because she didn't want to be trapped here too. Can't you see? This place we thought was a paradise was just a prison!"

"T-That's not true! Father—" The blonde girl shot back at him.

"Can you even remember what he looked like? Who he was? What his name was? What about Mother? What about us?!" The blonde boy pressed her fervently. "Why would you follow the word of a mane you can't even remember?"

"B-Because he said that…he said that he loved me!" Alice retorted, tearing up once more.

"Alice…I love you too." Allen consoled her. "But you have to face the facts; if Father loved us, he would've lived her with us, but he left us here. Let's forget about him and leave this place. Let's go back to the real world and be with our friends. A place where we can truly be ourselves."

"Y-Yeah…you're right. What am I even crying for?" The blonde girl said, wiping here tears away. "I've been very troublesome towards everyone. I'm so, so sorry for everything. I must atone for what I've done to the others, too. And I certainly cannot do that while I'm here, now can I?"

"Alice!" A look of joy formed on Allen's face upon seeing his sister reflect on her actions and see the light.

"Thank you Allen, for waking me up. I hope one day…I can return the favor." She smiled at him, the duo making their way to the entrance to the ruins only to see a large horde of Unown appear right before them. "T-The Unown! There's so many of them…"

"We're leaving you all. We wish to return to the real world!" Allen declared, with the Unown chirping back at them in unison.

"You are our friends and that will never change, but we must go!" The blonde girl told them, but they refused to budge. "They won't listen…"

"Looks like we're gonna have to fight our way out…neither of us can fight them on our own, but we can defeat them together! One way or another, we will escape from this place!" The blonde boy stated, their bodies glowing as they launched a large ball of light at the Unown horde, only for the attack to do virtually nothing to them. "I-It's no use…we're no match for them."

All of a sudden, a mysterious figure cloaked in light appeared before the duo, a most powerful light radiating from their body as the duo shielded their eyes away from the figure.

 **Eclysia Pyramid**

Julius and his friends continued their journey throughout the vast pyramid, the group of four taken aback once more by the technological marvels before their eyes. "Wow, this place is incredible…I know I've said this several times before, but it bears repeating." Ren commented in awe.

"Yeah, what's up with all of this? Where's the sand and stuff?" Reina chimed in. "Well it's not like I'm complaining; I hate sand, it's course and rough and it gets everywhere."

"You think sand is bad, you obviously haven't had glitter dumped all over your clothes. I still find small specks of glitter that fell on my shorts five years ago!" Huey rebutted.

"I'd hate to see what'd happen if you got sand and glitter all over your clothes. It would be the worst of both worlds…" Julius stated, quickly glancing around the area. "I'm curious as to what Nastasia and the rest of Team Xen would say about this place."

"Well I could always ask her." The raven-haired teen said, activating his speaker phone with Nastasia picking it up.

" _What is it, Ren? Are you at the top yet?!"_ She demanded an answer from him. _"We only have 25 minutes left before the stasis pods lose power."_

"We're nearly at the top, ma'am. I'm calling you because I think you have to see something for yourself." Ren told her, holding his speakerphone in the air so that his superior could get a good look at the surrounding area.

" _W-What is this?! This is the Eclysia Pyramid? I thought this place was supposed to be ancient…"_ Nastasia commented in surprise, taken aback by what she was seeing. _"At any rate, you lot should keep moving; we don't have much time left. Keep the speakerphone on so I can guide you through this place."_

Doing as they were told, the group of four made their way through the pyramid, walking through the long corridors before arriving in a small room that was lit up by the faint glow of a computer screen at the back. _"It was most considerate of those Bladestar idiots to leave this panel on for me."_ The Xen admin said, ordering Ren to approach the machine. _"How interesting…seems that Ren's translation is more accurate then I first assumed. Of course, half the reason for that is because of the decoder in his suit…"_

"So did you find anything new yet?" Reina inquired.

"Forget about the computer, check out the water here! It's all glowy and stuff!" Huey called out to the others.

" _it can be safely assumed that's where the water for the spring is stored. There are pipes leading in and outside the Pyramid, some of which are protruding themselves outside of that body of water."_ Nastasia told him, and idea forming in Julius' mind.

"If that's the case, then couldn't we bring Melia and the others up here?" Julius suggested.

" _While that does sound like a reasonable idea, it wouldn't work unfortunately. The water here isn't purified yet. The purification comes from the Jewel of Life, and then after, it flushes out at the bottom level."_ The Xen admin replied, another sigh of disappointment escaping from the young teen's mouth.

"So in other words, it's useless right now." The raven-haired girl sighed, the sound of footsteps making their way to the group as they turned around and saw Aelita quickly approaching them. "Aelita, you're alright!"

"I am, thank you very much. It was a hard battle, but I persevered in the end!" Aelita smiled at her allies.

"I knew you could do it!" Ren smiled at her. "By the way, have you looked around this place yet? It totally has me off-guard with how advanced it is."

"I have, and I'm at a loss for words. How could technology like this exist when this pyramid was first constructed?" The lilac-haired girl mused to herself.

"I can't say for sure, but perhaps we'll find the answer when we arrive at the top." Julius commented, rubbing his eyes for a second or two. "All that aside, I'm more relieved that you're safe and—"

" _REN! I wasn't done looking at the panel yet!"_ Nastasia scolded the raven-haired teen. _"As punishment, I'm going to embarrass you. Your heart skipped a beat when Aelita reappeared. His records show that he was in constant worry ever since you went off to do whatever."_

"Aww…you were worried about me, Ren? That's so cute…" Aelita teased her friend, a fierce blush forming on Ren's face as Reina and Huey giggled over his predicament.

"L-Let's get back to work, alright?" Ren said quickly, making his way back to the panel in the hopes of avoiding any further embarrassment. Hovering the speakerphone near the panel, Nastasia was able to read what was displayed on the large screen.

" _It appears that this panel is for managing the spring's water. However, there's nothing else to look at; this place is a dead end."_ She began, only to find something of particular interest to her. _"Ahah! I've found exactly what I was looking for. Bladestar used this panel for a reason; to deactivate the warp panel to the higher floors. But now that I reactivated it, you're all free to progress."_

"Great, thanks Nastasia!" Aelita complimented her.

"But what if Bladestar has another blockade set up for us on the higher floors?" Huey chimed in, only for a quiet, confident laugh to escape from Nastasia's mouth.

" _I wouldn't worry about Bladestar. They lost the moment they decided to blow up the Grand Dream Ball. You'll see in time; I'm waiting for a report to come in. I'll contact Ren when it comes. From there, it'll all be over in mere minutes."_ Nastasia told them, only for a faint ringing to be heard from her end. _"Seems that some more guests have made their way here. Only two people entered, so it shouldn't be much issue to—"_

*click* The speakerphone disconnected all of a sudden, catching the group of five off-guard. "D-Did those newcomers do something that made her disconnect the call? Should we go back and see if she's okay?" The lilac-haired girl inquired.

"We have to keep going; we don't have the time to check on her, as cruel as it sounds. Besides, Nastasia isn't the sort of person who'd be defeated easily." Julius told her, the group of five making their way to the warp panel. Stepping on it, they were soon warped to the next floor where they encountered a most familiar foe.

"Well then…aren't you lot the curious bunch?" The masked man that had sent Ren and the others back in time approached the group, who all got into a defensive stance in preparation for battle.

"Y-You! You're the one that sent us to the past back then!" Ren called out, glaring at him. "What are you doing here?!"

"Now, now. No need to get so fired up. I'm not here to mess with you five. I'm merely here out of curiosity; it's been so long since I've experienced something so new. For the first time ever, the Elcysia Pyramid has shown itself and opened up. I'm sure you can't blame me for wanting to take a look." The man defended himself. "Though I wonder…have you all figured out what this place is yet?"

"No, and I don't care to! In case you haven't realized, we don't have the time to stand around and talk to you!" Julius shot back at him.

"Yeesh, calm down, kitty cat. No wonder you and that other cat get along so well; you're just as feisty as each other! Like I said, I'm not here to cause trouble. Rather, I feel like giving you some info I found out about this place." The mysterious man told them, only for Aelita to approach him.

"How about you answer my question first? Where is the girl with the red hair?!" She demanded, piquing the man's interest.

"Ah…you've recovered those memories? That's interesting. In any case, I wouldn't worry about her. She's on a mission right now. I'm sure you would know all about that, Aelita." The man replied calmly, with Aelita shooting a vicious glare at him. "Now, now, Firefly. There's no need to get so heated. I'm sure you'll get an opportunity to let out all that steam very soon. But as for that info I promised you…perhaps I'll leave that up to your imagination. We'll meet again very soon. Ciao!"

On his cue, the man teleported from the area, with the lilac-haired girl quickly running to where he was standing in the hopes of extracting more answers out of him. Seeing that their friend was a little stressed out, Ren and Julius made their way to her in order to check up on her. "Are you okay? You seemed to know who that guy was." Ren inquired.

"I've never seen him before, but his choice of attire reminded me of someone that I have seen before." The lilac-haired girl replied.

"I assume you're referring to that red-haired girl you asked about, right? What could you want with her?" Julius pondered.

"That's a story for another time. We're nearly at the top so let's get a move on." Aelita called out to them, the group making their way to the next room and hopped onto what looked like an elevator. But just as they were able to press the button, a voice called out to them.

"Wait for us!" Adam requested, as he and Braixen hopped onto the elevator as well.

"Hey, it's you two! We're glad to have you by our side!" Huey smiled at them.

"But of course! THE Adam Might was getting bored sitting around and doing nothing! And this Braixen wouldn't leave my side so I allowed her to come with me." The tall man huffed proudly.

"You were with Nastasia earlier, right? Her and I got cut off recently, and I was wondering if anything had happened to her." Ren inquired.

"You mean after that announcement? Sorry to say kiddo, but neither of us were there when it happened." Adam replied to his inquiry. "But I wouldn't worry about her; that woman is fierce!"

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's make our way to the top already!" Aelita called out, pressing the panel as the group began their ascent to the top of the pyramid.

' _I'm almost there, Melia…one way or another, I will save you. Please…I need your spirit to be by my side if I am to succeed in this mission.'_ Julius thought to himself, channeling all the willpower and courage he needed to surpass this final challenge, the young teen unaware of the fact that he's about to go though one of the most painful moments of his life within a few minutes.

 **And…done! This chapter took a little longer than expected but I hope you all enjoy it. the next chapter will feature the climactic battle atop the Eclysia Skyview and will undoubtedly be the most difficult and emotional battle Julius has fought yet. I will say that the events of the next chapter will play out considerably different from the events in the game, but it's for the sake of the story I'm writing, so I hope you all understand. Thank you all for reading and supporting my story, I hope you all stay safe and healthy during these trying times.**


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